Workers receive competency certificates

THE suspension of Porgera mine operations, coupled with Covid-19 challenges, have been a blessing in disguise for five senior national employees who currently are part of the mine’s care and maintenance leadership team.
Last month, employees Ezekiel Nori, a probationary open pit mining superintendent; Teddy Ulopo, senior mine engineer; Deryck Akis, alternate manager processing manager; Ian Kaisom, fixed plant maintenance superintendent; and, underground mine engineer Adam Joseph, attained certificates of competency namely, metalliferous mine manager, mine manager works and mine surveyor, issued by the Mineral Resource Authority (MRA) after taking the examinations.
Mine acting executive managing director David Lilley commended the group.
“It is really important and critical for us at this stage of where we’re at,” he said.
“It means we are well covered for having qualified and certified people on this site at all times to meet the requirements of the MRA.
“A team of all nationals willing to take on this responsibility.
“Basically, when we talk about these roles, it’s about keeping the site and the people safe and protecting the assets.
“It is not a purely technical exercise. It’s really focused on making sure that all the right safety processes are involved so no harm comes to anybody and we protect the ore body and assets.”
The process toward attaining the various mine manager certifications began in March 2020 just after the suspension of mining operations.
The examination components, both written and oral, were framed to examine the candidate’s general understanding of the relevant statutory role and legislative provisions, as well as managerial capabilities and skills through responses to certain practical field situations and circumstances by the MRA board of examiners.