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| Ranca Gua, South America |
“We started in Coya, where the municipality and neighbors contributed with a powerful tractor sprayer. We believe that Coya will be left with a 100% sanitation plan in a week, “
Cristián Sanhueza
Director of Community Development
Coldeco-El Teniente.
Codelco has launched a fumigator drone project to support the sanitation efforts of towns near its operations. The technology achieves rapid coverage of the products that the Chilean health authority allows to eliminate viruses and bacteria on surfaces. Part of the action plan of the El Teniente Division against Covid-19 is to sanitize the communes surrounding its operations, through aerial spraying with a drone, an initiative that is completed with a ground team . On April 3 implementation began in Coya and Chacayes, on April 13 the populations of 10 de Agosto, El Bosque, Las Brisas and Lo Conti de Olivar were cleaned and implementation of this action in other localities is being evaluated.
The Codelco fumigator drone allows sanitizing public sectors with quaternary ammonium, the same element used in the Santiago Metro. In addition, a van with a 500-liter tank is used to reinforce the sanitation of streets, passages, and hard-to-reach places.
Renzo Barbagelata, operator of the TTA M6 drone, explained that “we use the same drone that was used in China in the midst of the coronavirus emergency. This equipment is capable of lifting 25 kilos of cargo weight and has an autonomy of approximately 10 minutes .
“We started in Coya, where the municipality and neighbors contributed with a powerful tractor sprayer. We believe that Coya will be left with a 100% sanitation plan in a week, “informed the director of Community Development of El Teniente, Cristián Sanhueza, about the various measures implemented with the aim of reducing the risk of exposure to the spread of coronavirus that will be replicated in different locations.
Community
The inhabitants of the sector expressed that these actions give them peace of mind amid the current health situation. “Fumigation is good to avoid the danger to which we are exposed. I live with my wife who is 64 years old, we had not seen this type of action in our population and we are happy that Codelco makes this type of contribution,” said Luis Eduardo Durán , a neighbor of Olivar.
Meanwhile, Margarita Madrid, a neighbor of Coya, appreciated the initiative “because there are people who still do not understand that in this emergency we must stay at home and almost come to vacation in our town. This fumigation gives us peace of mind,” he said.
To use this technology, with which rapid coverage of chemical agents that eliminate viruses and bacteria on surfaces is achieved, the company has coordinated with the corresponding municipalities.
The Seremi de Minería, Manuel Cuadra Lizana, appreciated Codelco El Teniente’s commitment to preventing Coronavirus infections and its contribution to the community in these difficult times. “The prevention measures that the company is adopting are in harmony with the Ministry’s lines of work that aim to protect the health of workers as a first priority, as well as the solidarity spirit of El Teniente to support various initiatives for the benefit of the community “