Safety and Health Risk Management
Our approach to safety and health risk management is to ensure we manage this risk across the company by applying a consistent approach. In doing so, risk is well understood across the company and individuals actively take responsibility for managing risk at all levels.
Our operational sites have developed and reviewed their risk registers during 2008. Further alignment of the approach to risk management is planned for 2009.
OZ Minerals recognises the importance of providing our people with the necessary skills and tools to manage safety and health risks within their workplaces. At our operational sites the induction programs contain content on basic hazard identification techniques and inductions are provided in various formats for visitors, employees and contractors. Additional training in this area is also provided to other groups including supervisors, managers and safety and health representatives.
For more information on OZ Minerals’ management of financial and non-financial risks see Risk Management.
Avebury safety innovation award
Selective handling and encapsulation of waste rock at Prominent Hill
The underground operation at Avebury in Tasmania requires ground support to be installed to stabilise the underground stopes and ensure the safety of our people. The process of achieving this ground support up until the end of August 2008 was labour-intensive, time-consuming and involved multiple processes. Each of these processes required mining personnel to undertake manual handling of steel cables and also exposed the grouting crews to chemicals that had the potential for burns to limbs and the face.
In addition to the safety related issues the ground support installation process was expensive. It was determined that the ground support technique needed to be reviewed.
The solution was jointly identified by a steering committee that included the Avebury operation, Barminco and Atlas Copco.
The team determined that this process could move to mechanized equipment for both drilling and installation. With Atlas Copco on the steering committee the team had direct access to the supplier who could build a prototype unit.
Atlas Copco in Sweden buixlt the prototype Cabletec unit which is the only one of its type in the world.
The installation of ground support can now be done with fewer personnel and only requires one vehicle. The Atlas Copco Cabletec Cable Bolter bores the hole, then places the cable in the hole and has a grout mixing facility.
Our people no longer have the manual handling tasks normally associated with this procedure and also have reduced exposure and handling requirements associated with the grout product.
Fatal risk management
During 2008, additional focus was placed on fatal risk exposure. Based on a review of all significant incidents that had occurred in the first half of 2008 it was determined that the group office would conduct fatal risk audits at both the Century and Rosebery operations.
These audits focused specifically on work at heights and isolation practices at both operations. The audits involved a review of compliance with group standards, state legislation and Australian Standards. The program included physical inspections of workplaces and observations of workers undertaking operational and maintenance activities.
While both operations were found to be compliant with their respective state legislation, the audits identified a number of action items that could reduce the likelihood of fatal injures in the specific focus areas. These included:
- The introduction of a group isolation standard
- Focus on reducing at-risk employee behaviour particularly around working-at-heights practices
- Installing fall-prevention measures for maintenance personnel working on the shovels at Century operation
- A move away from tags to physical locks when isolating energy sources at Rosebery operation
During 2008, a plan was developed to review the OZ Minerals safety and health performance standards to ensure the management of fatal risk was integrated into our business processes.
Aviation risk management
Many of OZ Minerals operations, projects and exploration activities take place in remote regi sons, where access is primarily via aircraft. To ensure the safety of our workforce at fly-in/fly-out operations, we have developed a comprehensive aviation risk management process.
During 2008 we developed a group Aviation Standard which specifies minimum standards for chartered aircraft, geophysical survey and helicopter external loader operations.
We also appointed HART Aviation as an external aviation safety advisor. HART’s services to OZ Minerals include:
- Provision of access to an airline risk evaluator
- Conducting audits and providing assessments to determine compliance with the OZ aviation management standard and regulatory requirements of all aviation contractors engaged by OZ Minerals
- Provision of auditing and consulting services for airfields and ground support processes as requested
- Assisting in the development of aircraft charter agreements and contracts
- Provision of assistance in the investigation and review of aviation incidents as requested
During 2008 there were 21 aviation audits completed on aviation charter companies contracted to OZ Minerals.