Luzenac 20-pages - Rio Tinto

Implementing fair and safe
employee practices
Our employees are our most valuable resource. Their talents,
competencies and commitment are competitive advantages that
drive our mission as a market-focused, values-based, global talc
supplier of choice.
In 2003, we continued focusing efforts on safety, with the
introduction of the SAFER programme in all our operations.
Safety is, and always will be, our priority.
Safety remains our number one priority
In our 2002 edition, we reported the death of an Australian
colleague in a traffic accident, killed whilst driving on a public
road during a technical visit to the US. The risk of a road accident
is a constant one for most of us and in February 2003 an Austrian
colleague was killed in her car on the morning commute to the
office. The definitions are such that this was not classified as a
work-related accident; however, we treated it in a very similar way.
We want all our people to be safe, on or off the job. Part of our
response was to offer safe driver training to all employees who do
significant driving as part of their job. Safety kits (comprising a
hammer, seat belt cutter, fluorescent vest, etc.) were approved and
offered at reduced prices to all employees. As we make our mines
and plants safer, the dangers of driving stand out more.
We also initiated a training programme for employees who carry
out work on customers’ premises such as installing and operating
talc slurry units for the paper industry. They now have the same
level of protection and training as those working in our mines and
plants.
We missed our 2003 headline Key Performance Indicator LTIR
(Lost Time Injury Rate) objective.The target was 0.65 but the result
was a hugely disappointing 1.39. There was good news along with
the bad, however. The All Injury Rate (AIR: LTIs plus medical
treatment cases with no lost time) was down to 1.6 from 1.9
the previous year. Luzenac Europe met its AIR of 1.2. Only three
incidents involved contractors and we had no accidents with
electricity. Muscle strains, caused by incorrect lifting and pulling,
accounted for 11 out of 21 LTIs. Without these our target would
have been met.
However, we are not interested in juggling with statistics.
Our only concern is the safety of individuals, and in 2003
we are delighted to report that nobody was seriously hurt.
One of the most frustrating aspects of our safety record is
that 80% of our accidents were clearly the result of unsafe
behaviour on the job. To heighten awareness of this and in
a bid to establish a culture in which employees take full
responsibility for their own and their colleagues’ safety, our
operations worldwide strengthened their pre-task risk
assessment programmes in 2003.
Based on a standardised pre-task process known as
“SAFER” (Stop And First Evaluate Risk), the programme
encourages employees to stop, analyse the task, actively
search for hazards and then apply controls to reduce or
eliminate hazards prior to beginning work.
Some of our operations have been using the
pre-task risk assessment programme for several
months now and the process is proving to be
very effective in reducing our injury frequency
and severity rates. Additional benefits include
improvements in efficiency, quality, job planning
and, ultimately, time-savings.
For 2004, we have kept the same LTIR target of
0.65 and will continue focusing on behaviour.
We have hired DuPont Safety Resources to
advise us how we can improve our internal
communications and working habits. We have
also enlisted the help of our Human Resources
department to make sure we have the right set of
incentives and sanctions in place.
We are determined as ever to have a company
where everyone can come to work and not get
hurt, year after year. ¬
Luzenac Group Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate
(employees and contractors combined)
talc for the world 7
employees