Jena to Commission fresh air rescue team
As part of its strategy to reduce fatalities, Kuvimba Mining House (KMH) owned Gold mine, Jena Mines, lost time due to injuries and casualties which has led to the mine assembling a fresh air team which will be commissioned soon, the mines Safety, Health, Environment and Quality (SHEQ) Manager Tatenda Hapanyengwi said.
Speaking to Mining Zimbabwe on the sidelines of the Mine Rescue Association of Zimbabwe (MRAZ) Westzone Quarterly training exercise held at Metallon Corporation Zimbabwe’s Bulawayo Mining Company (BMC) last week, Hapanyengwi said Jena Mines’ rescue team attended the exercise for them to have an understanding of how teams operate practically.
“We have noticed recently that statistics have been rising in terms of fatalities and lost time injuries due to hazards associated with mining. In terms of us being prepared, we decided that we should have a team that is readily available for our mine and other Mines around large or small.
“We came here to learn as a new team on how to respond in terms of call-outs for emergencies. The first thing that we learnt is that Proto is an important team in the mining industry every mine should have a team on its own to reduce casualties, save lives and safety preparedness,” Hapanyengwi said.
He also said that if commissioned, the team is going to be one of the top contenders in upcoming rescue competitions.
“Our team is young, motivated, highly intelligent and with all this training and all this effort we are putting in the idea prepare them such that when the time comes they will be ready. I guarantee you that Jena Mines is going to produce one of the best teams in Zimbabwe,” he said.