All-women rescue team gears up for challenge

Business

THE Papua New Guinea Chamber of Mines and Petroleum executive director Dr Albert Mellam says women are slowly joining the male-dominated field of emergency response in the extractive sector.
This follows the participation of the Newcrest Mining team made up of women in the PNG Extractive Industries Emergency Response Challenge (EIERC) in Madang today, tomorrow and Wednesday.
“Emergency rescue teams of males taking part in the EIERC will be competing against a well-trained, professional rescue team made up of only females,” he said.
“Newcrest Mining, the operator of the Lihir gold mine in New Ireland, will be sending its female team for the second time to this event after they first took part in 2015.”
Mellam said more women were being employed by resource companies as emergency rescue officers and their participation in that event was great.
““Emergency response was once a male-dominated area. But with the support of the various mining and petroleum projects, women are slowly joining that field,” he said.
“As the event progresses, we anticipate greater female participation so that they can also learn from their peers from other projects and impart the skills they learn from the EIERC back at their respective projects.”
It is expected that more than 200 participants including senior executives from the resource industry will be attending the event which is being organised by the PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum.