Codelco’s Radomiro Tomic fatality: conveyor maintenance lessons for mine engineers
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan
First reported on MINING.com
30 Second Briefing
A contractor was killed at Codelco’s Radomiro Tomic open-pit copper mine near Calama at about 08:50 local time while performing maintenance in an area associated with a conveyor belt, prompting an immediate site inspection by Chile’s National Geology and Mining Service (Sernageomin). Chile’s disaster agency Senapred reported no secondary emergencies, but authorities have not yet detailed the conveyor’s role or the specific maintenance task. The incident follows a 26 September maintenance fatality at BHP’s Escondida and the July 2025 six-worker death at Codelco’s El Teniente underground mine, intensifying scrutiny of maintenance and conveyor-safety procedures.
Technical Brief
- Sernageomin deployed inspectors on-site to conduct technical inspection and initiate administrative safety proceedings.
- Conveyor-associated work areas are typically governed by lockout–tagout, guarding and isolation standards under Chilean mining regulations.
- Repeated fatalities at major copper mines are likely to drive stricter enforcement of maintenance permitting and supervision.
- For Codelco, incidents at Radomiro Tomic and El Teniente increase regulatory focus across both open-pit and underground operations.
- Investigation outcomes will probably feed into revised critical controls for conveyor maintenance, access management and contractor oversight.
Our Take
Our database shows Codelco’s Chilean copper operations, including El Teniente, are simultaneously piloting advanced remote-operations networks with NTT Docomo Business, which suggests regulators may now scrutinise whether greater automation and remote maintenance could reduce exposure during high-risk tasks like those at Radomiro Tomic.
Recent Chile copper coverage in our database includes weather- and infrastructure-related disruptions at Los Pelambres and underutilised national smelting capacity, so repeated fatalities at Codelco and BHP sites in northern Chile may add labour and regulatory pressure on already constrained regional supply chains.
With aluminium prices down 18% from a recent four-year high while copper remains central in 1,258 mining stories, operators like Codelco and BHP in Chile may find it harder to argue cost pressures against tighter safety requirements, as margins are under more scrutiny across base metals rather than only in structurally weaker commodities.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
Related Articles
Related Industries & Products
Mining
Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.
Construction
Quality control software for construction companies with material testing, batch tracking, and compliance management.
CMRR-io
Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.
HYDROGEO-io
Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.
GEODB-io
Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.