“Just as I have given my whole life to El Teniente, El Teniente has also given me everything. It allowed me to develop my family project, my tastes, my hobbies, to give my children an education, a psychologist and a metallurgical engineer, and if it hadn't been for this job, and for my effort and that of my wife Angélica, I don't know if we would have achieved it,” he says excitedly.

In these almost four decades, what changes have you seen in the operation?

I have seen strong and important changes, because the focus now is no longer on producing for the sake of producing, but on environmental issues and regulations. We process the slag, we recover that mineral, we treat the water, there is a lot of work in waste management, tailings. Even with garbage, we cannot throw things anywhere, there is classification of waste, plastics, cardboard, we have made a lot of progress and I think we are making a contribution as Codelco.

How did you get to División El Teniente?

I was first in Chuquicamata, where I got to know the mining industry and environment. I started working in electrical assemblies and that's where my interest in studying was born. When I returned to Rancagua, I found work as an electrical assistant at the Concentration Plant, that was the beginning of my contact with El Teniente, at the age of 20.

A few years went by and I felt that I needed to make a change, so I enrolled to study Industrial Electronics in the evening. I am aware that if you don't look for opportunities, they don't come knocking at the door, so I expressed my interest and started working with instrumentalists, I did the internship, they saw my potential and I stayed working at the SAG 1 Mill.

What else did you do in the Division during these years?

I worked in different areas, Filter and Drying, SAG 2, flotation. I was fortunate to go to Germany for training, then a group called Automatic Drive and Control was formed, where I was in charge between 2010 and 2019, until I saw the application for the Slag Treatment Plant.

I found the project interesting because it had the latest technology and I like that, being at the forefront, knowing about instrumentation, which today is a tool that not only measures, but that we can also extract data and statistics from. Instrumentation is used to monitor processes: pressure sensors, temperature, flow, vacuum, level, and speed measurements.

What safety message would you give to the Division's workers?

I am convinced that if we improve our behavior, we will achieve the goal of zero accidents, but we must be aware and convinced that behavior is what will help us improve safety rates.

It cannot be that at work we behave in one way and when we cross the barrier in Maitenes, we behave in another. We cannot ignore the rules. Wearing glasses is conduct; using a respirator is conduct; wearing ear protectors is conduct. If we are not aware of this, we will continue to have accidents.

What does working at Codelco mean to you?

I am proud to work at Codelco. I have been constantly learning for 36 years. I trained here and I am a professional thanks to Codelco. That is why I believe that this is an attractive company for young professionals and that everyone is looking at it.