Our approach

Our Health Impacts Standard sets minimum acceptable standards for workplace conditions at all operations. This includes standards on noise levels and airborne contaminants. We have defined ‘action levels’ for airborne contaminants that are generally one-third of our company standard.

The department manager is advised when workplace monitoring yields airborne contaminants at a level higher than the action level. Site general managers are advised of tests at their sites that exceed company standards. Our executive management team is advised of all tests that exceed company standards and the actions being taken to bring conditions back into conformance with those standards. We advise our employees, in writing, of their workplace monitoring results.

At all our operations we require personal protective equipment to be used where we believe that workplace conditions may exceed company standards. Hearing protection is mandatory in high-noise areas and respiratory protection devices, as per Australian Standards, are used to protect against airborne contaminants. Accordingly, a workplace test that exceeds our exposure standards does not necessarily mean that a member of our workforce was exposed if appropriate personal protective equipment was worn.

• Read about the 2004 Workplace Monitoring incidents program progress and performance.