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

ABSTRACT

Background: Mining companies must implement management sys-tems 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(s) To describe a multimodal strategy for the management of health and safety at work, to address the risk of COVID-19 in large mining. Method(s) 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. Result(s) 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. Conclusion(s) 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.Copyright © 2022, Sociedad Chilena de Infectologia. All rights reserved.