Fatal Risk Control Protocols
A review of our past fatalities and significant incidents identified a series of key fatal risks to our people – risks that require the development of sound practices to eliminate fatalities and incidents that could, in different circumstances, cause fatalities.
As a result, the Fatal Risk Control Protocols (FRCPs) (PDF 1,100 Kb) were established in 2003 and revised in 2005.
The Protocols were developed by workgroups comprising individuals from across BHP Billiton with extensive experience in operations. Their goal was to establish minimum performance expectations for managing these risk areas at leading-practice levels. Following the initial release of the Protocols, a series of review workshops were also held across the Company. Identifying the need for an additional Protocol to cover the risks associated with lifting operations was an outcome of these workshops.
The existence of the Protocols does not presume coverage of all risks faced by our operations. The HSEC Management Standards provide the management framework for these other risks.
The Protocols cover the potential for fatal risks arising from activities associated with:
- Light Vehicles
- Surface Mobile Equipment
- Underground Mobile Equipment
- Underground Ground Control
- Hazardous Materials Management
- Molten Materials Management
- Equipment Safeguarding
- Isolation
- Working at Heights
- Lifting Operations.
Each Protocol has a common format that outlines its reason for inclusion and sets out implementation requirements that cover plant and equipment, procedural and people requirements.
The focus for sites has been on embedding the FRCPs. Initiatives designed to support this include:
- an online assessment and tracking tool
- establishing a dedicated FRCP intranet site and Communities of Practice for each Protocol
- conducting workshops in key regional operating areas involving site and business representatives
- appointing a Global Facilitator for each FRCP
- developing guidelines on effective implementation
- developing an online leading-practice library.
For details on the implementation of the Protocols and the activities of our Global FRCP Facilitators, see Safety>Our Performance>Fatal Risk Control Protocols.
