PGG and PKW facilities at the forefront of safe mining

On 24 February, at the Karol Szymanowski Philharmonic Hall in Krakow, during the 35th edition of the Mineral Resources & Energy Congress, awards and distinctions were presented in the ‘Safe Mine’ competition, co-organised by the State Mining Authority.

First and second place in the competition went to Ruch Jankowice and Ruch Chwałowice respectively, which are part of the ROW hard coal mine owned by the Polish Mining Group. Third place was awarded to ZG Brzeszcze, owned by Południowy Koncern Węglowy.

 The jury of the ‘Safe Mine’ competition also awarded honourable mentions. In the hard coal mine category, these were granted to the Ziemowit Division of the Piast-Ziemowit Coal Mine and the Bolesław Śmiały Coal Mine, both owned by the Polish Mining Group. In addition, a special award for overall work in the field of safety was presented to ZG SILTECH Sp. z o.o.

No copper ore mines were among the winners or runners-up, as each of them recorded a fatal accident between 2023 and 2025.

The ‘Safe Mine’ competition is a prestigious event that enjoys high recognition within the mining industry. For many years it has promoted a culture of safety in the Polish mining sector, rewarding systematic efforts to protect the health and lives of mine workers. Its aim is to highlight achievements in occupational safety in Polish mines and to recognise those that demonstrate the highest level of commitment to compliance with health and safety regulations and standards.

The competition is organised in two categories: hard coal mines and copper ore mines. The main criteria used in the ranking include three consecutive years without fatal accidents, the number of minor accidents, the number of consecutive days without accidents in the year of the competition, natural hazards occurring at a given mine, the size of the workforce and the annual production volume.

The State Mining Authority is one of the organisers of the competition, alongside the Mineral Resources & Energy Congress [Szkoła Eksploatacji Podziemnej], the Prof. Wacław Cybulski Safe Mining Foundation, the National Research Institute, the Regional Labour Inspectorate in Katowice and the Katowice branch of the Social Insurance Institution.