We are concerned about preserving the physical integrity of miners in case of risks inherent to the work.
We are concerned about preserving the physical integrity of miners in case of risks inherent to the work.
The Chamber of Mines of Peru is aware of its educational work in the mining sector. Therefore, it promotes and provides training in the correct use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the physical integrity preservation.
In fact, the Chamber of Mines of Peru has redoubled its efforts to raise awareness between its students and other mining workers in Peru and Latin America.
Safety optimization in extractive operations requires joint work, that is, responsibility is assumed by each of the workers, whose duty is to perform their work following the established procedures and developing an adequate behavior. Thus, they will be able to preserve their personal integrity and that of their co-workers.
The use of these devices is mandatory. It is the responsibility of each worker to request them, just as it is the obligation of the company to provide them free of charge to each of its employees, according to the type of work they perform within the mining facility, and to provide them with proper training in their correct use.
The Chamber of Mines of Peru urges its students to use mining PPE correctly. In addition, it should be noted that these items are of own personal use and require special care to be in excellent operating conditions and thus ensure full protection.
It is the company’s responsibility to review and inspect this equipment periodically to ensure its validity, state of conservation and proper functioning.
Most accidents at work are caused by unsafe procedures of the workers, since they have been working for a long time, they become confident and use less protective equipment. For example, they start working with the drills without protective earplugs.
In addition to this circumstance, there are other causes innate to each worker, which enhance the appearance of risky behaviors, such as education level, personality and psychological stability.
Undoubtedly, the most valuable resource a company has is its human resources. In this regard, activities should be aimed at creating a culture of self-care in workers, which guarantees the quality of working life and greater productivity.
For this reason, the Chamber of Mines of Peru, through constant work of its professionals, has developed training programs in order to generate positive attitude of workers towards the adherence to the rules and the use of safety devices.
A clear example of the good acceptance of training provided by the Chamber of Mines of Peru is the testimony of the worker Aída Gozar Osorio, who told us «before starting any work, it is essential to use PPE to reduce the possibility of accidents. Mining safety is our own responsibility.»
Another worker who became aware of the importance of this initiative is Abel Ticliahuanca, a mechanic at Empresa Metal Mecánica S.A. – Ememsa, who told us «mining safety is everything that protects us from accidents, either by complying with the established rules or by using the appropriate PPE, depending on the task to be performed».
This initiative was also accepted by mining professionals from other Latin American countries, such as the Venezuelan Hildemaro Farreras, who told us that «safety is the greatest commitment and responsibility that every worker and entrepreneur must assume in any production process in order to create a culture of occupational risk prevention to promote the growth of the company.»
Among the PPE, we can distinguish head protection elements, such as helmets designed against impacts, electric shocks and burns. Eye protection, such as glasses. Earmuffs or earplugs are necessary for works where the noise level is excessive, for example, when using drills or detonating explosive devices, as well as gloves to protect hands.
Other personal protection elements include vests, work clothes and special footwear. It must be taken into account that mining presents a particularity: Operations may be carried out in geographic areas that are difficult to access and with extreme weather conditions such as snow or thaws.
In this case, it is necessary to use special boots for snowy terrain, which will allow the work to be carried out as safely as possible. Boris Calderón, Payroll Analyst at Cosapi, pointed out to us: «Walk with a safe and firm step. It is important to respect safety standards, as it is better to be safe than sorry.
Finally, another risk factor in mining operations is working at heights. Those who carry out this type of work must use the appropriate protective equipment to preserve their physical integrity, such as helmets, gloves and safety harnesses.
Likewise, we call on companies to guide their workers to correctly and seriously use the mining PPE, which could save your life.
