At the San Jose mine near Copiapo in Chile all the miners have emerged, one by one, including those brave men who went underground yesterday to help with the extraction from 642 m below surface. The industry at large should view this as a great triumph. This, more than anything we have ever done over the last decades, had the general public interested in the mining industry.

The incident has certainly shown mining engineers in a very positive, professional light. It also, inadvertently,  contrasted the oil and mining industries, following so close after the drawn out BP oil spill fiasco. By comparison the mining industry got the job done without inordinate fuss and well ahead of the first estimates of completing the job – rescuing the men.

Sadly the incident also attracted its fair share of ‘ambulance chasers’. Over the past weeks, International Mining was offered ‘expert’ comment from a number of companies not directy involved with the rescue including, yesterday, a firm of UK lawyers that apparently does not even have a South American office but was offering to comment on the miners’ employment rights. They should be disgusted in themselves.

It is also a great thing for Chile. Not too many Europeans, or even North Americans, have had the pleasure of visiting that wonderful country. I have been amazed, but somewhat saddened, by the number of people who have said words to the effect of “well it’s Chile and the safety standards are probably not what they should be.” The safety standards in that mine were not what they should have been, but those not involved in the mining industry should be made aware that Chile’s mining industry is one of the most advanced in the world. Look no further than El Teniente, a few hundred kilometres to the south, which is one of the most automated, technologically  advanced mines in the world.