The government has put in place a Health and Safety Committee of Inquiry to ensure reforms in the mining sector following the Appiate explosion.
Speaking in Parliament, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Jinapor, said the committee will be chaired by the Paa Grant University of Mines and Technology Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Richard Amankwah.
It has members are drawn from the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Ghana Bar Association, and the mining industry.
The mandate of this committee is to “review the entire health and safety regime of the mining industry and make recommendations to government for legislative, policy and other reforms.”
Mr. Jinapor added that “the committee will be submitting its report to me in the next couple of weeks, and we will implement the necessary recommendations to make our mining industry safer and better.”
While the report of the Benjamin Aryee committee tasked to look into the Appiate explosion has not been made public, the minister noted that there will be more transparency with the Health and Safety Committee of Inquiry report.
“It is the considered view of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources that it will be more useful to publish the report of the Health and Safety Committee of Inquiry, which has a broader mandate and whose recommendations are geared towards the reformation of the mining sector,” Mr. Jinapor explained.
At least 13 people were killed, and 179 others injured in the explosion, which occurred on Thursday, January 20, 2022.
The explosion is believed to have been caused by a collision between a vehicle transporting explosives to a mining site and a tricycle.
The truck that was involved in the explosion was heading to Chirano Gold Mines.
According to the mining company, the truck belongs to MAXAM, a mining services contractor.
The government is currently probing the incident.