Elaboración de un plan de prevención de Riesgos Laborales para la empresa minera Minervilla Cía Ltda. al Sur del Ecuador.

Abstract

Abstract: In this thesis research, we identified and evaluated the hazards within the mine, especially those faced by winch operators, drillers, haulers, carmen, explosives experts, and locomotive operators. These workers face risk factors such as long working hours, precarious conditions, and being far from their families. Workers are exposed to 50% of mechanical, ergonomic, psychosocial, chemical, and physical risks. The most common incidents and accidents involve mechanical risks, such as "planchones," which are the falls of rocky walls weighing one or more tons. Other risks include the fall of small rocks and exposure to harmful gases from blasting. The results of this research allow us to identify the risk estimation for each job position, with the goal of creating a workplace risk prevention plan to minimize and eliminate incidents. The methodology used was the matrix from the National Institute for Safety and Health at Work (INSST). This was developed to identify and evaluate risks in job positions and then classify them by the resulting risk estimation. In this study, the risk estimation leaned more toward mechanical and psychosocial risks, with an intolerable risk level, resulting in 87 intolerable risks across all risk levels. This is an extremely alarming figure that demands immediate and drastic action. These risks, by definition, prevent work from starting or continuing until they are reduced, and if they cannot be reduced, activities must be completely prohibited. This situation highlights the urgent need for intervention in all areas where these hazards have been identified. 28 of these risks critically affect the shovel operator and hauler personnel. These workers are often involved in tasks that require considerable physical effort and repetitive movements, placing them in a position of high vulnerability.