What is your job about?

I work in the plant maintenance area, in conveyor belts, idlers, chutes, we make structures, improvements and all types of maintenance.

What is your daily life like?
In the morning, we wait for the guidelines, we have a talk, I ask people how they are and we request the equipment that we are going to use, so that they give us the blocking permits. Once we have the signatures and authorizations, we go to the field, we request zero energy, we put the blocking locks and we review all the documentation, that everyone has their ART (Work Risk Analysis) and procedures.

What do you like most about your job?

I love this plant. I love this plant. I have always said that thanks to this plant I was able to raise my children, have my own things, a piece of land. I have two professional children and I still have one who is 12 years old. So when something happens to this plant, it hurts me and there are people who don't understand it. One falls in love with these things, because it is my daily livelihood, where I share with people, where I see how people are learning, I encourage them and congratulate them so that they continue like this, moving forward and they are more motivated. I like that, arriving happy every day, transmitting my joy and if they have problems, we solve them among ourselves.

How long have you been at El Teniente?

I have been in the Division for 31 years. My first job was in Sewell, in the mill. I cleaned the belts. I had just turned 18. They took me in good stead because we were all very “dog-like” with the others who came in. We came from the same town and we knew each other since we were kids. In Sewell I learned to work as a team and that is why, for me, that is the most important thing. Not alone and not only in the crew, but in teams.

When I was in Sewell I saw an old man who welded and I liked welding, so I studied and learned and came to the crushing, I also went through the Molybdenum Plant, Solvent Extraction, I went to the Waste Treatment Plant, Caletones, in Primary Crushing, I went everywhere, until a contract was set up in Crushing in which maintenance had to be done and since then I have not stopped working here.

I have met very good people, very good colleagues and I have made many friends. I like this plant, I work with people we have known since we were kids and with whom we have supported and taught many professionals who come through here, that gives me strength to continue, because I still have a few years of work left and I hope to finish them here, so that they remember me as the old man who taught them many things, especially principles.

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

All the plants here are very dynamic and danger is always present, so we have to take care of ourselves and our colleagues. Supervisors have the ability to see beyond, to see if someone is making a mistake and we must educate them about safety, telling them that the most important thing is that they get home safely.

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

I always tell my kids: remember that if we finish this equipment and it turns out well, we will produce more, build more schools, more clinics, and help people with limited resources more. That is why we have to do it right the first time, because we are a contribution to the country.