Glossary of Terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Assurance | An evaluation method that uses a specified set of principles and standards to assess the quality of a Report and the underlying systems, processes and competencies that underpin performance as specified in the Report. Assurance includes the communication of the results of this evaluation to provide credibility to the subject matter for its users. |
| bcms | billion bank cubic metres |
| BHP Billiton | The Dual Listed Company comprising BHP Billiton Limited and BHP Billiton Plc and their subsidiary companies. |
| BHP Billiton Group | The whole BHP Billiton organisation. |
| Biodiversity | The variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems. |
| The Company | BHP Billiton |
| CO2-e | Carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e) is the basis of comparing the warming effect of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and perfluorocarbons. |
| Charter | The set of clearly defined values applicable to each employee of the BHP Billiton Group. |
| CIFR | Classified Injury Frequency Rate - the number of classified injuries per million work hours (a classified injury is any workplace injury that has resulted in the person not returning to their unrestricted normal duties after the day on which the injury was received). |
| Controlled Site | A site owned and operated wholly by BHP Billiton or managed by the Company in a joint venture operation. |
| Controlled activities | These are work-related activities where BHP Billiton is the operator and can set HSEC standards and directly supervise and enforce their application. Incidents arising from controlled activities are reported, investigated and included in HSEC performance measures in accordance with BHP Billiton requirements. |
| Contractor | An individual, company or other legal entity that carries out work or performs services pursuant to a contract for service. This includes sub-contractors. |
| CEMP | Crisis and Emergency Response Program |
| CSIRO | Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation |
| Customer Sector Group (CSG) | A primary operating division of the Company that groups together commodities for a common customer sector. |
| DLC | Dual Listed Companies |
| Earthmoving equipment (EME) | Excavators, trucks, dozers and support equipment used in our operations to move earth. |
| Term | Definition |
| EWRM | Enterprise-Wide Risk Management - a structured and consistent approach that aligns strategy, processes, people, technology and knowledge with the purpose of evaluating and managing the uncertainties the Company faces to create shareholder value. |
| Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative | A multi-stakeholder initiative launched at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, September 2002. Its aim is to increase transparency about payments and revenues to governments by companies in the extractive industries. |
| Fatal Risk Control Protocols | A set of regulations, mandatory at all our operated sites and operations, which prescribe requirements applicable to identified key risk areas with a view to eliminating fatalities from our operations. |
| FPSO | Floating Production, Storage and Offloading Facility |
| Footprint | The area affected or covered by BHP Billiton operations. |
| Forum on Corporate Responsibility (FCR) | A forum that brings together representatives of our senior management team, the leaders of several key non-government organisations and community opinion leaders to discuss and debate social and environmental matters relevant to the Company. |
| Greenhouse gases (GHG) | Gaseous emissions to the atmosphere that may contribute to global warming. |
| Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) | A multi-stakeholder process developing and disseminating globally applicable sustainability reporting guidelines for organisations to report on the economic, environmental and social dimensions of their activities, products and services. |
| Guide to Business Conduct | The set of guidelines, published in eight languages, that provides all our employees and contractors with direction and advice on carrying out business and interacting with governments, communities and business partners. |
| Global Ethics Panel | A panel of representatives from our Corporate functions and businesses that reviews all business conduct cases raised throughout the Company. |
| Hierarchy of control | A series of controls which should be applied in the following order (a number of these options may be considered and applied individually or in combination):
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| Term | Definition |
| HIV/AIDS | AIDS is a disease, caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), that destroys the body's white cells, causing illness and, ultimately, death. |
| HSE Committee | Health, Safety and Environment Committee - a subcommittee of the Board and the Company's peak HSE governance body. |
| HSEC | Health, Safety, Environment and Community |
| HSEC Management Standards | A set of 15 management standards, mandatory at all our operated sites and operations, that form the basis for the development and application of HSEC management systems at all levels of the Company. |
| HSEC targets | A set of goals and requirements specified for our sites and operations to achieve, covering management systems, health, safety, environment and community performance measures. A scorecard on performance against the targets is included in our Sustainability Report. |
| Human rights | Basic standards of treatment to which all people are entitled, regardless of nationality, gender, race, economic status or religion. |
| ICAM | Incident Cause and Analysis Methodology |
| Indigenous peoples | Those people who are the descendants of the original inhabitants of a country or a region, with a distinct social or cultural identity that may be vulnerable or disadvantaged in the current social and economic context. |
| ISO 9000 | International standard for quality management. It is intended to help an organisation enhance customer satisfaction by meeting customer and applicable regulatory requirements and to improve its performance in this regard. |
| ISO 14001 | International standard for environmental management. It is intended to help an organisation to minimise harmful effects on the environment caused by its activities and to improve its environmental performance. |
| IUCN protected area categories | The World Conservation Union (IUCN) defines a protected area as 'an area of land and/or sea especially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity, and of natural and associated cultural resources, and managed through legal or other effective means'. IUCN categorises protected areas by management objective and has identified six distinct categories of protected areas. (See www.iucn.org) |
| Kilolitre (kL) | One kilolitre is equal to one thousand litres. |
| Licence to operate | Securing and maintaining the trust and confidence of a community and regulators in order to set up and conduct business. |
| Lifecycle Assessment/Analysis | A detailed examination of the full lifecycle of a product, process, system or function. |
| Megalitre (ML) | One megalitre is equal to one million litres. |
| Term | Definition |
| Monitored activities | These are activities where BHP Billiton can influence but cannot set HSEC standards and cannot directly supervise and enforce their application. Monitored activities include all situations where BHP Billiton is involved, excluding controlled activities. Incidents arising from monitored activities are, where possible, reported and investigated in accordance with Company requirements, but are not included in BHP Billiton HSEC performance measures. |
| MMSD | Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development study (1998) of the global mining industry's current and potential contribution to sustainable development. |
| MSDS | Material Safety Data Sheet - prepared for each of our products and which identifies potential health, safety and environmental aspects associated with their use. |
| NGO | Non-government organisation |
| OHSAS 18001 | An international occupational health and safety management system specification. It is intended to help an organisation to control occupational health and safety risks. |
| Perfluorocarbons | Group of chemicals composed of carbon and fluorine produced by process disturbances during the aluminium smelting process. |
| Petajoule (PJ) | One petajoule is equal to 1015 joules |
| PPE | Personal protective equipment |
| Precautionary approach | Precautionary approach emerged from Article 15 of the Rio Principles, which states, 'In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied by States according to their capabilities. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation'. (See www.unep.org/unep/rio.htm) |
| R&D | Research and development |
| REACH | New EU regulatory framework on chemicals - Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals, |
| Risk | Exposure to the consequences of uncertainty. It has two dimensions, the likelihood of something happening and the consequences if it were to happen. |
| Significant incident | An environmental incident classified as level 3 or above, or a safety incident classified 4 or above in the BHP Billiton Consequence Severity Table. |
| Sites | The individual operating assets of BHP Billiton. Also refer to Controlled Site. |
| Term | Definition |
| Sphere of Influence |
The term used to describe the role BHP Billiton can take to manage human rights across its various relationships. In broad terms there are two levels of influence as they apply to BHP Billiton sites:
It is recognised, however, that in certain circumstances it may also be appropriate to contribute to the promotion of human rights, with, for example, host governments. |
| SRI | Socially Responsible Investment - a sector of the financial community that takes an organisation's environmental and social performance into account when judging its investment rating. |
| Stakeholders | Any person, group or interested party that may be affected by the financial or safety, health, environment and community performance of BHP Billiton or its operations. |
| Stewardship | A life cycle approach to identify, manage and reduce HSEC impacts relating to BHP Billiton resources, processes, materials and products, including the involvement and sharing of responsibility with suppliers and customers where appropriate. |
| Sustainable development | Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs - as defined by the World Commission on Environment and Development (Bruntland Commission) 1987. |
| Sustainable Development Policy | The Company's primary statement of principles applicable to health, safety, environment and community matters. The Policy is implemented via the HSEC Management Standards and Protocols. |
| TRIFR | Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate - the total number of fatalities and injuries resulting in lost time, restricted work duties and medical treatment. |
| Tollgate | A review system or procedure that must be satisfied before proceeding to the next stage of a project or process. |
| WRI-WBCSD Greenhouse Gas Protocol | A measurement protocol developed jointly by the World Resources Institute and World Business Council for Sustainable Development (see www.ghgprotocol.org). |
| UN | United Nations |
| UNEP | United Nations Environment Program aims to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations (see http://www.unep.org/) |
| Value Add | As defined by GRI Mining and Metals Sector Supplement. Total revenues less total cost of procurement. |
| Zero Harm | Our aspirational goal, expressed in our Sustainable Development Policy, that reflects our continual drive to minimise harm to people or the environment from our activities. |
