Vol. 39 No. 6 (2022): DICIEMBRE
Original Article

Multimodal strategy for the prevention of COVID 19 in a mining site

Erick Paredes
Minera Los Pelambres
Bio
Naldy Pamela Febré Vergara
Universidad Andrés Bello
Diego Cabezas-Rosales
Mutual de Seguridad
Bio
Rodrigo Rojas
Antofagasta Minerals, Chile
Bio
Marcelo Montes
Mutual de Seguridad en Faena Minera Los Pelambres
Bio
Viviana Rodríguez
Mutual de Seguridad en Faena Minera Los Pelambres
Bio
Víctor Pedrero
Mutual de Seguridad
Bio

Published 2023-01-26

How to Cite

1.
Paredes E, Febré Vergara NP, Cabezas-Rosales D, Rojas R, Montes M, Rodríguez V, Pedrero V. Multimodal strategy for the prevention of COVID 19 in a mining site. Rev. Chilena. Infectol. [Internet]. 2023 Jan. 26 [cited 2026 Apr. 27];39(6). Available from: https://revinf.cl/index.php/revinf/article/view/1416

Abstract

Background: Mining companies must implement management systems dedicated to health and safety at work to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 among their workers, however, the literature on this is scarce.

Aim: To describe a multimodal strategy for the management of health and safety at work, to address the risk of infections by SARS-CoV-2 in large mining.

Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study, carried out in a large mining company. A management system was structured that considered administrative measures, of an environmental nature, risk screening, and management of risk cases within the company. The data analysis was done using descriptive statistics.

Results: The administrative measures resulted in 8,116 (34%) workers at the site being suspended from their usual work. Risk screening before entering the site identified 450 suspected cases that were referred to their home. In the case management procedure, 1,073 people were classified in some of the risk groups. 10 cases of workers with PCR were detected in the follow-up period. Environmental measures were not very sensitive.

Conclusions: These results shed light on the importance of implementing a multimodal strategy, adapted to the local reality, in preventing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the period under study, at the mining site intervened.