Conakry, Guinea – Rio Tinto and SimFer participated in the National Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Workshop, held from 22 to 23 April 2025 in Conakry. The workshop, organised by the Ministry of Mines and Geology in collaboration with the Guinea Chamber of Mines and with financial support from Rio Tinto Guinée, aimed to strengthen the HSE capacities of stakeholders in the Guinean mining industry and to ensure that the highest standards of occupational health and safety are upheld.
The workshop provided an opportunity for health, safety, and environment (HSE) professionals from across Guinea’s mining sector to share their experiences, approaches, and best practices in occupational health and safety, and to reflect on the challenges the industry faces in terms of risk prevention on mining sites.
Therese Dower, General Manager Health, Safety and Environment at SimFer, stated: “We firmly believe that nothing is more important than the health and safety of our employees and the communities in which we operate. As part of the Simandou Project, we are committed to meeting internationally recognised standards and ensuring a safe working environment — both physically and mentally — for everyone involved in the project.”
Alongside an ambitious construction schedule, the health and safety of employees and communities at SimFer construction sites remain a top priority for both Rio Tinto and SimFer. Continuous efforts are being made to raise awareness among employees and communities about potential risks, while implementing measures to mitigate them and promote best practices across all SimFer operations.
According to Aboubacar Koulibaly, Head of Rio Tinto Guinée: “The future of Guinea’s mining sector depends not only on what we extract from the ground, but also on the values we uphold and the people we protect. The health and safety of our employees and the communities where we operate must remain top priorities.”
Rio Tinto and SimFer are committed to achieving exemplary performance in health, safety, and environmental standards across all their operations in Guinea. Collaboration among stakeholders in the mining sector is essential to building a culture of health and safety at work—one that is vital for a more responsible, more humane, and more sustainable mining future.
