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Recommendation for Chilean mining rescue case The Chilean mining crisis that occurred in left about thirty-three miners buried from the collapse of San Jose mine. After the crisis, several changes were made in an attempt to regulate the mining industry and avoid such crisis from recurring in future.Golborne had just been appointed to be the minister in charge of the mining portfolio. Four months into office, the mining disaster struck so intensively that it drew the attention of the entire world.
The new minister had a vast experience as a corporate chief executive of a well doing retail firm in South Africa. He however had very little expertise in the new post he was appointed (Lenard 2-5). In reference to lessons learnt from the mining crisis, both the organization, which led the rescue and the government, should adopt various approaches to handle future crisis. Both communication and functional crisis management play a vital role during such disasters that calls for close network among the two.
The media received global praise in reporting the crisis from the first day to the last. It is recommended that the management of disasters and crisis should entirely be led by the state. This is because the state has a wide network system compared to organizations. For example, the state had to call in reinforcement from countries such as America and Canada to aid in the rescue operations. Organizations taking part in rescue mission should have adequate equipment and expertise matching the operation it is involving itself.
Rescue team from GOPE an elite highly trained police unit stepped in to take over the rescue mission. This was after the possibility of the company running the mine (San Esteben) did not show any prospects of salvaging the situation. Rescue trainings should be diversified in order to equip more people with technical ability on responding to such scenarios. Mechanisms on how to handle pressures involved in rescue tasks should also be taken into consideration during rescue missions. For example, the situation becomes tricky for the rescuers when a female declared that they were not going to leave the disaster site until they saw the last man from debris out.
The pressure from relatives may sometimes interfere with the focus and management decisions. This results from various divergent views that normally emerge from such crisis. Panic and emotions lead to this and managers should learn how to manage such case (Lenard 12-16).Focusing on the mission without hurting the aggrieved is another aspect rescue team ought to consider. This can be done through constant reassurance of relatives and friends of those caught up in the disaster. Open collaboration if done in a systematic manner plays a pivotal role in rescue missions.
Golborne’s approach involved other experts who from time to time gave insights after every step of the rescue mission. A communication team from the Ministry of miming was always at standby to brief the media who in return disseminated the status to the public (Lenard 19-21). Coming up with three plans A, B and C was not wise decision from the rescue team as the government advised them. The plans are likely to have delayed rescue oparations that saw it go for several days. Using the three approaches could have also put the lives of more people buried at risk.
This is because plan A, B and C involved intensive drilling an activity likely to result in crumpling of mine walls. Lastly, rescue teams should at all times be prepared for various disasters if timely intervention is to be made. The organization taking part in the mission such as GOPE should have equipment necessary to execute rescue missions. Additional funding should be requested from the government in order to ensure that organizations employ work force able to encounter challenges within the rescue mission.
Organization should put great focus on taking their personnel to further trainings to enhance their knowledge in handling complex oparations.This can be done through instituting extension and exchange programs among various rescue teams from different nations. The relationship of the rescue team and the media was commendable since it made the families of those buried in the mines have confidence in the operation. Involvement of psychologists in the rescue mission to deal with the emotional aspect of the anxious families waiting was a wise decision made by the rescue team.
Calling for reinforcement when the situation was getting out of hand was a good decision that the rescue made. This lessened the number of days taken in the rescue mission and the casualties. Handling the operation by just one body would have taken more days than it did resulting to heightened panic and anxiety. Work Cited Herman, Leonard. The 2010 Chilean Mining Rescue. New York: Harvard Business School, 2012, Print.
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