Yekepa, Nimba, Liberia: ArcelorMittal Liberia commemorated the 2025 Global Health and Safety Day with vibrant safety awareness activities held in Yekepa and Buchanan, reaffirming its unwavering commitment to cultivating a zero-incident culture across its operations.
Speaking during the main event in Yekepa, Kleber Silva, Executive Vice President and CEO of ArcelorMittal Mining, delivered a strong message on the importance of safety as a core operational value.
“We must force the culture of safety,” Silva emphasized. “Safety is about life, the lives of ourselves, our colleagues, and every person in our environment. We must strive for zero fatalities, zero accidents, and zero incidents in our mines, our railroad, and our concentrator.”
Silva, along with other executives, applauded the workforce for significant improvements in the company’s safety record in recent months, noting the absence of any major incidents or fatalities.
ArcelorMittal Liberia’s CEO, Michiel Van Der Merwe, echoed Silva’s sentiments, encouraging employees and contractors to be proactive in identifying and reporting safety concerns.
“We want you to report hazards, accidents, and incidents,” Van Der Merwe said. “Not to assign blame, but to protect each other, so that our brothers and sisters return home safe every day. A safe workplace is a productive workplace.”
Opening the ceremony, Head of Health and Safety, Mr. Ahmad Massaquoi, urged all staff to reflect on their achievements and challenges in workplace safety.
“We must ensure our workforce, assets, and environment are always in safe condition,” he stated. “Let us all honor the pledge to stay healthy and safe.”
Department heads delivered reinforcing messages, emphasizing individual responsibility in creating a safe work culture.
“True safety is doing the right thing even when no one is watching,” remarked Dawie Loots, AML Training Academy Manager. Estate Manager Ramses Kumboyah extended the message to living spaces, encouraging employees to maintain safety both at work and at home.
A report by the Health and Safety Department highlighted marked improvements in ArcelorMittal Liberia’s safety performance. Massaquoi credited this progress to the diligence and vigilance of employees committed to maintaining a safe work environment.
In Buchanan, Marco Miranda, Head of Rail, delivered a special message on behalf of CEO Van Der Merwe, emphasizing the role of teamwork and strict compliance in achieving a sustainable safety culture.
The 2025 Global Health and Safety Day celebration culminated in the recognition of 123 individuals and one department for outstanding contributions to workplace safety. Award categories included:
- Best Paramedic Award
- Best Cleaner Award
- Best Safety Recognition
- Best Guardian Angel Award
- Exceptional Performance in Shop Floor Audit
- Best Safety Practitioner Award
The Mines Department was honored with the Incident Investigation and Closure Excellence Award, underscoring their exemplary performance in safety management.
