At the Chamber of Mines of Peru, we are convinced that worker safety comes first in mining.
As part of its commitment to achieve the highest level of safety in operations, the Chamber of Mines of Peru continues to develop its training programs.
This time, with an emphasis on one of the most important natural tools we have to work on site, our hands.
That is right, hands are incredibly precise tools, unique instruments of sensitivity, which become indispensable allies; but above all, irreplaceable for mining workers in the performance of their daily tasks; as well as in the interaction with their co-workers.
The objective of the Chamber of Mines of Peru with this training is to make mining companies and workers in Peru and Latin America awareness of the importance of developing mining tasks with the highest level of concentration and responsibility possible. The aim is to prevent and reduce the number of accidents that end up compromising the physical integrity of professionals, technicians and operating personnel.
In the development of this safety training, of the Chamber of Mines of Peru, we give importance to the care of hands, since they fulfill multiple functions and are required for various activities in mining.
In addition, they are constantly exposed to various types of accidents such as cuts, burns, crushing, fractures, amputations, among others.
An example of this type of accidents is the case that occurred in August 2015 in Mexico. A 46-year-old worker, who worked in a sand mine in that country, suffered the amputation of his left hand while handling gunpowder.
It must be taken into account that beyond the physical consequences of these activities, there are also psychosocial consequences. These include low self-esteem, fear, insecurity, reduced working capacity, etc.
That is why it is important for each worker to take care of his or her own hands, said Elvis Trello Bartra, electromechanical technician at the Cerro Verde mining project in Arequipa, Peru.
«Team spirit allow us to form a great work team. The importance of taking care of our hands is that we can get home safe and sound so we can caress and give a big hug to our family.»
Based on statistics, the Chamber of Mines of Peru maintains that the majority of accidents or injuries to miners occur in the hands.
As proof of this, during the last few years, these accidents have represented 35% of the injuries to miners in Peru and Latin America. In addition to the handling of explosives, another of the activities considered risky and which can therefore cause injuries to workers, is drilling.
An example of this was found in July 2015 in Chile, when a worker who worked as a drilling assistant ended up losing the middle finger of his right hand.
The unfortunate incident occurred because the drill got stuck in the rock. While trying to remove it, the machine broke off abruptly, and in his attempt to prevent it from falling to the ground, the operator placed his right hand between the equipment and the support piston, causing the amputation of his middle finger due to entrapment.
The safety training provided by the Chamber of Mines of Peru shows the main measures established by the companies to prevent these events from happening again.
Thus, we have, for example, the development of a program of planned and unplanned observations in order to detect substandard practices and/or behaviors in workers.
In addition, operators should be trained in safe work procedures and deepening of knowledge should be verified, as well as the process of hazard identification, and risk assessment should be improved
Likewise, it is necessary that workers to take responsibility for performing positive work behaviors and following safe work procedures. In the case of drilling, this refers to several aspects such as securing the piston base before starting drilling. The helper must hold the piston base with his feet, standing to the side of the piston and never behind it; performing the drilling process continuously, avoiding the equipment rods jamming due to fractured rock; and maintaining good alignment of the drill with respect to the shot hole.
These types of recommendations are aimed at preserving the physical integrity of workers, without compromising the level of profitability in the extractive project development.
The effectiveness of these measures increases when the employees themselves assimilate them and accept the benefits they obtain from their practice. Thus, we have the testimony of workers who have positively received the training programs on factors to optimize safety developed by the Chamber of Mines of Peru.
For example, Peruvian miner Alejandro Mayoría Jacinto, said, «safety in mining is not an obligation, but a duty to ourselves». Hytalo Jimmy Pineda, who works at the Inmaculada De Hochschild Mining Project, located in the city of Cuzco, Peru, pointed out that «safety comes first in mining, since it is necessary to evaluate the numerous dangers that we encounter.»
«Above all, it is necessary to be focused on work in order to return home complete. We must remember that our families are waiting for us.»
Finally, Mexican Rafael Rodriguez, who works for Jacobs Engineering Company, says, «safety and responsibility come first in mining.»
Training in Mining Safety: Importance of Using Protective Gloves
Another recommended measure to prevent and reduce the occurrence of mining accidents is the use of protective gloves. Companies have the obligation to provide these elements in optimal conditions; otherwise, occupational diseases may occur, which compromises the workers’ performance.
Bad choice of protective elements may end up generating a health problem for the operators. For example, there are different types of gloves on the market, made of various materials, such as neoprene, rubber, latex and leather; but leather is the least recommendable because it is an organic material that degrades in contact with water or other liquids. This causes diseases such as dermatitis, fungal infections, or any other type of bacteria, which lodge in the skin, forming colonies and deforming the hands.
As can be seen, it is necessary for companies and other organizations related to mining activities to increase the level of training of workers, as well as to develop strategies to ensure that technicians and operating personnel carry out their tasks in a safe and responsible manner.
