Over 33 Workers Trapped After Chilean Copper Mine Collapse
Alexandra Matamoros
BCOM/275
Professor Shawn Castle
October 22, 2012

The message of a devastating accident is not easy to prepare or communicate to anyone involved. Being the communicator of bad news is never easy. The form in which the news is delivered, and what must be done after the news is transmitted it is important. On August 5th the South American country Chile 33 miners were trapped in an underground mine (Weik Juan, 2010). The needs of the employees and the needs of the family members were different of those men who were trapped in the mine. It is very important to make sure to address each of these groups in a specific way. The best channel to announce the employees about this type of accident, it is communicating by face to face meeting. This type of devastating news is too important to be delivered in an e-mail or memo after informing the family. When human suffering is involved in an incident, the method of communication must be in keeping with the importance of the situation. A face to face meeting is also applicable when delivering the news to the families of the miners who were trapped. In the case of the employees, the best method is to go to the location of the mine and have a face to face with all employees. In regards to the families, it would be best to provide transportation for all of the families to a location available that can hold all the people. A face to face is the only acceptable method. To deliver any other way would be to suggest a level of un-importance. The process that must be taken with the families of the miners, and the employees is similar. Before meeting with each group it is necessary to have the most accurate information about the situation.
The problem should always be handling with absolute kindness, sensitivity and direction. It is also important to provide information about what currently is being done to rescue the trapped miners in order to keep family and co-workers away from panicking. Family would like to know how much time it will take to reach the miners. In addition, before meeting with each group, the person delivering the message needs to have the latest update available on the condition of the miners and if there has been any communication with the miners. Finally, it is important to have a plan of action available as to what will happen each day of the rescue mission.
The action that must be taken after the message is delivered; it is to have a constant line of communication from rescue team to the Company and families members. Unfortunately, it is also necessary to have a contingency plan in the event the miners, whether one or many do not survive. A speech needs to be prepared for either a successful rescue or a not successful rescue.
The needs of the two groups are a little different. The need of the employees is to get support from the company to overcome the grief feelings. The employees will also need to know that the company is doing everything it can, to investigate why this happened and to take any action to make sure that this does not happen in the future. The employees need to also be reassured that the company values all the employees and that the safety of the employees is the company's top priority. Regarding the families, it is crucial that the company makes sure to reassure the families that everything that can be done to rescue the men is being done. The families also need to be cared, by the company, for during the time of the rescue attempts. The families need to be kept updated on every step of the recovery mission. The company should also provide food and a place to sleep for the families so that they may be as close by as possible. The following is an appropriate news release to the employees in the company: We come before you today to inform you of an accident that occurred at the gold and copper