26 Aug 2015

Morupule Coal Mine’s record of low accidents and fatalities is worthy of commendation, says Ms Annah Moncho.

She said the feat could be traced to the miner’s commitment to capacity building as witnessed in their annual inter-departmental First AID competitions. Ms Moncho, who was the guest speaker at this year’s competitions in Morupule, said the games increase levels of preparedness and reduce operational risks.   

She commended the management of Morupule Coal Mine for their continued commitment to safety, health and environmental programmes. She also lauded participants for demonstrating that the event, which was aptly themed: Be a hero, save a life, was not about being first but passion, love and team effort.

She said the true success of the competition was in raising awareness that all needed to take responsibility in learning and implementing the basics so as to save lives.

Ms Moncho urged all stakeholders to join hands and take a leadership role in instilling a safety culture among employees and the community. She appreciated the role of the Botswana Red Cross as custodians of First AID.

The competition was established in the 1970s by the Botswana Chamber of Mines to promote competence in the application of First AID at work and home. The core of the competition has always been to offer participants an opportunity to reinforce their First AID knowledge and demonstrate their skill alongside their peers in near realistic scenarios. The skills enable participants to identify what to do in case of an emergency.

First AID remains a key pillar in building safer and resilient communities. Accidents have the potential to rob employers of the very workforce that they rely on for production and business continuity. The competition could be the difference between life and death depending on the readiness of employees to act accordingly emergency situations. Ends