Management and strategy
Much of our business operates under demanding safety conditions which, if not carefully and consistently managed and mitigated, can expose employees and contractors to significant hazards such as rock falls, mobile equipment, noxious gases and high-voltage equipment. Managing safety in these circumstances requires a comprehensive and integrated approach that includes:
- Leadership from senior management;
- Major hazard management;
- Operational integrity and assurance;
- Contractor management; and
- Effective risk and safety management systems and process aligned to ISO 31000 Risk Management Principles and Guidelines and OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems.
Recognising the unique characteristics that exist in our global operations, we adapt our leadership approach, systems, processes and programmes to address these characteristics in each region, especially in developing countries where the majority of our critical safety incidents have occurred.
As our business strategy has progressed from primarily acquisitionled growth to organic growth focused on our leading portfolio of green and brownfield projects, we have refined our safety management focus and priorities accordingly as follows:
- Working collaboratively with our major contractors on each project to use both sets of skills and experience to enhance each other’s safety management systems and processes; and
- Ensuring we have people with the right safety management skills and experience in place to match the specific phase the project is in, from the exploration and design phase through to construction and start up.
Within the Group’s objective of achieving zero fatalities, injuries and illnesses, each commodity business sets its own targets for safety management and performance