What is your job about?

I come to maintain the plant. Right now, we are checking the wet network, the water network, the concentrate network, we see the faults and we repair them; we do the scheduled maintenance and also the “NP” which are the unscheduled ones. For example, if a pump breaks down, we go and repair it or change it, we look for the spare parts. The same with the water lines or conveyor belts.

I have taught a lot of kids. I was in charge of three BELs (workers with low work experience) and two of them were hired later. They thanked me because I taught them everything I knew, they were very happy. And also everything I learned was thanks to the people who taught me.

Today we are seven people in the team, which I lead together with another colleague and we share the work. They are good guys, they have learned a lot and the management has even rewarded them for carrying out their tasks safely, because that is essential for us.

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

Always get up with joy, come to work with pleasure and think that you always have to go home, that there is a family behind you. Maybe you are not married and do not have children, but you have a mother and a father, a brother or even a pet waiting for you at home. That is something we have to consider when we work, that we come to do our work and we must return home healthy.

I work with my son, who came from scratch and already knows a lot, he handles himself well, especially with the straps. It has been a nice experience that not everyone can tell. That is why I also take care of people as much as I can, so that they do not make mistakes, so that nothing happens to them. Some young people come with a more reckless, risky outlook, they do not think about what can happen, but I have a pretty good team, with people from different generations.

What do you like most about your job?

Conveyor belts. It is a nice job and it is not for everyone. You have to be interested, because it is hard work, but very nice, and it is not routine.

I arrived without knowing much. My knowledge was what I had learned when I studied automotive mechanics. Here, thanks to good bosses and my effort, I specialized. I took courses, read a lot and did research.

What do you feel the Division has brought to your life?

It gave me stability and also values, which I also shared with my family. I learned to value things, to be a more generous person with what I knew, to share my knowledge, what I was taught.

What does it mean to you to work for Codelco and for all the work you do to contribute to the generation of surpluses that are delivered to all Chileans?

I think it is good, because copper means everything to Chileans. I think people have noticed this and over time even foreigners have valued it, thanks to the effort we all make.