Luzenac 20-pages - Rio Tinto

Luzenac tests Crisis Management plans
In 2003, we continued to hone our Crisis Management plans at all
our operations, several of which organised full-blown mock-ups
during the year.
Luzenac Australia conducted a full-scale crisis simulation at its
mine site last December. The scenario involved a vehicle collision
on the main site access road between a group of visitors and
the company bus carrying site personnel home.Victims were made
up professionally to provide a sense of reality. The simulation
included two fatalities and varying severity of injuries, which
the Emergency Response Team dealt with in a very professional
manner. A mock media contingent arrived at site during the
exercise as well as an indigenous group who were checking sacred
sites in the area.
The Local Crisis Management and Recovery teams and the
Emergency Response Team learned a great deal from the
experience and proved that the site was ready to face a real crisis.
A mock media conference was held at the conclusion of the
exercise, which demonstrated just how sensitive it can be to
handle the media in a public forum.
HR principles and values for all
In 2003, we set up a Human Resources working group, with
representatives from America, Australia and Europe, to work on
a set of HR employee principles and values that support our
commitment to sustainable development.
• During September and October 2003,
Luzenac’s Italian operation, Luzenac Val
Chisone (LVC), played host to 600 doctors from
INAIL, the Italian industrial accident insurance
organisation. The visit included a tour to the
Paola mine museum, which traces the history
of mining in the area, and a chance to study
our Rodoretto underground mine, which works
to the highest safety standards.
• INAIL organises a number of activities aimed
at monitoring trends in employment and
occupational injuries with a view to
promoting safer, healthier work environments.
These initiatives include providing small and
medium-sized companies with training and
advice on safe practices and subsidising
investments that contribute to improving
safety.
The aim of the exercise was threefold: to provide a common
framework across the Luzenac organisation for current and
developing employment policies; to underline what is
important to us during our working life within the group;
and to set common standards in HR management for all
our employees groupwide.
Among the principles and values endorsed by the working
group and tested at different levels in our international
business:
¬ Individual, open, two way communication
¬ A safe working environment
¬ Competitive and equitable compensation and
benefits
¬ Competency-based recruitment and selection
that embraces equal opportunity and diversity
¬ Clear performance criteria linking individual
and company goals
¬ A personal and professional development
environment to enhance skills through
training, career management and mobility
¬ High ethical standards and accountability.
These principles and values provide the yardstick against
which practices in all our operations shall henceforth be
measured. They will be disseminated and explained to all
employees groupwide during 2004.
Through such principles and values, human resources
management aims to strengthen employee commitment
and motivation. Once implemented throughout the Group,
they will enhance business value for us all. ¬
INAIL visits LCV
• The visit to LVC was part of a refresher
course for INAIL staff on occupational disease
and injury, organised at national level with
the help of our company doctor Maurizio
Coggiola. Luzenac Val Chisone was only too
pleased to share its knowledge and experience
with the guests and to prove that an
underground mine can work to the most
stringent safety standards.
In 2003, we took the difficult decision to
close our West Windsor processing plant in
Vermont, USA. Some of the employees from
Windsor have transferred to our dry
milling plant at Ludlow and Argonaut
mine. For those leaving the company,
equitable financial packages were tendered
along with outplacement and training
assistance.
2004 targets
talc for the world 9
> Conduct Crisis Management
simulations in all three regions:
Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.
> An LTIR of 0.65.
employees
> Fully implement the SAFER pre-task
risk assessment across the Group
> Provide Compliance Assurance
training for all relevant employees
> Launch Total Quality Management
programme worldwide
> Communicate Employment Principles
and Values across the Group