Occupational health and wellbeing

Xstrata's occupational health and hygiene programmes include the identification of health hazards, assessment of exposure with reference to internationally recognised monitoring standards, implementation of controls to eliminate or minimise exposure to the hazards and the provision of personal protective equipment where controls do not effectively reduce the risk exposure. .

Targets are set to drive improvements in occupational health and hygiene and the health and wellbeing of the workforce is promoted through access to health information and programmes. .

In 2004, there were 36 new cases of occupational disease reported, a 56% reduction from 2003 when 82 cases were reported. The increased rigour of our occupational hygiene programmes has, in particular, seen a reduction in the incidence of new noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and dust-related diseases. .

Noise

The elimination of NIHL is a key priority in our occupational hygiene programmes. We mitigate this risk, wherever possible, by reducing noise from operating environments to below the recommended international standards, monitoring employees' hearing, and providing hearing conservation programmes and personal protective equipment for employees. .

The frequency of NIHL monitoring varies across the Commodity Businesses. All employees complete medical examinations before they join the company. In South Africa, Xstrata Alloys and Xstrata Coal monitor potentially affected employees annually. At Xstrata Coal New South Wales, all employees complete hearing tests as part of their health assessments every three years and, in Queensland, all employees complete a Coal Board medical every five years, which includes audiometric testing. At Oaky Creek Coal, personal noise monitoring is conducted every two months by Simtars, the State Government's safety in mines testing and research group. .

All Xstrata Copper employees are monitored for NIHL. Pre-employment audiometry assessments are completed for employees and contractors, with follow-up health assessments (including audiometric tests) conducted every four years. A detailed occupational hygiene monitoring programme features exposure monitoring in high noise-risk areas. In 2004, more than 800 samples were taken in these areas. At Xstrata Zinc's Queensland operations, all employees are monitored for NIHL every four years and when they leave the business. .

Hearing protection is provided to all Xstrata employees and contractors. At Xstrata Alloys, Xstrata Coal South Africa and Xstrata Zinc operations in Spain and Germany, employees working in noisy areas have been issued with personal, custom-fitted hearing protection devices. In our Australian operations, all workers are issued with ear muffs or ear plugs, and there are a variety of options available to meet personal preference and comfort levels. .

To identify employees with hearing loss, all Xstrata Coal employees in South Africa have completed a double baseline hearing assessment and all new employees are tested as part of their initial medical examination. We have also provided training and information sessions to help employees prevent total hearing loss. .

Xstrata Alloys operations have fitted noise-minimising devices on noisy equipment, such as fans, and Xstrata Coal operations conduct 'buy quiet' purchasing programmes for new equipment (excluding some underground machinery, such as continuous miners and longwall face operations). An equipment purchase and upgrade procedure has been developed and implemented, and Xstrata is a member of a local industry work group that investigated the options to reduce noise at source on the equipment used. .

At the Mount Isa operations, we conducted a full surface audiometric mapping programme to develop detailed 'sound maps' (noise contour maps) for all surface infrastructure, which show the location of the noisiest areas. This information enables us to focus our noise reduction strategies in areas of unacceptable noise risk. .

Dust

Continuous exposure to high levels of dust can lead to occupational diseases such as pneumoconiosis and tuberculosis. It is, therefore, imperative for the health of our employees that we effectively manage dust across our operations and closely monitor our employees' exposure to dust. .

Our dust management programmes are developed in accordance with Xstrata's occupational hygiene standard and the requirements of each commodity business. Typical initiatives include: .

• improved ventilation;
• various dust suppression processes e.g. continuous miner sprays;
• occupational hygiene awareness programmes; and
• enhanced respiratory protection.

At Xstrata Alloys, our dust management programme includes biological monitoring for hexavalent chrome and fume extraction hoods have been introduced at all furnaces. .

In Australia, Xstrata Zinc has highly efficient dust collection equipment in the zinc-lead crushing building combined with minimum underground ventilation air flow volumes and air velocity limits, and has air-conditioned the cabins on most heavy underground units. At the new Black Star open-cut mine in Queensland, the cabins for all mining equipment have been air-conditioned. .

Xstrata Coal's underground mines focus on dust suppression at the source, such as longwall shearers, continuous miners, conveyor belt loading and transfer points. In South Africa, a road treatment material is applied to the main underground roadways to reduce dust. To ensure shearers and continuous miners do not cut coal without a sufficient supply of water, water and pressure are linked to the machines' power supply – if the water flow declines or the pressure drops, the power to the cutting motor trips out. .

In 2004 in South Africa, we conducted a tuberculosis awareness day and doubled the number of personal dust exposure samples required to 10% of the workforce. As part of the dust sampling strategy, mine employees are divided into homogeneous exposure groups and are sampled on a monthly basis. .

In addition to our standard dust management programmes, our New South Wales coal mines introduced a diesel particulate awareness and monitoring programme and switched to low-sulphur fuels in their underground mining equipment.

In 2005, Xstrata Copper's occupational hygienists will continue their risk reduction programmes at the north Queensland operations, including:

• hazardous substance management audits;
• a toxicity reduction programme; and
• development of departmental noise risk reduction plans.

Xstrata participates in a range of health research and industry programmes, which allow us to apply best practice prevention, mitigation and treatment strategies across our operations. In 2004, Xstrata participated in the Australian Coal Association Research Program (ACARP) real-time dust monitoring system trial and assisted in the development of an underground diesel operation standard and remote control operational systems.

Blood lead levels

Exposure to lead has a long history of adverse health effects. We regularly monitor the blood lead levels of employees at our lead operations – the Northfleet lead refinery in the UK and all lead production areas at Mount Isa, Australia. We collect and analyse blood samples to determine lead concentration, which is measured in micrograms per decilitre (µg/dL). Alterations in blood levels can indicate a change in exposure, which is immediately addressed with the exposed person.

In the UK, employees whose blood lead concentrations exceed 40 µg/dL, must be removed from the Northfleet refinery until concentrations are below 35 µg/dL. We have recently reviewed this requirement. We aim to have a removal level of greater than or equal to 35 µg/dL by 2006 and will seek to reduce this level further in future years to greater than or equal to 30 µg/dL.

Over the past four years, we have significantly improved our blood lead management through better respiratory protection, which is compulsory for all employees in the plant, and enhancing our refinery hygiene systems. Over the past 12 months, the number of employees who have had blood lead concentrations of more than 30 µg/dL has halved.

Northfleet has participated in the supply of information and data to assist the progress of the Voluntary Risk Assessment for Lead. This research is being carried out by the European Union under leadership from Holland.

In Australia, the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC) prescribes that employees with blood lead concentration levels of 50 µg/dL or greater must be removed from the workplace until concentrations are below 40 µg/dL. Following a review of our blood lead management system at Mount Isa, we have set removal level targets of 38 µg/dL for the end of 2005 and 35 µg/dL for 2006. These targets are for all male workers, and for female workers who are not pregnant and are not planning pregnancy. Pregnant workers and those planning pregnancy should not have a blood lead concentration that exceeds the national standard of 10 µg/dL.

At Mount Isa, Xstrata has continued its free venipuncture programme to take blood samples from local residents to test for lead levels in the blood. The test is available on request from the Queensland Medical Laboratories located in the Mount Isa town centre. The results of the blood lead test are forwarded to a general practitioner nominated by the community member being tested. The general practitioners are required to explain the test results and any actions required to their patient.

Degenerative musculoskeletal conditions

To prevent musculoskeletal injuries and minimise degenerative musculoskeletal conditions and hernias, engineering solutions are used wherever possible to minimise or eliminate the use of manual handling, and all employees are trained in correct manual handling techniques.

In addition, Xstrata Coal participated in an ACARP project to introduce sports medicine approaches into injury rehabilitation and a Queensland University of Technology (QUT) study into aging workforces.

Heat stress

Heat stress is a risk for employees working at a number of our operations, in particular in Australia, South Africa and South America. Xstrata uses a range of methods to alleviate heat stress among its employees, including:

• heat management protocols (ventilation standards, dehydration testing, air-conditioned cabins and meeting areas); heat tolerance screening;
• occupational hygiene measurements; and
• heat stress awareness training.

In Queensland, Xstrata Copper conducts health assessments (including heat tolerance factors) against detailed job descriptions for all new employees. A Working in Heat Committee comprising management representatives, the ventilation engineers, union members, safety representatives and the Mines Inspectorate meets monthly to review monitoring results, heat-related incident reports and to monitor industry advances in managing ventilation systems and heat exposure risks. In addition, physical occupational hygiene measurements are taken, such as thermal working loads, air cooling power, humidity and temperature, and heat stress awareness and pre- and post-shift dehydration prevention programmes are in place.

In South Africa, Xstrata Coal uses body mass index to screen employees whose health has the potential to be impacted by heat exposure. Employees with a 30% body mass index or above are not permitted to work underground. In Australia, heat stress is addressed through work regimes, hydration and sun protection education campaigns. The use of hats, sunscreen and sunglasses outdoors is heavily promoted. In addition, Xstrata Coal Queensland uses a 'job fit' programme to assess new employees against detailed job descriptions to ensure that no employee is allocated to a job they are not physically fit to undertake.

Xstrata Alloys provides medical examinations to employees who have the potential to be impacted by heat exposure at work. They are also given information on how to manage heat stress.

Wellbeing

Xstrata runs a number of programmes across its operations aimed at promoting and enhancing the wellbeing of employees. These programmes address obesity, nutrition, sleep apnoea, alcohol abuse and smoking, and we provide counselling for relationship problems, addictions, financial matters and depression. We also engage external specialists such as medical practitioners, occupational health nurses and counsellors to assist our people.

At Ernest Henry Mine in Australia, the healthy lifestyle 'waist dump' programme is helping fly-in, fly-out employees to maintain healthy dietary habits and a healthy weight range while working extended shifts at the remote site.

The periodic health assessment programme at Xstrata Copper's Australian operations is helping medium- and high-risk employees to develop health management plans. If managers and colleagues are concerned about an employee's health, they can also request that the employee complete an assessment.

All Xstrata Alloys employees and their direct families are able to benefit from the Employee Assistance Programme, which provides counselling aimed at addressing emotional, relationship, alcohol and financial issues. Trauma counselling is also available.

At our South African coal mines, the Careways Programme is addressing physical and mental health issues.

Alumbrera copper mine in Argentina is implementing a comprehensive Health in the Workplace Programme, involving the mine's medical service and an external nutritionist.