Within the scope of “Improving Occupational Health and Safety Especially in Mining Sector Project (MISGEP)” financed by the European Union and the Republic of Turkey, the general objective of which is to establish Decent Work conditions by promoting health, safety and peace at work, we organize “MISGEP Mining Sector Consultation Meetings” which covers 25 provinces around the 7 regions of Turkey. The 13th of these meetings was held in Erzincan. Governor of Erzincan Mr. Mehmet MAKAS, Erzincan Mayor Bekir AKSUN, Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University Rector Prof. Dr. Akın LEVENT, Director General of Occupational Health and Safety Cafer UZUNKAYA, the representatives of public institutions, the mining enterprises operating in Erzincan and the senior directors of NGOs participated in the meeting.
In his opening speech, Governor of Erzincan Mehmet MAKAS said, “Erzincan is a city rich in minerals. Acting with the principle of “let the people live so that the state lives”, we will continue to work on the development of the mining industry while protecting our environment. At this point, I wish this meeting of MISGEP to be beneficial for our province, our employees and our employers, and I would like to thank everyone who contributed, especially our Director General, the Team Leader and all their colleagues.”
In his opening speech, General Director of Occupational Health and Safety Cafer UZUNKAYA said, “This meeting, that is held within the scope of MISGEP, will pave the way for the establishment of an occupational health and safety culture not only in the mining sector but also in all other fields. For this reason, we believe that all parties should be mobilized. Occupational diseases should not be perceived as a destiny, and it is possible to prevent one hundred percent of deaths due to occupational diseases by taking the necessary precautions in this regard. There has been a significant improvement in fatal occupational accident rates since 2013, but we need to make more efforts. Risk assessment plans, emergency action plans must be prepared, and health surveillances must be conducted in the workplaces regarding occupational health and safety. These measures protect not only the employee but also the employer, the business, and the state.”
In the consultation session of the meeting, MISGEP Team Leader Mr. Gökhan GÜLER and Asst. Prof. Dr. Hacer KAYHAN informed the participants on topics such as occupational health and safety practices in mining industry by reviewing examples from the world, legal obligations regarding mining and administrative fines, compensation after occupational accidents, the impact of unionisation on occupational health and safety, pneumoconiosis which is the most common occupational disease in the industry, and the costs and benefits of preventing occupational accidents. The opinions of the participants were received after each topic during the meeting.
