Operations
Iván Salinas, operator: “What I like most is the work environment and that safety comes first”
With more than 25 years working for El Teniente, Iván Salinas knows his tasks inside and out. Originally from Araucanía, he arrived in Rancagua almost three decades ago to work in the fruit industry and after a couple of years he settled in what would be his definitive field: mining. Today, he works as an operator for the company MPG, in the Water Recovery Plant of the El Teniente Division. “I have been in this area for about 15 years, everyone knows me. I have seen many people pass through the sector,” he says.
What is your job about?
We are in charge of maintenance and also supporting the people who work in the operation. If there is a jam in the thickeners or water recovery systems, we go and unclog it. We also change parts, wash the pools and support in everything that is required so that the equipment works correctly.
There are tasks that are planned, but we also have tasks that come up on a day-to-day basis, when something comes up in the operation of a team.
Do you work in teams?
Yes, there are six of us plus a foreman. Several of us have been here for a long time, I have been here for at least 25 years. I know almost the entire tailings route and I must have been here in this area for about fifteen years or so. I like it here, it is pleasant, what I like most is that the work environment is good and safety, above all, is the first priority. If there is something that cannot be done due to safety conditions, we do not do it and here they understand and support this, because we must always comply with the standards required by Codelco.
How did you come to work in the division?
I was born in the Araucanía region, in Freire. I arrived in Rancagua about 28 years ago. I came to work in the fruit industry and when I was working there, some relatives told me about the work up here in El Teniente. That's how I got my first job with a contracting company, doing maintenance on a tailings channel.
What has El Teniente brought to your life?
On a personal level, I support my family and my children. They have been my livelihood all these years. I have been able to give my son an education and I have another one who is two and a half years old, which gives me the drive to continue working.
What does it mean to you to be a collaborator at El Teniente, in order to generate the surpluses that are delivered to all Chileans?
El Teniente moves a large part of the area and is also a great contribution. For me it is a pride to work here, that these surpluses are generated, because as a group we are here to make things work well, that is the idea.
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