What we are

PROBLEM

Human biology and physiology are structured to be developed and maintained under certain established environmental conditions. If these conditions are modified, peopleâs health and well being are also modified. This is how the physical needs required for tasks that are carried out at some altitude by workers who live regularly at the sea level ö as it mainly happens in the mining activity in our country- convey a series of physical and psychological changes that affect performance.

The lack of oxygen and the variation in pressure can cause, for example: 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.

What CETHA does

CETHA’s action is related to establishing the most adequate mechanisms in order to improve the working environment under difficult conditions for the worker. It is also related to observing human behavior in working situations under extreme conditions. Considering the importance of human work in altitude, Asociación Chilena de Seguridad, through CETHA has focused its action on the hypoxy and reoxygenation phenomenon, based on a simulation on an hypobaric Camera on altitude conditions up to 5000 meters over the sea level.

A group of professionals from C.E.T.H.A. has focused its research on the oxidant stress and the anti-oxidant capacity; the role the hemoglobin saturation can play as a predictor for altitude adaptation; physical activity and healthy food as important factors to avoid the cardio-vascular risk; measurement of the physical load on different working spots and finally the search of an anti-oxidant therapy for the arsenic genotoxicity.

BACKGROUND

An increasing number of workers, that only in the II Region is more than 30.000 people, are somehow exposed to hypobaric hypoxia, a new way of relation between man and altitude. This has become a challenge for ensuring health at work. The need to promote research systems that facilitate the acquisition of necessary knowledge in this new form of mining exploitation, guide health prevention, health care and health promotion for workers and their families. The social and economic circumstances that lead to a change on the development level of the country, forces a technologic improvement and the need of healthy and trained workers. The need of systematic knowledge and improvements that are happening in this new research area will give a better service to member companies so that they can improve their productivity and can have healthy employees. There is agreement in relation to the adoption of the hypobaric hypoxy, which is the result of a work done under extreme conditions. This evaluates the human ability for physiological adaptation. At the same time workers are working on shifts, that alter the classic way of living of an occidental family, affecting the personal and group health.

There is a important local, regional and worldwide interest on this way of mining exploitation and ACHS, as a leading company in law administration on work related accidents and professional diseases, must propose modifications that might help men to have a better adaptation to work on altitude and to diminish the negative impact on health.

WORK AND RESEARCH AREAS