Golden Star Wassa Mine won the practical finals of the National Inter-Mines First Aid and Safety Competition, finishing ahead of Asante Gold Bibiani, Adamus Resources and Asante Gold Chirano.
The annual competition was organised by the Ghana Chamber of Mines in partnership with the St. John’s Ambulance Service and the Minerals Commission. Golden Star Wassa hosted this year’s event in the Akyempim community under the theme “Safety First, Safety Always”.
Golden Star Wassa Mine led the standings with 57.5 points after three demanding rounds of First Aid and Safety Scenarios. Asante Gold Bibiani finished second on 53 points, followed by Adamus Resources on 50.5 and Asante Gold Chirano on 48.5.
Golden Star Wassa Mine also won the Community team category. Its Community Safety Team competed against teams from Newmont Ahafo North, Heath Goldfields and Perseus Mining Ghana.
Golden Star Wassa Mine chief executive Mr. Lianghua Lin said the importance of first aid extended beyond the workplace and individual identity.
“First aid is a powerful expression of humanity. When someone is injured or in distress, what matters most is not their company, nationality or background. What matters is that someone is ready and willing to help. That is the spirit we must celebrate today,” he said.
The annual competition is designed to connect mining operations with the communities around them through two distinct categories.
Mine teams are made up of specialist employees trained to respond to serious industrial medical incidents. Community teams consist of residents from host communities who have been taught basic life-saving skills.
The programme aims to create a local network of trained first responders. After taking part, community members return to their neighbourhoods with the ability to respond to domestic emergencies, road accidents and public health crises before emergency medical services can reach the scene.
The competition also highlights the economic and social importance of emergency response in the extractive industry. Immediate first-aid capability can reduce risk, protect infrastructure and prevent unexpected incidents from causing operational downtime.
This year’s event was the 16th edition. Golden Star Wassa’s victory extends its record to 10 Zonal Championship titles and 8 national titles.
The team will now turn its attention to the theoretical stage, a nationally broadcast quiz called “What Do You Know?”. The quiz will take place before the annual Mining Industry Awards organised by the Ghana Chamber of Mines.
