Following Exit’s reporting on the Bulqiza miners’ protests, Albchrome sent us an official statement explaining their position. They claim the company “[…] excels as regards the safety of its miners in Bulqiza,” and its mines had been certified by the US company Predictive Safety. AlbChrome further claimed it had invested $2 million on safety in the mines since 2013.
Whilst Exit is not able to independently verify AlbChrome’s claims, the following are the main points of the company’s reaction to Exit’s report on the start of a protest by Bulqiza miners. An update of the events can be found here.
“We are proud to say that AlbChrome excels in terms of the safety of its miners in Bulqiza. During January of this year, the well-known American company Predictive Safety, based in Centennial, Colorado in the United States, conducted an inspection at the chrome mine in Bulqiza, where AlbChrome operates, fully certifying the safety at our mine.
[…]
Among the security measures regularly taken by Albchrome for its employees we can mention:
- Establishment in each unit of an Occupational Safety Officer;
- Daily occupational safety inspections performed by an expert team based on a specific schedule;
- Monthly / 3 monthly / annual budget and plan for training and communication of occupational safety regulations;
- Strict discipline at work, daily checks for alcohol usage by staff and immediate measures for any breach of technical safety regulations;
- Professional Occupational Safety Course, each miner completes a training course prior to commencement of work.
Occupational Safety Figures:
- Since 2013, the number of accidents at work has decreased significantly;
- Since 2013, more than USD 2 million investment has been made to improve technical security conditions;
- On average of 6 detailed checks were carried out per week in each unit regarding the implementation of the technical security regulation.
AlbChrome’s total investment since 2013 in the Bulqiza mine amounts to USD 55.6 million, a figure that will exceed USD 60 million by 2021.
Exit reached out to the newly established union of Bulqiza miners, the Syndicate of Unified Miners of Bulqiza (SMBB), to ask for their comments on AlbChrome’s statement.
