Por: Marco Tapia Moncayo y Luis Aguilar Horna, Anglo American Quellaveco.

Abstract

In the context of highly complex mining operations such as Anglo American Quellaveco, operational risk management represents a fundamental pillar for ensuring personnel safety, operational continuity, and business sustainability. In particular, Critical Controls (CC) constitute essential barriers against Priority Unwanted Events (PUE), the occurrence of which could lead to catastrophic or fatal consequences.

At Quellaveco, monitoring of these controls is currently carried out through the Isometrix platform, where control owners —typically superintendents— and their designated teams conduct periodic self-assessments based on checklists derived from performance specifications. While this system has enabled formal traceability of compliance, it has a structural limitation: the same teams responsible for implementing and monitoring the controls also validate their effectiveness, introducing operational bias and limiting the objectivity of the process.

To address this gap, an independent field-based evaluation of the actual effectiveness of critical controls is required in order to verify, not only their documented existence, but also their functionality, availability, reliability, and survivability under real operating conditions. The evaluation is conducted through direct observations, interviews with responsible personnel and contractors, and real-time evidence review, allowing controls to be classified as “effective,” “partially effective,” “largely ineffective,” or “ineffective.”

This approach not only strengthens the organization’s operational risk management culture, but also provides valuable input for decision-making and continuous improvement of control systems. Furthermore, by incorporating an external and impartial perspective, it promotes greater transparency and accountability in safety management.

Ultimately, evaluating the effectiveness of critical controls is not merely a technical exercise, but a clear expression of Quellaveco’s commitment to personnel safety and operational excellence.