Within the scope of Improving Occupational Health and Safety Especially in Mining Sector Project (MISGEP), implemented by the Directorate General of Occupational Health and Safety (DGOHS) and financed by the European Union and the Republic of Turkey, “MISGEP Mining Sector Consultation Meetings”, which cover 25 provinces around the 7 regions of Turkey, continued in Çanakkale to improve occupational health and safety conditions in mining workplaces and to raise awareness on the subject. The meeting was attended by the Governor of Çanakkale Mr. İlhami AKTAŞ, Vice Rector of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Mr. Bünyamin BACAK, President of the Occupational Health and Safety Research and Development Institute (ISGUM) Ms. Sakine OVACILLI, Provincial Director of Labour and Employment Agency (İŞKUR) of Çanakkale Mr. Mehmet Uğur YAVUZ, Provincial Director of the Social Security Institution Mr. Hilmi ERCAN and the representatives of the Provincial Directorate of Health, Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, Provincial Directorate of National Education, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Organization of Turkey (KOSGEB), mining enterprises operating in the Çanakkale region, Joint Health and Safety Units and Non-Governmental Organization (NGO).
Mr. Mehmet Uğur YAVUZ, Provincial Director of Labour and Employment Agency of Çanakkale, who attended the opening session for his speech, emphasised that the mining sector is the determinant of history, and said; “I would like to start by thanking our esteemed Governor, President of the Institute, Provincial Directors, and the representatives of NGOs for attending. As the Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR), we are monitoring the occupational health and safety issue in our province closely, and we are conducting the necessary studies. I wish for the continued success of all the MISGEP team, starting with the Directorate General of Occupational Health and Safety (DGOHS), and I also wish for the project to be a blessing for this province and all of Turkey.”
President of the Occupational Health and Safety Research and Development Institute (ISGUM) Ms. Sakine OVACILLI put the general situation regarding the occupational health and safety of workplaces and employers forward and said “Occupational Health and Safety regulations in the world and in Turkey began with mining. Occupational accidents and diseases can cause results that could harm the social peace and the social harmony. According to the data from the International Labour Organisation (ILO), nearly 3 million employees lose their lives due to occupational accidents and diseases every year. Occupational accidents and diseases, which lead to worse results than the pandemic we are currently going through, can be prevented by taking the proper counter-measures. Between the years of 2013-2019 Çanakkale has shown an increase of 14.9% in the number of workplaces, an increase of 64.9% in the number of employees, and an increase of 45.2% in the number of employees serving in the mining sector, which is higher than the average growth in Turkey (41.3%) in the same period. In the fatal work accidents per one hundred thousand statistic, Çanakkale has shown a decrease of 53.2%. Between the years of 2013-2021, Çanakkale had an improvement of 25.2 times for workplaces and 5.2 times for employees in Access to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Services. Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University is an example for all our universities by being the first university to offer associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees and PhD programs in occupational health and safety at the same time.”
Governor of Çanakkale Mr. İlhami AKTAŞ thanked all those who played a role in the project, starting with the President of the Occupational Health and Safety Research and Development Institute (ISGUM), and the team leaders, and he also stated that he wishes for MISGEP to be a beneficial project for this province and for Turkey.
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. During the meeting, opinions and contributions were received from the participants after each subject.