QFO has seen an ongoing reduction in safety incidents. Whilst there were no lost time injuries recorded during 2004, there was a slight increase in Medical Treatment Injuries (6 MTIs in 2003 compared to 10 MTIs in 2004), and a slightly reduced number of overall minor injuries for the year. The All Injury Frequency Rate (AIFR) which includes all types of injuries occurring on site decreased from 89 in 2003 to 77.3 in 2004.

Definitions
LTIFR	Lost-time injury frequency rate - the number of lost-time injuries per million hours worked.
MTIFR	Medically-treated injury frequency rate - the number of medically-treated injuries per million hours worked.

Across WMC there has been a focus on serious potential injuries. At QFO, eight incidents were recorded as serious potential incidents. This is an increase of 2 compared to the previous year.

Safety Management

Quarterly reviews of all lost time injuries, medical treatment injuries and serious potential incidents are undertaken by the QFO safety team in consultation with the areas involved, to ensure actions implemented are effective and sustainable so as to prevent a recurrence. After investigations, actions are set against all incidents to ensure preventative measures are put in place. It is the role of safety advisors to monitor the progress of these actions and where possible, assist in their implementation.

Specific work groups, comprising of QFO Staff and contractors from across the operation, are used to manage safety improvements. There are groups focused on ‘Working at Heights’, ‘Permit to Work’ and ‘Working in Confined Space’. These groups meet every two months to monitor the progress of change, in relation to revised legislation and company requirements. The work groups are also involved in investigations of incidents relating to the work group areas.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Implementation Program

In 2004, the Queensland Fertilizer Operations Environment, Health and Safety committee, in conjunction with our provider of safety equipment, completed a review of all personal safety equipment. It was a great opportunity to provide feedback on functionality and have input into design. As a result, we have been able to improve the quality of the equipment we use and standardise the type of equipment we use across the site.

Lightning Tracker System

Tropical North Queensland is an area of high lightning strikes, and lightning is considered to be a considerable safety risk at our operation. To assist us to manage this risk, we have installed an electronic ‘Lightning Tracker System’. The early warning system tracks strikes in the area, enabling us to implement appropriate precautions. For example, all cranes are shut down when lightning strikes within 80 km of the site and a site wide alert is communicated when strikes are detected within 20 km of the site. In 2004 the system was updated to provide more accurate monitoring.

Safety Committees

An Environment, Health and Safety (EH&S) Committee, consisting of 25 people from across the operations, is a key initiative to assist us in managing safety. The committee meets every two months and their main focus is to address EH&S concerns and identify and implement improvement across operations.

Committee findings are submitted directly through to the management team. All members of the committee have a standard level of training under the Queensland mining and quarrying legislation which includes subject matter regarding inspections, investigations and reporting.

This committee also assists in running a quarterly EH&S day out. Held across different shifts, the program has been established to enable staff to take a break from day-to-day roles to concentrate on EH&S issues. Both external visitors and internal staff conduct presentations at these sessions.

Crisis and Emergency Preparedness

Queensland Fertilizer Operations has an Emergency Management Plan outlining a three-tiered management structure, involving Emergency Response Teams and an Emergency Management Team at site and a Crisis Management Team that involves the Corporate office.

The Emergency Management Team provides technical, logistical and services support to the Emergency Response Teams. There are four full time emergency response personnel based at QFO, two fire and rescue offices and two paramedics. This team is supplemented by 40 volunteers, all with emergency response skills. All these volunteers participate in an annual training program. There are also 13 staff, from across the site, trained in occupational first aid.

Two crisis and emergency response exercises are held annually across the QFO. At the end of each year, a major physical exercise is held and the learnings from this exercise are then demonstrated in a desktop exercise at the beginning of the following year.

The major physical exercise in 2003 included participation from emergency response units from the surrounding region and emergency response teams from neighbouring mining operations. In 2004, as a result of this exercise, crisis management material was amended and extra emergency response equipment was purchased. An important benefit of this activity was the reinforcement of relationships with regional groups.

• Previous: Introduction
• Next: Health Programs