Work in altitude

Complex Scenario for Health on a working Environment

Human biology and physiology are structured to be developed and maintained under certain established environmental conditions. If these conditions are modified, people’s health and well being are also modified.

This is how the physical needs required for tasks that are carried out at some altitude (over 2.400 meters) by workers who live regularly at the sea level -as it mainly happens in the mining activity in our country- conveys a series of physical and psychological changes that affect performance.

The lack of oxygen and the variation in pressure can cause the following: headaches, insomnia, nausea, dizziness, fatigue that have a negative impact in the productive performance and capacities of a worker. This places the worker in a vulnerable position for dangerous accidents. Besides, it also has to be taken into consideration that the worker has been temporarily separated from his family and the isolating conditions of the working place.

Chilean Association of Security has defined the creation of a research program for altitude tasks as a basic working area. This, in order to provide the member companies with the appropriate information about the risks they are facing, the systems to avoid these risks and training and educational mechanisms for the employees.