On August 5th, 2010, a small San Jose Copper and Gold mine, near Copiapo in Chile, collapsed. The unstable roof collapsed trapping 33 miners half a mile underground. After 69 days of planning and deciding on an operation, the miners were shuttled up a narrow escape shaft to freedom. On October 12th all 33 miners were pulled safely out of the mine.
A source that really talks about the incident from day one up until today with all its articles published, comes from The Guardian. You can scroll through many pages and articles from when the collapse first happened.
The authorities in Chile managed the crisis very well. They explored all options, made precise careful decisions and lifted the miners to safety in immense condition considering how long the miners were buried deep underground.
The authorities used innovation to process and manage the situation using the six rules for crisis management in my opinion.
Firstly, the authorities gathered all the information that affected the miners condition, there whereabouts and surrounding problems. The authorities knew how deep they were, how much room they had, what food and water supplies they had. Gathering information was very important for the survival of the miners and ensuring their safety.
The authorities were very efficient, and knew that time was crucial. As much as they knew speed matters, they also knew that every move they made had to be exact. 33 men were stuck in poor conditions and soon enough, unless they were rescued they could die from a number of factors. So the authorities knew they didn't have unlimited time but also knew that the time they did have, they would have to move carefully.
Waiting was a key strategy. 69 days is a long time but identifying the main goals of bringing the men to safety as well as in best possible condition meant that not rushing was important. The authorities had to identify the risks and dangers.
The collapse meant that the territory became unfamiliar ground. Any wrong move could further alter the remaining structure of the mine and kill the miners. The authorities respected the surrounding danger. With uncertainty the authorities explored many different options even if the ideas were old tactics, any innovative approach was considered.
The authorities valued what they were skeptical about. The mine had taken a new unsafe structure. Valuing the fact that they were unsure how safe and the dimensions of the mine were key components. If they had not of valued the unknown, the miners may not had been as lucky.
Being such a sensitive situation that was very delicate, every move had to be calculated. I don't know if the authorities could fight fire with fire. If the mine was to further collapse, they would be even more time constrained and would have to think and move quicker. One poor move could instantly of killed all the miners in the small space they were situated.
The Authorities of Chile showed the world that they had the innovation to deal with a disaster. They led the way, set clear goals and openly interacted with all different parties that could ensure the authorities to reach the major goal of saving the miners. A great article that looked at the crisis from a management standpoint comes from The Daily Beast. The article analyses how Chile dealt with the crisis and why they were so successful. The Chilean coal mine is a great reminder of how the world can come together at such critical times.
I also feel the authorities in this situation handled the crisis very well. We only need to think about the most important aspect, the end result. Sure it took some time and careful planning but in the end, all the miners were safetly carried out, no one had died. The strategy had worked and the plan produced good results. Crisis averted.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your notion that patience was key. They did a great job assessing the situation from the start and avoiding a catastrophe by analyzing their options and finding the best solution. There was a very delicate and calculated process involved to build a rescue vehicle and send it down without compromising the rest of the mine. Their decision-making and steadfastness helped them achieve such a great conclusion.
ReplyDeleteIt’s great to see at least one example of successful crisis management. While those miners were extremely lucky to survive, I’m sure they are also extremely grateful to all of those involved in managing their rescue. The Government of Chile demonstrated its ability to use rational and intuitive thinking while managing such challenging and unpredictable situation. They were able to gather all required information from various sources; they acted open-mindedly while planning rescue efforts with available speed and consideration of possible obstacles and dangers. Again, this is a good example of successful crisis management.
ReplyDeleteI was so touched when the miners were being rescued. The chilean government has put lots of efforts to save the miners. They put the miners' lives first over everything. Not only the authorites but many organizations cooperate to make the right decision for the rescue.Group decisions definitely offered the potential advantages of more information and greater understanding.
ReplyDeleteIt was an extraordinary effort from Chilean government to rescue all the trapped miners. I was very happy to see that all the trapped miners were brought back alive. Usually, a mine tragedy always end up with lose of human lives. But in Chilean government proved that by efficient and effective crisis management it is possible to save human lives in a biggest crisis like Chilean mine collapse.
ReplyDeleteThe Chilean government managed not only to save the miners but to keep them alive while they were trapped in the coal mine. This story is indeed touching yet intriguing because of the necessary steps the government did to save these men
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