Chilean Mining Accident

Chilean Mining Accident

"On Aug. 5, 2010, a gold and copper mine near the northern city of Copiapó, Chile caved in, trapping 33 miners in a chamber about 2,300 feet below the surface. For 17 days, there was no word on their fate. As the days passed, Chileans grew increasingly skeptical that any of the miners had survived -- let alone all of them. But when a small bore hole reached the miners' refuge, they sent up a message telling rescuers they were still alive." (Chile Mining Accident (2010), New York Times)

Anytime a communication is given you need to consider how much information needs to be told and the exact information so you can keep it consistent. In a time of crisis consistency is a must to make sure you appear to be doing everything you can. Any time it is a dangerous situation you always want to be open for communication and until you know definite that any of the miners involved are injured or worse you always want to be optimistic. If you tell them the outcome is grim then you may cause panic and uproar when in reality the outcome could be completely different.

The most important thing the company needs to keep in mind was the needs of the families of the miners involved and the needs of the employees. Each communication would need to be geared to make sure they know that the mine is doing everything it can to ensure safety of the trapped miners and take extra steps to ensure the safety of the other employees.

The message geared to the families regarding the trapped miners would need to be reassuring and let them know that all possible resources are being used to get the miners out as soon as possible to ensure the safety and well being of their loved ones. Like i said earlier, communication would be key in this time. Anything you may think is small the families would want to know all information before they happen to hear it on the news or read it in an article. I also would want to know that until the miners were recovered and ready to return to work that the company would help by financially supporting the families which would reduce the amount of stress on the affected miners and possible offer a quicker recovery.

The employees would want to know that safety would be the companys number one priority from then on out to help prevent a tragedy of this magnitude from happening again in the future. Also as an employee, seeing fellow coworkers trapped and in need i would want to pitch in and help. So i believe that other mining should cease until the miners are saved. This would show that the company cares about the workers and not just out for the profits and make the workers just a number.

Draft 1: To Families

I believe the best way to communicate with the loved ones of the miners would