Second LatAm Health, Safety and Rescue in Mining conference held in Brazil

This forum was opened by the event chairman Abner de Oliveira Freitas, Safety Specialist Engineer at NAMISA – Nacional Minérios S/A (Brazil) followed by a case-study based session entitled as “Risk Management in Rio Tinto – Risk analysis using a three level approach”. Federico Cornejo Castellanos, HSE Manager and Freddy Angel Toribio Caamorro, Health and Safety Superintendent at Rio Tinto Minera (Peru) elaborated on risk management framework at Rio Tinto jointly in this session.
Patrick Weston, Safety Director & Management Advisor for Cerrejon Coal (Colombia), explained why the traditional Safety Risk Management Systems approach to fatality management doesn’t work and elaborate on his explanation to find a solution for the same. His presentation is entitled “Fatality free workplace – Is it achievable and sustainable?”

Technology’s Influence on the Culture of Safety was explained by Renato Souza, Product Specialist, Safety Systems at Modular Mining Systems Inc, (USA).  Modular Mining Systems Inc is also the Safety Partner of this forum and has immense contribution towards the needs of mine optimization, safety, monitoring, analysis, and asset health.

Abner de Oliveira Freitas presented a case-study based session titled” Development Process leadership aiming to systematize the power to influence the safety culture in NAMISA”, where he elaborated on factors such as OHS Management culture in projects, planning of SSO operational readiness and deployment  tools of SSO in start-up the operation of mines.

The first interactive panel discussion that was witnessed centered around the scope of “Buying into safety and health culture across all verticals- Changing the mindsets”, and involved in-depth discussions and shared comments  to grasp the impact of health and safety on productivity. This panel was joinied by Patrick Weston, Safety Director and Management Advisor for Cerrejon Coal (Colombia); Abner de Oliveira Freitas, Safety Specialist Engineer at NAMISA – Nacional Minérios  S/A (Brazil); Federico Cornejo Castellanos, HSE Manager and Freddy Angel Toribio Chamorro,Health and Safety Superintendent at Rio Tinto Minera (Peru).

Session on “Implementation of an HSE Management System at a mine in a non-industrialized Country” was addressed by Roberto Talledo, Safety and Health Manager at Orosur (Uruguay), followed by Dr. Raul Gomero Cuadra, Occupational Health Doctor Barrick (Peru), who presented a case-study on Respiratory Protection: An integral experience. In his presentation he will focus on examination and providing specific medical treatment to workers who are exposed to inhalable agents, citing the need to  analyzing fitness to duty and models of fitness tests.

Dr. Juan Manuel Diminich Paredes from Minera Chinalco (Peru) will address a dedicated session entitled.”Implementation of an integral health control program”, where he will focus on the importance of health management to implement integral health programs to monitor health and safety requirements of the miners. “Risk Management as part of the business strategy – Connecting financial results to increased safety” was elaborated by Victor Olivares Pérez, Manager Safety, Health and Environment – Minera El Tesoro (Chile)

“ Why do companies encourage employee-driven safety programs?”, the question which forms the most vital point in regards with employee health programme will be elaborated in an interactive panel discussion brainstorming and analyzing the importance of employee involvement in safety programs. The panelists who will join in this discussion are Victor Olivares Pérez, Manager- Safety, Health and Environment at Minera El Tesoro (Chile); Dr. Juan Manuel Diminich Paredes, Occupational Health and Hygiene Superintendent at Minera Chinalco (Peru); Dr. Raul Gomero Cuadra, Occupational Health Doctor at Barrick (Peru)  and  Roberto Talledo, Manager – Safety & Health at OROSUR (Uruguay).

Tomorrow, the second day of the conference will feature two interactive panel discussions, case study based presentations from
Goldcorp (Guatemala), Usiminas (Brazil) and Cerro Vanguardia (Argentina). Other sessions will include speakers from Hochschild Mining Plc (Peru), Alcoa (Brazil), Minera Chinalco (Peru), Anglo American, Los Bronces (Chile), Guyana Goldfields Inc (Guyana) and many others.

Logo sponsored by Mine Refuge System and supporting sponsors as Metso and Redpath,  2nd Latam Health, Safety and Rescue in Mining Forum will bring together the region’s prominent names to collectively evaluate every possible solution to bring about a risk free, healthy and safe work culture.