Occupational Illnesses

New Illnesses by Type

2005/06

 

An occupational illness is an illness that occurs as a consequence of work-related activities or exposure. During the year, 123 new cases of occupational illness were reported throughout the Company, a reduction from 152 last year, resulting in an overall reduction to date of 46 per cent against the baseline numbers for 2002/03. The breakdown of these new illnesses is illustrated in the graph above. The 46 per cent reduction in new cases of occupational illness means we are on target to exceed the 20 per cent reduction target across the Company by June 2007.

Our medical surveillance program requires a standardised approach to diagnosis and consequently has resulted in an increased awareness of conditions and therefore better diagnostic programs. As shown in the graph below, 84 per cent of employees requiring medical examinations completed those examinations during the period, compared to 89 per cent in the previous reporting period.

Employees Who Completed Medical Examination (as % of Employees Requiring Medical Examination)

2002/03 to 2005/06

Efforts to implement our Fit for Work/Fit for Life initiative continued. The initiative was introduced in the previous reporting year and seeks to promote a consistent approach to the management of health issues in the work environment by taking a holistic approach to the health management of our employees. During the year two Global Practice Leaders were appointed to assist sites with the implementation of the program, with one of these positions specifically focused on fatigue management, which is a complex issue of risk within the Company. Read more: Health>Our Approach>Employee health

For examples of policy in action, refer to our case study, Employee Health, which demonstrates a number of initiatives to manage health issues in the workplace, as well as the following Employee HSEC Award finalists:

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BHP Billiton's assessment of how the Report addresses the Global Reporting Initiative guidelines and the UN Global Compact principles.

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