Shamva Gold Mine Fresh Air Team commissioned
The Association of Mine Rescue of Zimbabwe has commissioned the Shamva Gold Mine Fresh Air team into the national body which specializes in mining rescue to ensure that fatalities in mining are on the decrease as more teams can carry out rescues when accidents erupt.
Rudairo Mapuranga
The Shamva Fresh Air Team will join over a dozen of fresh air teams and proto teams around the country from different mines such as Freda Rebecca, Zimplats, How Mine, Vumbachikwe, Mimosa, and Unki among many others.
Mine Rescue teams are the line of defence in emergencies as they provide immediate response in emergencies to save lives, and equipment and recover the mine to normal. Most mine rescue teams are composed of miners who know the mine and are familiar with the mining machinery they may encounter during the rescue, the layout of workings and geological conditions and working practices.
Local and state governments may have teams on-call ready to respond to mine accidents.
Speaking at the commissioning of the Shamva team, the National Mine Rescue trainer Mr Michael Ruzvidzo said mine rescue teams must know the procedures used to rescue miners trapped by various hazards, including fire, explosions, cave-ins, toxic gas, smoke inhalation, and water entering the mine.
He said the Shamva Mine Fresh Air Team has been exceptional in its training and preparedness for commissioning getting over a 85 per cent pass mark.
“Today is a great day for the commissioning of Shamva gold Mine, this team has been doing some training from long back. At first, their initial training was theory, and workloads which were very successful. We have been waiting for so long for this team to be commissioned, it is now going to be incorporated into the Mining Rescue Association,” Ruzvidzo said.
Anselm Mapako Mine Rescue Association North Zone Coordinator said the commissioning of Shamva Gold Mine Fresh Air Teams was going to be significant for the mines around Mashonaland Central as it will be an addition to helping Freda Rebecca in responding to situations.
“As a zone, we are growing, with the addition of Shamva mine means we now have 5 teams, two Fresh Air teams and three Proto teams. The addition of Shamva means that the mine will attend some callouts earlier than other teams which are not from this side” Mapako said.
The Association National Coordinator Lameck Karikeka ensured that the coming of the fresh air team will help arrest and respond to situations arising from the small-scale and artisanal mining areas. He said the commissioning will have a positive effect on the safety of miners and the reduction of fatalities.
“Now we have commissioned Shamva Gold Mines as a fresh air team and hope that it will help us in terms of helping most of the small-scale miners around. As the Chamber of Mines, we are also happy that Shamva and Freda Rebecca will be helping each other in terms of rescue. In terms of safety we are going to improve because we have a team that has in-depth safety procedures” Karikeka said.