Maxam breached manufacture, storage and transportation regulations – Minister
Maxam is responsible on the principle of vicarious liability – MP
Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has stated that Maxam Ghana Limited breached six regulations of the extractive sector which led to the Apiate explosion on January 20, 2022.
He indicated that even though the transportation of the explosive was not done by Maxam it bears the responsibility for the explosion because it failed to ensure that the company, hired for the transportation complies with the requisite rules.
“ … Maxam is the company responsible for the manufacture, storage and/or transportation of explosives and to that extent, companies which are agents of Maxam.
“On the principle of vicarious liability, Maxam is held liable for any breaches or occurrences in the conduct of their agents,” he said on the floor of the House.
Abu Jinapor, who is also the Member of Parliament for Damongo, said that following the Minerals Commission's report on the explosion, he had set a three-member committee, to carry out an independent investigation to corroborate the findings or otherwise of the Commission.
According to him, the report from the three-member committee affirmed that Maxam breached some manufacture, storage and transportation regulations of the Minerals and Mining Regulation, 2012 (L.I. 2017).
The regulations breached he said includes failure to ensure that the transportation of explosives was managed by a certified manager; failure to ensure that activities that involve explosives were carried out only by competent and certified persons; failure to ensure that a code of safe working practice developed for the transportation of explosives are followed and failure to ensure that the transportation of explosives was done under the supervision of a person with the required certificate of competency.
Watch video of the minister speaking in the parliament below:
