With her eyes fixed on the screen and in constant communication with her coworker, Leticia Urzúa reviews the images from the more than 800 cameras that make up the Monitoring and Security Operating System (SOMS) of Codelco El Teniente Division, at the Integrated Operations Center in Rancagua. “The cameras are installed in all operations: the Caletones Foundry, inside the mine, in the workshops and also in Sewell,” explains the prevention specialist from the Avanza company.

What is your job about?

Through the cameras, we observe the actions or conditions that occur in the different areas of the Division. We have a specific job according to the maintenance program, which we coordinate with our head of the room, to focus on the work in certain areas, where there are larger maintenance tasks, and we also do a sweep, a mapping of all the cameras, to identify if there is any activity that calls our attention so we can stop and observe. There are two people per shift who divide the areas.

If we detect any deviation that does not comply with the Critical Risk Controls, standards or regulations of the Division, we inform the head of the room through a notification so that he can order the work to be stopped. This is then reported through different channels to managers and area supervisors.

What do you like most about your job?

I started working in the Division about ten years ago, but in the field. I was in a machinery company as a prevention engineer and what I liked most was direct contact with people, making them realize the importance of safety for everyone, both for themselves and their families, so that they would take the real value of it to avoid accidents. Today I do prevention from another perspective and the field helped me to get a good understanding, to know what the work consists of and to capture that experience through the cameras, with more modern security, but with the same focus: preventing an accident from happening and so that people can continue with their lives safely, fulfilling their objectives together with their families.

How would you rate these 10 years at El Teniente?

It is rewarding, very rewarding. My father was a miner and I think he never imagined that one of his daughters would work in mining. I liked prevention because it was related to the health area and then while I was studying I realized that there were more things and being in the Division has been rewarding because I have learned a lot in the field.

My dad has always been a constant support. I did my internship at the interior mine and he worked there, so I asked him a lot of things and he would explain to me, “Daughter, this is how it is done here.”

What safety message would you give to the workers at El Teniente?

Although there are different security systems to protect and care for us, security is created by each one of us. When making decisions, we should take time to think, reflect, and think about it, and feel that we have constant support from everyone, and that we should report any deviations we detect, because security is created by us all together.

What does it mean to you to work for Codelco, a company that delivers its surpluses to all Chileans?

Just saying that we work in mining is a source of pride, and being in one of the largest companies, which contributes so much to security, education and health for the entire country, is even more so. I feel happy and proud to make a small contribution to this company.