Workplace and our people | Occupational Health

We are committed to achieving our aim of eliminating work-related illnesses and injuries from our business, an integral part of Xstrata’s Group-wide HSEC policy. We also work to protect and positively enhance the health of employees and contractors at our operations through holistic ‘wellbeing’, stop smoking, cholesterol, diabetes and weight management programmes, counselling, stress management and substance abuse support programmes. Finally, we work with communities associated with our operations and other stakeholders to support community health initiatives and programmes. Our standards ensure all operations comply with ILO conventions on health and safety.

Our commitments and framework

Every operation is required to maintain an appropriate occupational health management system and plan, including the identification of health hazards, assessment of exposure with reference to internationally recognised monitoring standards, controls to eliminate or minimise exposure to hazards and provision of effective protective equipment. Health and safety systems and performance are regularly and independently audited through the Xstrata HSEC Assurance Programme, to measure performance against the expectations set out in Xstrata’s HSEC Management Standard 9: Health and Occupational Hygiene.

Key Challenges

Our key workplace health issues and the primary causes of new occupational illnesses are noise-induced hearing loss, from working with or near noisy vehicles and industrial machinery, which accounts for over half of the new occupational illnesses reported in 2006. Musculo-skeletal injuries and respiratory diseases related to occupational asthma from dust and sensitisation to vanadium are the next most common cause of new illnesses. Typically, these illnesses are chronic but reversible. Other occupational health risks at Xstrata’s operations include exposure to lead, hexavalent chromium, beryllium and nickel, heat stress and fatigue.

The most pressing health challenge facing the Group is the prevalence and impact of HIV and AIDS on our workforce and in local communities, in particular in South Africa. Other higher risk areas for HIV and AIDS in which Xstrata operates include the Dominican Republic and Tanzania.

Noise-induced hearing loss

The elimination of noise-induced hearing loss is a key priority for all operations. We mitigate this risk first by monitoring employees’ exposure and hearing and by reducing noise at the source wherever possible to levels below recommended international standards. Hearing conservation programmes, monitoring and training are in place across managed operations and suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) is required wherever noise levels may exceed acceptable levels. ‘Buy quiet’ programmes have been implemented for new and upgraded machinery, with specific criteria to limit industrial noise. We also implement design modifications, soundproofing and exclusion zones where possible to isolate employees from sources of noise. Underground mining operations present a particular risk, as noise is contained in confined spaces. Sound mapping and regular risk assessments are undertaken to progressively improve protection from noise in the workplace.

Noise-induced hearing loss typically manifests over time. As a result, the majority of noise-induced hearing loss cases reported in 2006 were from long-standing employees of older mines. Noise mitigation strategies in place at these operations in recent years are expected to result in a decline in the number of new cases of noise-induced hearing loss reported in future years.

*Excluding acquired operations
**Including acquired operations

Musculo-skeletal conditions

The incidence of degenerative musculo-skeletal injuries is often elevated amongst workforces with a higher average age in long-standing operations, where historic working practices and inferior ergonomic design may have caused historical problems that deteriorate with age. The majority of new cases in 2006 were reported at former Falconbridge operations in Canada, with further cases at Xstrata Coal, Australia and one case at a Spanish zinc operation. Measures implemented at every managed operation to eliminate musculo-skeletal conditions include risk and functional assessments, developing engineering solutions wherever possible to minimise or eliminate manual handling, job rotation and positive encouragement to improve employees’ general fitness and ongoing improvements to ergonomic design and working practices. Xstrata’s Australian operations also support academic research into degenerative musculo-skeletal conditions and manual handling risks.

Vanadium

The principal cause of new respiratory illnesses reported in 2006 was from sensitisation to vanadium. Xstrata operates one fully integrated vanadium operation, Rhovan, in South Africa. A small percentage of the population is susceptible to developing occupational asthma from prolonged exposure to vanadium pentoxide dust. All potential employees and contractors are screened to determine any general sensitivity before employment. Biological and air monitoring is undertaken at the operation, with high-risk employees tested every two or three months to identify elevated vanadium levels in urine. Rhovan has implemented a number of wide-ranging initiatives to improve air quality and prevent respiratory problems in the workplace. In 2006, these included:

• the implementation of a major hazard management plan, to enhance existing controls to prevent occupational and environmental exposure to vanadium pentoxide, and improve training about the risks and prevention of exposure;
• a dust suppression system was implemented at the slimes dam;
• industrial cleaning of roads in and around the plant area was enhanced; and
• additional full-time occupational health and environmental specialists were employed at the site to drive further improvements.

These programmes resulted in average vanadium levels in the workplace declining by a further 37% compared to 2005 (from 0.019mg to 0.012mg of vanadium pentoxide per m3). This represents a decrease of over 60% from 2004 levels.

Lead

Process Operator Damien Flack at Northfleet lead refinery, UK

Xstrata Zinc operates zinc-lead mines at McArthur River Mine (MRM) and Mount Isa Mines in Australia, a lead concentrator at MRM, a lead smelter and concentrator at Mount Isa and a lead refinery in the UK. Following the acquisition of Falconbridge, Xstrata also manages the Brunswick zinc-lead mine and lead smelter in New Brunswick, Canada. Exposure to lead has a long history of adverse health effects.

Comprehensive biological and workplace monitoring programmes are in place at these operations for all potentially exposed employees and are conducted in accordance with international occupational hygiene monitoring standards. This includes blood lead testing of employees, preventative work practices, education, and the use of various technologies and equipment to reduce emissions and exposure to lead. For example:

• strict clean in/clean out policy for all employees and visitors on site;
• the compulsory wearing of respirators in certain areas;
• hygiene programmes including dye-testing to ensure hands are being cleaned correctly;
• all employees and contractors participate in blood lead monitoring programmes as a condition of employment;
• internal procedures, employee committees, educational materials and training are in place to reduce lead exposure progressively; and
• venipuncture (needle drawn blood) is used to take samples, however an alternative method of capillary sampling is being studied at Mount Isa Mines.

Employees with blood lead concentration of 40 micrograms per decilitre (40µg/dL) or greater are removed from the workplace until concentrations are below 30µg/dL. At Northfleet (UK) and Brunswick smelter (Canada) the removal limit has been reduced to 35µg/dL. In the Mount Isa lead smelter (Australia) the removal limit is 45µg/dL or three consecutive results of 40µg/dL or greater. These levels are within the Australian National Standard for the Control of Inorganic Lead at Work (NOHSC:1012), the Australian National Code of Practice for the Control of Safe Use of Inorganic Lead at Work (NOHSC:2015) and the UK Control of Lead at Work regulations.

Lead-in-air monitoring is also carried out to determine respirable lead levels in local communities and at site boundaries. At Mount Isa, where the local community lives in close proximity to Xstrata’s operations, free community blood lead monitoring programmes have been in place for several years (see case study: Community Blood Lead at Mount Isa).

The blood lead removal limit has been progressively reduced at Northfleet to 35µg/dL with further reductions to 30µg/dL targeted for 2007.

Average blood lead levels for Xstrata Zinc’s lead operations are shown in the graph on this page.

Beryllium

Beryllium is a metal used in some copper, aluminum and magnesium alloys. Metal-bearing recyclable products that may contain low levels of beryllium are received at recycling operations in Canada and the US, formerly part of Falconbridge, specifically at Horne Smelter, Kidd Metallurgical, CCR and some Noranda Recycling sites and, several years ago, at the now decommissioned Gaspé Smelter. According to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration, approximately 1-15% of people occupationally exposed to beryllium in air become sensitised (allergic) to beryllium and may subsequently develop chronic beryllium disease. Recognising that beryllium can cause serious health effects in employees even at low exposure levels, the former Falconbridge sites implemented a comprehensive beryllium disease prevention programme. The programme includes ongoing medical screening and the introduction of engineering controls to reduce exposures to beryllium well below regulatory standards. No new cases of beryllium sensitisation were reported in 2006.

Diabetes community testing funded by Mount Isa Mines, Australia

Laboratory technician at Altonorte copper smelter, Chile

Hexavalent chromium

During the production process for ferrochrome, very low concentrations of hexavalent chromium, a known carcinogen, may be produced under certain circumstances. Xstrata Alloys operates ferrochrome smelters at five locations and has funded research to improve the accuracy of sampling for this unstable compound. In 2006 the University of Witwatersrand completed the first phase of its research, identifying the most accurate method for sampling. In 2007 this method will be refined and tested for implementation. Non-invasive biological monitoring for hexavalent chromium is undertaken for all exposed employees. In 2006, one employee tested with elevated chrome levels.

Nickel

Some research suggests that soluble nickel may act as a carcinogen in humans, and the cancer risk is significantly increased when combined with smoking. Since the Hybinette Process was discontinued in 1981, exposure levels at the Nikkelverk refinery in Norway have dramatically reduced, with average levels well below 50µg/m3 (below OHSAS international standards). Where the risk of higher exposure levels exists, respiratory protection is mandatory. Nikkelverk runs early detection monitoring for cancer and has adopted a policy of not hiring smokers.

Malaria

The Kabanga nickel project in Tanzania is located in a malarial region. The project introduced an anti-malarial education and site control programme in 2006. Initial results suggest a reduction in the frequency of site malaria cases. We are investigating an expansion of the programme into the local community to complement the workplace programme and help to make sustainable reductions to the incidence of malaria amongst employees, their families and community members.

Sinking the mineshafts at the Nickel Rim South project in Sudbury, Canada