OHL boosts new social action plans in Chile to benefit the community

The OHL Group, through its Agency in Chile, has started up new social action activities in the region in order to meet its main objective: to help generate wealth and social wellbeing in all communities where it is present.

Thus, in the surroundings of the Chacrillas dam that OHL, through its OHL Construction division, is executing in Chile, a road safety campaign was launched in order to encourage a healthy lifestyle and responsibility amongst cyclists. The bicycle race, as part of a preventive measure for bicycle users who ride around the surroundings of the dam construction site, was arranged by OHL together with Instituto de Seguridad del Trabajo (IST) [Occupational Safety Institute] and the municipality of Putaendo, in the Valparaiso region, under the motto “Towards a healthy and bicycle accident-free Putaendo”. OHL provided the nearly 50 participants with jackets and reflecting stickers for their bicycles, which many of them use to travel to work.

World Environment Day

Moreoever, OHL’s agency in Chile has also participated in the celebration of the World Environment Day, through an activity launched together with the “Pitreño de Lago Ranco” rural school, located in the centre of the construction site awarded to OHL, under the “Improvement of the T-85 Route” contract. On this site is the commune with the highest rural population rate of Los Ríos region, representing the highest number of indigenous inhabitants, whose ethnic origin is Mapuche-Huilliche.

The initiative started up by OHL’s agency in Chile is aimed at increasing awareness of the company amongst the community, using environmental education as an essential pillar in this interrelationship. Thus, as part of the celebrations held for the World Environment Day, many painting competitions were held for the youngest students, recycling and decoration for students enrolled in intermediate courses, and poetry and posters for the most advanced.

Along with these activities, of interest is our collaboration with Corporación Nacional Forestal, CONAF, which donated 20 trees to be planted in areas assigned by the school. OHL employees helped the students plant “canelo” trees, a feature of Southern Chile and considered a very important species due to its relationship with the pre-columbine Mapuche people, for whom it is a sacred tree.