Professionals and technicians of the sector have academic activities provided by the Chamber of Mines of Peru.
The Chamber of Mines of Peru has been developing mine safety and rescue training programs. These programs are aimed at professionals and technical personnel at a global level.
It also seeks through these activities that members of the mine rescue teams have a good physical and mental preparation and an adequate knowledge of the development of procedures. The aim of this is to reduce the number of mining accidents.
Among the most common mining accidents, we can mention falling rocks, fall of workers, traffic accidents, fires and electrical failures. Therefore, in order to reduce the number of losses in these situations and optimize safety, it is necessary to have rescue teams. The task of these teams is to guarantee the development of the activity with a high level of safety.
This has been shared by members of working groups, such as David Puse Pupuche, from Las Bambas mining project in Apurímac, Peru. He said, “For mine rescue teams, safety is not a priority; it is a value that we all must promote and practice every day. The motto with which we carry out our activity is “Safety at Work means Happiness at Home.”
Mining safety and rescue training is aimed at improving the level of knowledge in the application of safe processes during the development of each work. In addition, each of these specifications must be included in the PETS (Written Safe Work Procedure).
For example, when carrying out rock scaling, the integrity of the operators must not be compromised in any way; consequently, a protection area must be created to avoid being hit by a loose rock. In this regard, malpractice in this aspect ends up causing accidents, such as the one that occurred one year ago in a deposit in Peru. In this case, an operator performed the task from the work front, resulting in a rock impacting his leg, causing an exposed fracture of the tibia and fibula.
It is important that training courses focus on the psychological aspect, which lies in improving the management of emotions and feelings, as well as the behavior in emergency situations. For this purpose, reflection, supervision and training groups are established, with the aim of improving the quality of individual and group response in situations generating high levels of stress.
“Working safely means carrying out your work responsibly, complying with all the prevention mechanisms, in addition to using a right criterion to be able to return home safe and sound”, said Gino Acuña Aguilar, a member of the fire brigade at the Retamas gold mining company.
These professionals must also receive adequate physical preparation to respond in the event of hazards that may arise such as fires, landslides, floods, etc. In addition, the objective of this preparation is to familiarize the teams and other personnel with the use of special instruments for mine rescue, as well as the use of machinery that can be used in emergencies (cranes, front loaders, etc.).
The aim of this is to control dangers inherent to their work, such as exposure to toxic and flammable gases, electricity, among others. In this regard, it can be indicated that mine rescue work requires good physical and mental condition. As well as a level of knowledge of safe procedures that help workers to remain calm, serene and with good judgment during an emergency.
Finally, it is necessary for professionals to have knowledge of the location of mine rescue chambers and emergency exits in order to facilitate the evacuation of workers in the shortest possible time.
