Employee Health
This section discusses our approach to managing employee health at our operations.
Our approach to employee health recognises the need to establish a number of measures to reduce any potential for exposure to risk. Use of personal protection equipment (PPE) is vital, however, use without the associated knowledge and expertise will create an environment where many potential exposures could occur. Our health initiatives are aimed at addressing a range of health management areas.
See below for further details:
Read Our Performance for details on our health performance over the reporting period.
Personal Protective Equipment
The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) continues to be important while we search for ways to reduce exposures in the Company. The PPE Compliance Auditing Guideline and Respiratory Protection Guideline assist sites to ensure there are standard processes for PPE compliance across the organisation.
Despite the use of PPE there are still potential pathways to exposure. These may include:
- inadequate training in or incorrect use of the PPE equipment
- PPE equipment failure or poor maintenance
- multiple similar exposures and surges of exposure that overwhelm protection.
Our aim is to understand the nature of our occupational exposure hazards where they do occur and to remove or avoid hazards through engineering or design solutions wherever possible.
Exposure Management
Occupational exposure limits have been standardised across the Company since 2003, which ensures consistent reporting on exposure. There is a Company-wide standard method for assessing exposure, and this is being applied to a computer-based program for use by all our operations.
Position statements for key exposures throughout the Company provide further detail to professionals on how these should be managed. Key exposures include:
- Carbon monoxide
- Coal dust
- Coal tar pitch volatiles / polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
- Diesel particulate as elemental carbon
- Fluorides
- Lead, as inorganic dusts and fumes
- Manganese as dusts, compounds as manganese and fume
- Nickel (all species)
- Silica (crystalline as quartz and cristobalite)
- Sulphuric acid.
Many of these exposures have the potential to cause cancer, and it is vitally important that we manage them at a leading-practice level.
Over the past year there has been increased effort throughout the Company to reduce adverse exposures. Particular focus has been given to noise with the formation of a Company-wide Noise Community of Practice to promote activities in noise reduction. Further efforts have also been made to find new forms of engineering to reduce exposure to potentially cancer causing chemicals.
Hygiene Knowledge Base
In response to an increasing need of skilled occupational hygienists, we are supporting a graduate training program for occupational hygienists with Deakin University in Victoria, Australia.
The first intake occurred during 2005. In 2006, this initiative continued successfully with an increase in intake. Through our involvement, we are seeking to ensure course work reflects leading developments in hygiene practice and that graduates are exposed to our operations with the intent of attracting appropriately qualified occupational hygienists in the future. We will continue to monitor the success of the program.
The Company-based occupational hygiene network continues to develop and facilitate learning by sharing knowledge across the organisation. Face-to-face meetings occur in all regions of the world. The engagement of this network has proved important for specific initiatives across our global operations. The Diesel Particulate Initiative was advanced through this group, and underground operations were visited during the year to implement this important work in exposure reduction. Key aspects of the program include:
- methods for the site mechanical maintenance team to best manage engines to minimise both gaseous and particulate emissions
- processes for matching vehicle emissions to the mine ventilation to minimise exposure
- use of the correct fuels and lubricants to achieve cleaner, more complete combustion and reduce emissions.
Read more: 2005 Health Case Study>Diesel Particulate Initiative.
Fit for Work/Fit for Life
Fit for Work/Fit for Life is a Company-wide initiative that was launched during 2004/05 to assist our drive towards Zero Harm. The initiative seeks to promote a consistent approach to the management of health issues in the work environment. The initiative recognises that many health issues not only have the potential to impact on our safety performance, but also can cause community issues and consequently impact on our ability to contribute to sustainable development.
The initiative is intended to provide guidance to sites in developing site-based health management programs covering:
- drug and alcohol use
- fatigue management
- medical assessment
- travel health
- ergonomic analysis
- occupational rehabilitation
- health promotion
- employee assistance.
By taking a holistic approach to health management, the initiative intends to ensure:
- we do not adversely impact the safety of our employees
- employees are physically capable of performing all activities required of them
- medical assessments are undertaken where work requirements change
- family members are also involved in educational health programs.
During the past year there has been continued development of this initiative. Regional and business based-workshops have provided opportunities to share leading practices.
Focus has been directed to fatigue management as this has been identified as a primary factor in many safety incidents. In the coming year there will also be a focus on standardising medical assessment processes throughout the Company; these will include important preventive and health promotional activities.
For our progress in employee health management read Health>Our Performance.
