GMG records a fatal accident at Blanket Mine
An employee of a specialist in trackless Mining Machinery, GMG mining machines and supplies succumbed to injuries related to maintenance of trackless equipment at Caledonia Mining Corporation‘s Blanket Mine in Gwanda.
Rudairo Mapuranga
Through a press release, Caledonia reported that the accident took place on Monday with the employee dying on Tuesday in a hospital due to the injuries sustained.
“It is with regret that Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc (“Caledonia”) reports that an accident took place on 7 August 2023 at the Blanket Mine in Zimbabwe, as a result of which one employee of GMG, a company contracted to Blanket Mine-succumbed to his injuries in hospital today. The accident related to the maintenance of trackless equipment,” the Company said in a press release.
This year alone Blanket Mine has recorded 2 fatalities with the first taking place in February when an employee succumbed to a secondary blasting situation.
In 2022, Blanket Mine achieved more than 2,4 million fatality-free shifts since 2018 proving the mine’s commitment towards the safety and health of its workers.
“Safety is our first priority at Caledonia, and we are committed to continual improvement in safety performance and achieving a zero-harm working environment for all our employees and contractors. We work hard to create a strong safety culture at our Blanket Mine, which is underpinned by our policies and systems and reinforced by regular training and safety-awareness courses. To demonstrate our commitment to this priority, safety targets are set as a qualifier for our employee bonus scheme,” the company said.
Mine accidents in Zimbabwe have been on the rise with the country recording 125 accidents and 139 fatalities during the first 3 quarters of 2022.
In 2019 Zimbabwe recorded a total of 116 accidents with these resulting in 182 fatalities, recording an increase in accidents in 2020 recording 158 accidents however with a visible decrease in fatalities recording 169 fatalities. In 2021, the country recorded a decrease in both accidents and fatalities as compared to the previous year with 121 accidents and 139 fatalities. As of 30 September 2022, the country has recorded 125 accidents and 139 fatalities.
Zimbabwe has been plagued with mine disasters over the last few months, often resulting in the death of scores of miners. Most of the mine accidents have occurred at illegally run disused mines, with a few happening at legally-run small scale mines.