Normet and Minera Meridian-El Peñón advance inclusion through all-female sprayed concrete operator training in Chile

The initiative supported skills development, operational safety, and inclusion, while creating new opportunities for women in underground mining.

Sprayed concrete, also known as shotcrete, is a critical ground support method used in underground mining to stabilise rock surfaces and enhance safety. The process involves carefully designed concrete mix spraying onto tunnel walls and headings to reinforce surrounding rock, prevent loose material from falling, and improve overall ground stability.

The Normet Academy training program combined classroom-based theory, extensive VR simulator practices, and real-world field experience. Participants received instruction in safety procedures, sprayed concrete fundamentals, equipment systems, SmartScan technology, concrete additives, and applicable industry standards. This was complemented by immersive VR simulator training covering pedagogical operational scenarios, allowing participants to build skills and confidence in a controlled environment before entering the mine.

Field training at El Peñón included equipment familiarisation, terrain and ground condition assessment, and supervised sprayed concrete operations underground, ensuring participants gained practical, job-ready experience aligned with operational and safety requirements. After successfully completing the training, the participants are now ready to start their careers in mining.

Minera Meridian-El Peñón views the initiative as a concrete step toward increasing female participation in operational mining roles and strengthening local capabilities.

The customer highlighted that the initiative is helping to break barriers in areas traditionally dominated by men. In Chile, there are very few women working in ground support operations or operating roboshot machines and concrete mixer trucks, highly automated pieces of equipment that play a critical role in maintaining tunnel stability in underground mines.

For Normet, the programme reflects a broader commitment to enabling safer, smarter, and more sustainable underground operations, while actively supporting diversity and inclusion across the mining value chain.

“Sprayed concrete plays a vital role in underground safety, and high-quality training is essential. We are proud to support Minera Meridian-El Peñón via Normet Academy, combining structured training with Normet’s extensive expertise in sprayed concrete processes to strengthen technical competence, safety awareness, and confidence, while fostering greater inclusion in the mining industry,” says Harri Sonninen, Global Training Product Manager, Normet.

The all-female sprayed concrete operator training programme highlights how collaboration between technology providers and mining companies can drive meaningful progress in safety, skills development, and inclusion across the industry.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/mining/24082026/normet-and-minera-meridian-el-pen-advance-inclusion-through-allfemale-sprayed-concrete-operator-training-in-chile/