Fighting fatigue to protect lives: Makana at Ultraport Mejillones

The challenge

The operation at Ultraport Mejillones runs on long, physically demanding shifts. The health and safety team identified a critical risk that had not been properly addressed: fatigue and drowsiness behind the wheel of the trucks, both in the lead-up stage and while the operation is under way.

On top of that comes the wear and tear of 12-hour shifts on a 7×7 rotation, with long stretches held still that lead to rigid postures and musculoskeletal aches — lower back, lower body, and upper body. The need was clear: permanent support that could get the operator going again within the shift itself and protect their safety and their life.

What we did with Makana

Makana built a wellbeing room into the operational cycle at Ultraport Mejillones, designed as a self-care and self-service tool: the worker runs the routines the app lays out, at the moment they need them.

The program covers:

• Specific recharge routines that the app lays out step by step, so the operator can come out of a state of drowsiness and get back into the operation in a short period of time.
• Exercises aimed at easing the wear and tear that builds up and at minimizing the postural aches that come with the shift.
• New mental health and nutrition modules, with expert guidance and recommendations that are traceable over time.

All of this is part of the collaborative work Makana and Ultraport have kept up since 2023, within a single plan where one of the core pillars is the lives of the people, and which connects with the fatigue and drowsiness program developed by Ultraport.

Results

The Makana room has become a fundamental factor for the workers at this site. It has contributed to ongoing control of people's state of alertness, helping the operation run better and protecting the safety and the lives of the operators themselves.

On the ground, workers report relief from the wear and tear that builds up over 7×7 shifts and a reduction in the musculoskeletal aches that come from long hours held still.

"Makana has helped above all with easing the wear and tear that builds up over the days. On a 7×7 rotation, Makana really eases that load."

— Operator, Ultraport Mejillones

"We work 12-hour shifts, and staying still leads to rigid postures and lower-back aches, in the lower body as well as the upper body. Makana has helped us ease and reduce those pains during the operation."

— Operator, Ultraport Mejillones