Golden Star Wassa Mine won the practical finals of this year’s National Inter-Mines First Aid and Safety Competition, demonstrating how industrial health, safety, and emergency response help safeguard lives.
The annual event, organized by the Ghana Chamber of Mines in partnership with the St. John’s Ambulance Service and the Minerals Commission, under the theme “Safety First, Safety Always”, was hosted by Golden Star Wassa in its Akyempim community.
The Golden Star Wassa Mine Team led the standings with 57.5 points after three gruelling rounds of First Aid and Safety Scenarios, with Asante Gold Bibiani second on 53 points, Adamus Resources third on 50.5 points, and Asante Gold Chirano fourth on 48.5 points.
In the Community team category, Golden Star Wassa Mine’s Community Safety Team also won their category after competing against Newmont Ahafo North, Heath Goldfields, and Perseus Mining Ghana.
In an interview, the CEO of Golden Star Wassa Mine, Mr. Lianghua Lin, stressed that “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.”
The annual competition bridges the gap between mining operations and the public by featuring two categories: Mine teams, specialized employees trained to handle high-stakes industrial medical scenarios, and Community teams, comprising residents from local host communities equipped with primary life-saving skills.
By empowering community members, the program builds a localized safety net. These ordinary citizens return to their neighbourhoods as trained first responders who can manage domestic emergencies, road accidents, and public health crises long before emergency medical services arrive.
The annual event addresses critical economic and social issues within the extractive industry. Emergency response is a business-critical asset because immediate first-aid readiness mitigates risk, protects infrastructure, and eliminates operational downtime caused by unforeseen incidents.
It was the 16th edition of the competition, and Golden Star Wassa’s latest success has extended its unmatched record to 10 Zonal Championship titles and 8 national titles.
Following its victory in the practical finals, the team will now prepare for the theoretical stage of the competition—a nationally broadcast quiz titled “What Do You Know?”. The quiz will precede the annual Mining Industry Awards, organized by the Ghana Chamber of Mines.
By Eric Adjei
