Chilean Copper Mine Collapse

Chilean Copper Mine Collapse
On August 5, 2010, a Chilean copper mine collapsed in San Jose, North Chile, trapping 33 workers underground. It was not until 17 days later that rescuers discovered that all of the trapped men were still alive. The Chilean government took over day one and brought in oilrig trucks to dig ½ mile down to the trapped miners. The oilrigs drilled a 26 in wide hole in which they sent a cage down to the miners. Rescuers needed to care for the miners’ health with food, exercise, and games while ensuring the miners girth stay under 35 inches. Once the cage reached the miners, it took 1-3 hours to bring one miner up at a time. The rescue operation had a price tag of around $10 million to $20 Million. The rescue operation was watched from around the world although it initially did not have national exposure until an editor helped it go viral. Supplies such as fresh air, clothing, food, medicine, sleeping cots, electricity, and running water were provided through two six in boreholes spanning 2300 feet. On the surface families stayed near the mine at a make shift camp called ‘Camp Hope” and were able to send and receive letters in an effort to comfort the miners during the rescue which initially thought would take up to 4 months. The miners did understand that the rescue would take some time and requested a small television to watch their beloved soccer games. After 69 pain-staking days, the miners began ascending from the depths below during an operation taking over 22 hours. Miners were provided with UV goggles to protect the miner’s eyes due to their eyes adapting to the darkness below. As each miner was extracted, sounds of joy and relief spread throughout everyone. According to "Every One Out The Mine In Chile" (2010), "I'm overwhelmed with emotion because it's been so long since we have seen him," Alfonso Avalos, Florencio's father, told Chile's TVN. "I'm very proud of him. Thanks to God he got out and looks good" (para. 26). After each rescue, the miners were sent to the hospital to undergo a series of physical exams and a possible psychiatric exam ("Every One Out The Mine In Chile", 2010). This even created such turmoil in everyone’s lives and there are considerations to remember due to the different roles and people in the audience when delivering such news.
When delivering the news to the families of the miners we need to be cautious of the potential needs of the families and miners when receiving this information. The most important consideration is how to release the information to the public. Delivering the message needs to be form the perspective of the family. It is much easier to understand the message sent when it communicated with compassion and from their view. The miner’s families would initially want to know the severity of the incident and if anyone is alive. The families would need to know if oxygen, food, and medicine were available to their trapped family members. The families would inevitably want to know a timetable for the rescue of their loved ones. Finally, a major factor is to ensure that the families are supported emotionally and financially. These needs must be considered when confronting the miner’s families in such a trying time.
There are also possible needs of the employees when receiving a message about this mishap. Like the families, co-workers need to know the severity of the incident and if anyone was alive. Co-workers need to know that everything is being done to support long-term sustainable with such a long rescue. The employees need an opportunity to use their expertise in helping the rescue efforts if possible. Possibly, co-workers may need an opportunity to assist the miner’s families with any support necessary. Lastly, the employees need to know what the government or company will implement to ensure the safety of the miners in the future.
Open communication must be established before and continued after to ensure the message sent is received as intended. Follow-up is key to any crisis and lets individuals affected know the message sent was genuine. Representatives must be established to care for the family’s needs during this type of incident. Continuing to update the families and employees daily must be a high priority. During this crisis, companies must make every effort to ensure the families of the miners are provided with emotional and financial support.
Although incidents of this magnitude are rare, care must be taken when releasing the details to the public. By taking into account the various roles and diversity in the audience we can be better prepared to deliver the message. Considering the potential needs of everyone involved helps to create a message that is both genuine and truthful. Determining such needs is easiest if we think from the perspective of the families, co-workers, and miners. However we decide to provide the news, there should be care in understanding the views of all parties involved.

References
Every one out the mine in Chile. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD
/americas/10/13/chile.miners.rescue/
Weik, J. (2010). Over 30 workers trapped after Chilean copper mine collapse. Metal Bulletin Daily, (224), 65.