The focus group meeting of the “Mixed Reality Application for Improving Mine Safety Culture in Underground Mining Project” carried out within the scope of MISGEP’s Grant Programme, where the Directorate General of Occupational Health and Safety is the Operation Beneficiary and the Directorate of European Union and Financial Assistance is the Contracting Authority, was held with the Middle East Technical University.
The meeting started with the opening speeches made by the Director General of Occupational Health and Safety Mr. Cafer UZUNKAYA and the Vice President of the Middle East Technical University Prof. Dr. Mehmet Tevfik ZEYREK.
In his speech, the Vice President of the Middle East Technical University Prof. Dr. Mehmet Tevfik ZEYREK emphasized the importance of this project that combines science and technology in terms of the social service mission of the university for Turkey, which is a mining country. He stated that the university will give all support to the project so that it will be beneficial.
The Director General Mr. Cafer UZUNKAYA emphasized that occupational health and safety is not only a field under the responsibility of the Ministry and stated, “This is the common duty of all actors of working life.”
Mr. Cafer UZUNKAYA pointed out that it is very meaningful that “Mixed Reality Application for Improving Mine Safety Culture in Underground Mining” is a project aimed at improving the safety culture in mines and reducing the fatality and injury rates in mining accidents; and he added that universities in Turkey should lead the way in occupational health and safety, which is a responsibility shared by all parts of the society and congratulated the Middle East Technical University in this context.
Focus group meetings were started with the wishes of making the maximum effort and disseminating the project outputs in order to achieve the objective of the “Mixed Reality Application for Improving Mine Safety Culture in Underground Mining Project”, whose target group is underground mine employees, mining engineers, mining engineering students, and inspectors and experts who work in public sector and which aims to improve the safety culture in mines and reduce the fatality and injury rates in mining accidents. The meeting ended after a question and answer session.