Egeli Miners Launch Occupational Health Project

Aegean miners are moving to increase production and exports under the motto of "Sustainable Mining" while focusing on the prevention of workplace accidents. The Aegean Mining Exporters Association has signed one of the projects eligible for a grant under the Occupational Health and Safety Development Grant Program, published as part of the "Occupational Health and Safety Development in the Mining Sector" operation, financed by the European Union and the Republic of Turkey and executed by the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy.

Stating that 90 percent of the EUR 216,615 project over an 18-month period under the "Occupational Health and Safety Practices Development Project for Accident Prevention in the Mining Sector" will be supported by the European Union and the Republic of Turkey, Aegean Mining Exporters Association Chairman Mevlüt Kaya said they will conduct collaborative work with Dokuz Eylül University Mining Engineering Department and TEKSMER A.Ş. in the project.

Kaya stated, "From the moment the decision to develop the project was made in the EMİB Board of Management, we have carried out successful work regarding the application and follow-up by the Aegean Exporters Associations Secretariat General. With the support of the EU and the Republic of Turkey, we will implement a successful project in Occupational Health and Safety."

Aim to bring occupational health and safety practices in Turkey to EU levels

Summarizing the general objective of the project as "raising awareness on occupational health and safety (OHS) issues in the natural stone mining sector in Turkey to reduce workplace accidents and injuries," EMİB Chairman Kaya said, "To reach more employers and workers, we will organize occupational health and safety workshops and training in different provinces (Izmir, Balıkesir, Afyon, Bilecik, Denizli, Burdur, Antalya and Muğla), provide information to increase human resources level (OHS Guides, mobile OHS application, OHS Animation Film and its presentation with virtual reality (VR) glasses), risk analysis, safe working conditions, etc. The establishment of an occupational health and safety culture and strengthening the capacity of the current situation, visiting mining companies in Italy to elevate occupational health and safety practices in Turkey to the level of EU countries, organizing occupational health and safety-focused practical training in at least two selected pilot mining companies, and ensuring that all prepared documents and visual materials reach the relevant companies. These will be the processes we will focus on throughout the project," he said.

Turkey's USD 7 billion export target to be reached through occupational health and safety

Sharing the information that although the Turkish natural stone sector holds 35 percent of world reserves, it captures around 10 percent of world natural stone exports with an annual export figure of USD 2 billion, Chairman Kaya continued as follows: "The outputs from the project will contribute to raising awareness regarding the elevation of occupational health and safety in the natural stone mining sector to the level of EU countries, as well as result in the development of preventive health and safety culture in the natural stone mining sector, and increased university-industry cooperation in the natural stone mining sector, while also making a positive contribution to Turkey's achievement of its USD 7 billion natural stone export target. The improvement in employment quality in occupational health and safety, and the reduction of workplace accidents and injuries in Turkey's natural stone mining sector, increased reputation, and the development of new approaches in the mining sector will be the outcomes."