Preview

Chilean Copper Mine Collapse Case Study

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
759 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Chilean Copper Mine Collapse Case Study
Chilean Copper Mine Collapse
On August 5, 2010 at San Jose mine in northern Chile a cave collapsed trapping 33 miners more than 2000-feet underground (Weik, n.d.). This should have been just another day, a normal 12-hour shift at work, but it instead it turned into a 69 day nightmare. Minors did not know it would be the last time for nearly two months they would see the light of day. Miners, much like fire fighters and policemen, know there is a risk in the work they do. Their families also know that there is a risk and accept that someday they may get a call with bad news. Knowing this and seeing it happen are two different things.
Communicating with the Families and Employees
The families are from different backgrounds and different
…show more content…
The families from other places, not local, should be put up in a hotel with a meeting place provided where the families can come for regular updates. This will relieve some stress from the families having to wait by the phone for updates, and for the company getting calls unexpectedly or at the wrong time. This place could serve a dual function as a place where families can go and seek empathy with other families, Minera San Esteban Primera should communicate in-person with the families as much as possible. They should provide updates via phone calls with set times to call. Electronic communication would be for faster if the families have access to this type of …show more content…
They should hold small to the point staff meetings to provide updates to the employees (Aniisu, n.d.). They could even have a room where employees can come and watch for updates as they become available.
The country came together suggesting ideas on how to get to the miners. It was important to ascertain if the miners were alive, to see if rescue was possible. Chilean government reached out to NASA for the assistance in communicating with the miners and could get lines of communication going. Once the Chilean authorities could confirm that they were all alive, the vital information had to get to the families and to the employees (Condon, 2010).
Once communication lines were set up, family members were allowed to talk briefly to their trapped miners (Tabor, n.d.). Even though it was only one minute, it was essential for the family to see that the minors were fine and no one was lied to. This also helped the miners’ mental state and encouraged them to stay strong until rescued. The employees were able to see live feed of the miners that helped them to feel as though Minera San Esteban Primera, NASA, and the Chilean government were, in fact, doing everything they could do to save the miners. As further mining operations were bound to happen employees would feel confident that their company would do what was necessary to ensure their wellbeing in the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Centralia Mine

    • 1226 Words
    • 5 Pages

    On March 25, 1947, in Centralia, Illinois, the explosion of the Centralia #5 Mine resulted in the death of 111 hardworking men. Most of these men dedicated their lives to the Bell & Zoller Coal Company mining coal at the company’s Centralia #5 Mine. This group of men attempted on numerous occasions to get help from agencies and elected officials that were expected to protect them. The miners found this group of people completely out of touch. The agencies and elected officials wrongly thought that writing reports and having meetings would solve a problem or make it go away by itself. Others seemed unwilling to help them for fear of the loss of their own jobs or political status.…

    • 1226 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Key players in the mine disaster were Driscoll Scanlan, mine investigator; Robert M. Medill, Director of the Department of Mines and Minerals and Scanlan’s supervisor; Robert Weir, Assistant Director; Darryl Green, Illinois Republican Governor; and Centralia Coal Mine officials.…

    • 1428 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Darr Mine Research Paper

    • 411 Words
    • 2 Pages

    1907 was the worst year in the history of America for coal miner; over 3,200 men lost their lives. Coal fueled the Industrial Age, and Pennsylvania produced the majority of it; producing over 100 million tons. Sadly, it also made the lives of coal miners and their families very hard. Miners were usually immigrant men and boys. The month of December saw three major explosions rock Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The Monongah Mine explosion, in West Virginia, killed 362 miners. The Darr Mine in Jacobs Creek killed 239 miners, and lastly, the Naomi Mine, in Pennsylvania, killed 34. Workers were paid by how much coal was produced, not by how much they worked. Labor and safety laws weren’t what they are today. Management neglect, and in some cases, criminal negligence, resulted in the mass losses of life. During the aftermath of the explosion at Darr Mine, both the Superintendent and the Fire Boss resigned. They reported that they told the owners about the unsafe conditions in the mine, and were ignored.…

    • 411 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Chilean Cooper Mine cave in 2010 trapping 33 workers for 17 days 2,300 feet underground was a tragic accident that they could have been prevented if the company would have had a strategic business plan in place for this type of crisis ("Chile Mining Accident (2010)", 2011). A crisis management plan is crucial to have in a mining company, but every company large or small should have one.…

    • 692 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In order to best understand the circumstances your brave family members are in we will provide you a face-to-face discussion with every manager, rescue worker, and public official that is involved in this horrific accident, and members from the rescue effort. I expect serious concerns, a wide array of emotions, and tempered anger. As the owner of Compania Minera San Esteban Primera, I take full responsibility for the events of today. Please believe that the health and safety of my employees is my main concern. I will exhaust all options, and resources to help bring back to safety our beloved employees.…

    • 808 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Morragh Mine

    • 2209 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Mining is a dangerous occupation, and many of these dangers are associated with the environment in which the miners worked. One environmental hazard evident in this case was the dangers the miners encountered while working underground. While working in this type of situation there are always threats of cave-ins and because the environment is underground there would be a lack of natural light.…

    • 2209 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Buscom/275 Research Paper

    • 971 Words
    • 4 Pages

    After the company has all the facts and knows what they are facing then have a reputable spokesperson address the media, family, friends, and co-workers with all the facts at hand. This will help all parties understand what they are in for and to start dealing with the situation at hand. Keeping the all parties informed throughout the rescue process though meetings or the media is important. Having somebody from the company to go to the miners loved ones face to face or calling them to ensure that they are well, is a great way to provide answer to the individual…

    • 971 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    On August 5, 2010 33 of our employees working in our San Jose Mine copper operation were trapped in a mine explosion. We have deployed crews who are working diligently to rescue these employees. Details relating to this mine collapse are limited and will be released as we find out more detail. Presently, there are counselors available for all who need. We ask that any calls from family members of those trapped in the mine be directed to Human Resources. A press conference is being set up to address the media and preparations have been made to contact the immediate families. We ask that all employees keep in…

    • 1004 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Chilean mining accident occurred on 05 August 2010. A serious cave in at the San Jose copper-gold mine took place. The thirty-three buried men were trapped seven hundred meters underground and approximately five kilometers from the entrance of the mine. The privately held San Esteban Mining Company faltered in the search and rescue efforts due to financial hardship and was then led by the national government thanks to the people of Chile. Eight exploratory boreholes were drilled. On 22 August 2010, a note was revealed taped to a drill bit when pulled out of one of the boreholes. It read “Estamos bien en el refugio, los 33,” which in English translates to “We are well in the shelter, the 33.” The nation of Chile demanded from its leaders to find a way to rescue the trapped miners. On 13 October 2010, after sixty-nine days underground, the thirty-three miners were brought safely to the surface.…

    • 982 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    The article by Parry and Rettner tells explains that the families sent messages to the workers giving them bits and pieces of information. They were sent lights and food supplies that they managed to ration out equally with enough to keep in reserve because they were unsure of their demise. The best news that the workers received was that they were capable of being reached. This news reached the workers when a message was sent down to them via a hole that was dug in search for survivors. The fact that the rescuers were able to reach the survivors sent a plethora of messages in one action. 1) That the collapse was known of, 2) rescue attempts were being made, 3) information could be transferred, 4) supplies could be sent down, and 5) all of them could…

    • 1229 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Several years ago on August 5, 2010 a tragic event occurred in a Chilean copper mine resulting in the entrapment of 33 miners buried under three hundred meters of caved in soil. Weik, J. (2010). The miners spent their first 17 days with no outside communication whatsoever, and in the end were trapped beneath the earth for an unprecedented 69 days before getting rescued. The miner’s families, friends, and eventually the entire world became engaged and watched at the edge of their seats as the rescue mission unfolded. Communication was at the core of the miners rescue.…

    • 1053 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The leadership should try to preempt as many of these questions before the meeting to have them presented. The more prepared leadership is, the more relieved the employees will be that everything is being addressed. The tone of the message should be of confidence when delivering the message so the employees can have a feeling of confidence that their employer is doing the right…

    • 765 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    To know your audience is a must or major component of communication of any kind. When you know the proper type of communication to be use and the proper information to be included in your message, will ensure that the audience will understand the message being delivered. Knowing your audience will ensure that the message is delivered appropriately and that the audience completely understands the message without any misunderstandings or confusion. In the event of a disaster or other emergency, knowing the audience that you will be delivering this message to is extremely vital and important. The communications that went out to the public and families of the Chilean miners of the copper mine collapse in South America will reflect the importance of knowing your audience in this essay. On August 5, 2010, a small copper mine in northern Chile collapsed trapping inside of it 33 miners. The 33miners were trapped 300 meters below ground with very little food, oxygen and water. News of the collapse spread around the world and many feared that the miners would all perish before being rescued. The world held a collective breath when after seventeen days of drilling contact was made and all 33 miners appeared to have survived the ordeal. Initially the miners were told that it would take up to four months to pull them up to the surface (Guardian.co.uk, 2010). A total of 69 days after the collapse, the first miner was pulled up byes specifically designed steel capsule. One by one each of the 33 miners were rescued to safety. Chilean President Sebastian Pin era stated that he would launch an extensive investigation into the incident. When the miners were asked how they survived such an ordeal, they stated that they each ate about two teaspoons of tuna and one biscuit/cracker along with a sip…

    • 879 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cabeza De Vaca Disaster

    • 817 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue. Well, by the time that Cabeza De Vaca returned with only three other passengers alive, everyone knew that, in the world, there would always be some rough times. Speaking of rough times, on October 15th of 2013, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake landed in Bohol, killing over 175 citizens. The local school for the children was destroyed, preventing an accurate education, and 50/250 homes were destroyed by the quake alone. Along with the 2211 aftershocks, 10 more homes went down, and of the less than 100 houses, none of them are even able to be inhabited. So we’ve heard about about dark times arising, and the history of one of the bloodiest natural disasters of the century, but what we haven’t heard about is everyone else. How did others respond in the wake of this disaster? Some of the others tried to help with donations, and the people trying to lead a normal life, while others are not helping, or you’re in the case where you can’t decide if they’re helping or hurting, quite like the government.…

    • 817 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The utilization of personal testimonies within this particular article provided compelling evidence for how evident the manipulation of the workers was at this time. In both the testimonies of Sarah Gooder and Mary Barrett, the apparent lack of education to children is still unusual and seems to be alarming to several, except for the mine owners (Waldi, 2012). Thomas Wilson, an owner of three collieries, not only seems to not be alarmed by the fact that children are not in school, he gives nothing but excuses for why it was not feasible for the children working in the mines to have an education. He uses unity as a…

    • 562 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays