The Rwanda Mines petroleum and Gas (RMB) has issued six major guidelines to contain the spread of new coronavirus among people employed in the mining sector.
The issued guidelines include sufficient ventilation, de-densification, screening and testing of employees, establishing tracing programs for miners, and any other person they may contact.
Other safety guidelines outlined by the mining body and addressed to their employees is to allow them to work into shifts, to avoid congestion at work.
The communiqué issued by the mining body on Thursday 4, 2020 says these mining guidelines were developed following the existing COVID-19 measures set by the government to contain the spreading of the virus.
“We want to ensure that miners are safe from COVID-19 at their workplace and the surrounding community,” Francis Gatare, Chief Executive Officer of RMB said.
A modern tunnel, Rutongo Mining company
According to the statement from RMB, the outlined safety guidelines stipulate mining and quarry owners have to put in place, risk assessment mechanisms to identify any risk or hazard to the safety and health mining activities.
In Rwanda, about 100,000 people are employed in the mining sector.
