Chilean Mining Incident
Chilean Mining Incident
BCOM/275
Any time a business suffers some type of tragedy that could potentially involve serious injury or loss of life to the employees of the company, it is very important to ensure that the communication that follows is appropriate. The process of handling these types of events can make or break a company in the wake of a disaster. Communication to the families of the victims of the disaster will need a different type of communication than will the employees of the company. During the Chilean mine collapse in 2010, 33 miners were trapped in a mine for 70 days before being rescued. During this time, neither the families of the men trapped nor the other employees of the company knew if the men would be rescued, or if they would perish underground. The men were eventually rescued, which was great for both the business and the families. However, it could easily have gone the other way, and destroyed the lives of the families involved and the other employees at the company. When communicating with the families of the miners, it is important for the business to stay positive, yet remorseful. Especially in the beginning, the family will want to hear sincere remorse from the business for the accident that occurred. However, since they are unsure if the miners are alive, the company should focus on keeping hope alive and attempt to keep spirits up. The company would want to show support for the families, offer counseling, and show the families that the company is making every effort to rescue their loved ones. The company would also need to avoid making statements that could hold themselves liable for the accident due to future litigation. The statement should be made publicly via television or newspaper with follow up visits to all of the affected family members by a representative of the company. A draft of this statement to the families is as follows. We at the Minera San Esteban Primera mining corporation are saddened by
BCOM/275
Any time a business suffers some type of tragedy that could potentially involve serious injury or loss of life to the employees of the company, it is very important to ensure that the communication that follows is appropriate. The process of handling these types of events can make or break a company in the wake of a disaster. Communication to the families of the victims of the disaster will need a different type of communication than will the employees of the company. During the Chilean mine collapse in 2010, 33 miners were trapped in a mine for 70 days before being rescued. During this time, neither the families of the men trapped nor the other employees of the company knew if the men would be rescued, or if they would perish underground. The men were eventually rescued, which was great for both the business and the families. However, it could easily have gone the other way, and destroyed the lives of the families involved and the other employees at the company. When communicating with the families of the miners, it is important for the business to stay positive, yet remorseful. Especially in the beginning, the family will want to hear sincere remorse from the business for the accident that occurred. However, since they are unsure if the miners are alive, the company should focus on keeping hope alive and attempt to keep spirits up. The company would want to show support for the families, offer counseling, and show the families that the company is making every effort to rescue their loved ones. The company would also need to avoid making statements that could hold themselves liable for the accident due to future litigation. The statement should be made publicly via television or newspaper with follow up visits to all of the affected family members by a representative of the company. A draft of this statement to the families is as follows. We at the Minera San Esteban Primera mining corporation are saddened by