A Mining Engineer and Lawyer, Mr Theophilus Dzimega has been providing some education to Ghanaians on the correct ways of transporting explosives.
Mr Dzimega stated that “LI 2177 Regulation 106 talks about conveying of explosives by road which should be conveyed between 6 am and 6 pm whilst Regulation 107 talks about vehicles carrying these explosives must be accompanied by a competent person and a Police Escort. The competent person by law, according to Mr. Dzimega should have a Blasting Certificate and must be a Blast Man certified by the Inspectorate Division of the Minerals Commission of which the law determines how the escort must be done.
He added that there used to be a vehicle ahead of the truck carrying the explosives with a red flag in front with Policemen in the vehicle to caution people that there are explosives in the truck, but their understanding of the current situation at Apiatse was that the Police Officer was in the truck with the driver who was transporting the explosives to the site”.
He added that “the Company should have done risk assessment to understand the risk associated with escorting the explosives from the point of manufacture to the point of delivery to ensure that this situation could not happen and that the mining industry had not done enough education on the dangers associated with explosives and other compatible materials”.
”Politicians should step back and allow industry players and professionals to investigate properly and come out with recommendations”, he said.
On the 20th of January 2022, an explosion occurred at Apiatse, a town sandwiched between Bogoso and Bawdie in the Western Region, after a motorcycle rider from the opposite direction ran into the van carrying the explosives.