Setting out with the aim of organizing the first of the Mine Rescue Competitions, which have become a high standard of the sector under the leadership of the companies that lead the world mining, in our country, the Turkish Miners Association (TMD) held its first meeting under the chairmanship of TMD High Advisory Board Chairman Atılgan SÖKMEN and with the participation of experienced OHS Managers of TÜPRAG Efemçukuru Gold Mine, Çayeli Copper Enterprises, KOZA Gold Enterprises, ESAN Eczacıbaşı and Demir Export companies on 13-14 March 2019.

In the meeting where technical and administrative issues were discussed within the scope of the competition organization, it was decided to form an Executive Board within TMD. TÜPRAG Efemçukuru Gold Mine HSE Manager Göksel ALPASLAN and HSE Manager Muratcan SEMİZ were elected as the Chairman and Secretariat of the Board, and Çayeli Copper Enterprises HSE Manager Hamit ÖZEN was elected as the Vice Chairman. It was decided to continue monthly meetings with sector representatives for the preparation work for the 1st National Mine Rescue Competition, which is targeted to be held in the third quarter of 2019.

Believing that this initiative, which started with the support of leading companies in the sector such as TÜPRAG Efemçukuru Gold Mine, Çayeli Copper Enterprises, KOZA Gold Enterprises, ESAN Eczacıbaşı and Demir Export, Polyak Eynez, İmbat, TÜMAD and Alamos Gold, will become even stronger with the participation of other companies in time, the Turkish Miners Association emphasized that the common goal aimed with this organization is to create a high awareness on Search and Rescue issues in our country’s mining, to develop a standard framework for the training of teams and the development of intervention capabilities, to create more intervention resources that speak a common language and can act together in case of a possible need, and to maintain the spirit of unity with the sharing of experience of sector representatives.