Leighton Contractors' Mining Operations Safety, Health ...

04 

05 

SUSTAIN 

Leighton Contractors’ Mining Operations 

Safety, Health, Environment and Community Report 2004/05

SUSTAIN 

04/05 

SCOPE OF 

THIS REPORT 

This sustainability report 

documents the safety, health, 

environment and community 

performance of Leighton 

Contractors Pty Limited 

(ABN 098 000 893 667) in its 

contract mining projects for the 

financial year 2004-2005. 

Leighton Contractors is one of the leading construction and contract 

mining organisations in Australia and New Zealand, and it also has 

significant interests in process engineering, telecommunications and 

related industries. 

Leighton Contractors, an operating division of the publicly listed 

Leighton Holdings Limited, was established more than 50 years ago 

and, over many years, has developed a strong reputation for the quality 

and value of its work, and as a good corporate citizen. 

Leighton Contractors has previously 

released reports on its environmental 

performance in its mining activities. 

Sustain 2004-2005 is the first report 

documenting Leighton Contractors’ 

activities across the broader disciplines 

of safety, health, environment and 

community performance in the mining 

sector during a financial year. 

The Construction and Mining Division 

operates large-scale contracts for clients 

at five principal open-cut locations in 

Australia – Moorvale and Peak Downs 

in Queensland (both of them being coal 

mines) and St Ives (two gold mining 

sites) and Yarrie-Nimingarra (iron ore) 

in Western Australia. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

Policy 04 

Integrated management system 04 

Compliance 05 

Our people 06 

Safety and health 10 

The environment 16 

The community 

0 

Portrait of a mining contract 

 

Leighton Contractors

Every year, the term ‘sustainable development’ seems 

to have broader and increasing numbers of definitions. 

In 1987, it was defined by the United Nation’s World 

Commission on Environment and Development (the 

Brundtland Commission) as “development that meets the 

needs of the present without compromising the ability of 

future generations to meet their own needs”. 

That definition is clear and direct, and forms the basis of 

Leighton Contractors’ approach to sustainable development. 

As one of Australia’s leading contract mining 

organisations and a member of the Minerals Council 

of Australia, Leighton Contractors also subscribes 

to the Council's definition that “investments in 

minerals should be: 

• financially profitable; 

• technically appropriate; 

• environmentally sound; and 

• socially responsible”. 

The Minerals Council adds that, at the foundation 

of the minerals industry’s commitment to 

sustainable development is the concept of 

a “social licence to operate”. 

As an organisation and as individuals, we at 

Leighton Contractors fully support these definitions 

and concepts. 

While benefiting from our activities today, it is 

our absolute duty to ensure that we hand on to 

future generations a world we have played our part 

improving, rather than one that has constantly 

been degraded. 

Mining is a vital sector of the economy. It is one of 

the platforms on which the prosperity of Australia 

is founded – one on which we will continue to rely 

for a great many years to come. Despite its critical 

importance to the nation, we must be mindful of 

the effect that it has on each region in which we 

conduct mining operations and on the people who 

live and work there now, and in the years ahead. 

A strong 

performance 

By Peter McMorrow, 

Managing Director, Leighton Contractors 

This, the first Leighton Contractors’ Safety, Health, 

Environment and Community Report, shows that 

we are conscious of the influences we have on 

people and places. As part of our commitment to 

sustainable development, we are measuring many 

of the parameters which indicate our performance 

in safety and health, our impact on the environment 

and on the community. 

As can be seen in this report, achievements at all 

levels have been quite substantial, both in safety 

and health where there have been no Class 1 

incidents (situations which permanently alter a 

person’s future) and in environment, where there 

have been no Level 1 incidents (which permanently 

alter the environment). 

Because of the way that Leighton Contractors has 

historically maintained its indicators – generally on 

a site-by-site basis and in modes conforming with 

various State or individual client requirements – 

at this time, it is not possible to provide consistent 

sets of figures across the nation for all activities. 

However, we have taken steps to rectify the 

situation and intend to provide a far more complete 

statistical picture in the future. 

Sustainability

POLICY 

In carrying out its safety, health, 

environment and community 

responsibilities, Leighton 

Contractors subscribes to and fully 

supports the following principles 

of the International Council on 

Mining and Minerals (ICMM): 

Integrated 

Management 

System 

Divisional 

Objectives and 

Targets 

Performance Criteria 

• Policies 

• Manuals 

• Procedures 

• Instructions 

• Mandatory forms 

• Template project 

plans 

• Guidance notes 

Principle 1 

Implement and maintain ethical 

business practices and sound 

systems of corporate governance. 

Principle 2 

Integrate sustainable development 

considerations within the corporate 

decision-making process. 

Principle 3 

Uphold fundamental human rights 

and respect cultures, customs and 

values in dealings with employees 

and others who are affected by 

our activities. 

Principle 4 

Implement risk management 

strategies based on valid data and 

sound science. 

Performance Criteria 

• Objectives 

• Targets 

• Key performance 

indicators 

Performance Evaluation 

• Monitoring 

• Audit 

• Incident reporting 

Project 

Business 

Plan 

Project 

Management 

Service 

Management 

Review 

Risk Management 

• Contractual 

requirements 

• Legislative 

requirements 

• Community 

requirements 

• Risk analysis 

• Risk response 

Strategies and Controls 

• Project specific 

documentation 

• Training 

Principle 5 

Seek continual improvement of our 

health and safety performance. 

Principle 6 

Seek continual improvement of our 

environmental performance. 

Principle 7 

Contribute to the conservation 

of biodiversity and integrated 

approaches to land use planning. 

Principle 8 

Facilitate and encourage 

responsible product design, use, 

re-use, recycling and disposal of 

our products. 

Principle 9 

Contribute to the social, economic 

and institutional development of 

the communities in which 

we operate. 

Principle 10 

Implement effective and 

transparent engagement, 

communication and independently 

verified reporting arrangements 

with our stakeholders. 

AN INTEGRATED 

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM 

An integrated management 

system, combining safety, health, 

environment and community, 

operates throughout Leighton 

Contractors’ operations. 

Based around risk management principles, 

project risks are identified, assessed and 

then treated through mitigation and/or 

controls. This ensures that we: 

• deliver what we are contracted to 

undertake; and 

• comply with legislation, regulations 

and site-specific licence requirements 

and conditions. 

Under the integrated management system, 

projects must undertake a variety of 

management tasks, including: 

• documented systems, operational activities 

and controls; 

• plan internal audits; 

• conduct internal audits; 

• provide representation at audit by clients 

or regulatory authorities; 

• undertake inspections, tests and 

monitoring activities; 

• manage relationships between all project 

stakeholders; 

• communicate with all project stakeholders; 

• compile internal and external reports 

relating to project performance including 

financial, program, safety, environmental, 

compliance, quality and personnel; 

• manage resources including personnel, 

mobile and fixed plant, installation 

of infrastructure including fuel farms, 

workshops, haul roads, crushing and train 

load-out facilities; and 

• monitor production rates and product 

quality. 


COMPLIANCE 

Management Reporting 

Leighton Contractors has a thorough management reporting program in place which requires 

the Construction and Mining Division to report on the safety, health and environmental 

performance every quarter. The reports are presented to both Leighton Contractors’ Board 

of Management and Leighton Holdings’ Ethics and Compliance Committee. 

Safety, Health and Environmental Auditing 

Leighton Contractors is certified to: 

• ISO 9001 – Quality Management Systems; 

• ISO 14001 – Environmental Management Systems; 

• AS/NZS 4801 – Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems. 

The organisation’s rigorous auditing program includes internal, client and third-party 

certification audits. These audits, which are conducted at regular intervals, cover safety, 

health, environment and quality. 

A total of 36 integrated audits were completed during 2004-05. No ‘Non Conformance 

Reports’ were raised during this period. 

Legal Compliance Review 

In June 2005, external risk management consultants commenced a review of compliance with 

safety and health legislation throughout Leighton Contractors. All of the mining projects reviewed 

were substantially compliant with jurisdictional Occupational Health and Safety legislation. 

Action plans have been developed to address any areas of non-compliance which were 

discovered, and they are scheduled to be closed out by June 2006. 

Water trucks are used to keep dust 

levels to a minimum. 

Safety is a high priority on all mine sites. 

Sustainability


OUR PEOPLE 

Employee Engagement 

One of the major sustainability 

challenges facing Leighton 

Contractors’ mining operations 

is the shortage of skilled 

people. Retaining them presents 

another challenge. 

Younger people who may have thought of the 

resources industry as a career a decade or 

so ago, now tend to seek more ‘glamorous’ 

careers with easier hours and less distant 

locations. Remote locations and an 

increasingly competitive employment market 

exacerbates this problem. 

In Queensland, Leighton Contractors 

has a structured program to address the 

problem. Supported by the dramatic 

changes that have taken place in mine 

working conditions and attitudes in recent 

years, Leighton Contractors in Queensland 

markets its training and apprenticeship 

opportunities to young people in the 

communities near to its mines. 

Presenting itself as an employer of choice, 

the organisation is developing a set of 

initiatives designed to attract young people 

into the industry – and retain them. 

Nationally, Leighton Contractors has the 

advantage of having a very strong brand and 

a good reputation in terms of safety and 

environmental management. 

• has a graduate engineer program and 

is considering creating a graduate 

OH&S program and a graduate mine 

surveyor program; 

• is now training civil engineers in mining 

operations to overcome the current 

shortage of mining engineers; 

• over a long period of time, has 

implemented nationally-recognised training 

programs for drivers, operators and plant 

maintenance personnel to minimise the 

impact of any skill shortage within the 

mining industry; and 

• is undertaking a review of its skills strategy 

and looking to significantly increase 

the number of apprentices it has in its 

mining business. 

Other formal training and development 

programs will lift the skills of personnel 

already employed by Leighton Contractors. 

Apart from plant training programs, there 

is training to improve the qualifications 

of personnel who show potential to 

become mine supervisors, superintendents 

and project managers. This is regarded as an 

essential investment for Leighton Contractors’ 

growth and future ongoing success. 

To achieve its aims in the mining industry, 

Leighton Contractors: 

• recognises that it has to inspire people 

and build confidence in them that they 

can build an exciting and rewarding 

career with the organisation. Certainly, 

within Leighton Contractors, they will 

receive excellent training and be suited 

for employment anywhere in the mining 

industry worldwide; 

Sustainability

Anti-discrimination and 

Equal Opportunity 

Equal Opportunity and Antidiscrimination 

in the Workplace 

policies are an integral part of 

Leighton Contractors’ culture and 

management. Its Code of Ethics 

states that “... we will treat all 

persons with dignity and not 

discriminate on the basis of age, 

sex, race, religion, political opinion 

or other personal characteristics”. 

• For the year 2004/2005, Leighton 

Contractors was declared to be compliant 

with the Equal Opportunity for Women in 

the Workplace Act 1999. 

On 29 June 2005, Leighton Contractors 

was commended by the Equal Opportunity 

for Women in the Workplace Agency 

(EOWA) “... for its high level of workplace 

analysis and the actions taken in the areas 

of flexible working hours, RTO supported 

training, work/life balance, EEO awareness, 

especially concerning anti-discrimination 

and sex-based harassment”. 

• There is no discrimination when it comes 

to employment and to promotion. Both 

depend on a person’s ability and suitability 

to undertake the work envisaged. 

During 2004-2005, no grievances over 

discrimination of any type were lodged by 

any employee or subcontractor in Australia. 

If any grievance were to have been made at 

a mine site, the complaint would initially 

be dealt with by the project’s management. 

If unresolved, it would then immediately be 

passed for resolution to the highest level of 

HR management in the relevant State. 

Policies are published on the Leighton 

Contractors’ intranet to assist and guide 

employees on sexual harassment or 

discrimination issues. There were no 

formal complaints relating to gender-based 

harassment or discrimination during the 

recently completed EOWA reporting period. 

Indigenous employment 

Leighton Contractors has a 

Memorandum of Understanding 

with the Department of 

Employment and Workplace 

Relations for the advancement of 

indigenous personnel within the 

company. This operates Australiawide. 

Indigenous people are 

trained and employed on Leighton 

Contractors’ mining projects, 

wherever possible. 

Leighton Contractors is committed to the 

employment of indigenous Australians and, 

where possible, develops and implements 

programs in conjunction with local 

indigenous groups to enhance employment 

opportunities. 

A good example of this is the association 

that Leighton Contractors has with the 

Bloodwood Association (named after a local 

tree) to provide the Yarrie-Nimingarra mining 

project with indigenous labour. Bloodwood, 

a Port Hedland-based community group, 

is assisting Leighton Contractors with 

its employment processes. The level of 

employment of indigenous personnel at this 

site is a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) 

in Leighton Contractors’ agreement with its 

client and subject to monthly reporting. 


EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE 

program 

It is acknowledged that the remoteness and 

the periods of separation of mining personnel 

from their families may place additional 

strains on people in the mining industry. 

Leighton Contractors provides a free, confidential and 

voluntary counselling service for all of its employees and 

their immediate families; using an external professional 

counselling service. This service provides short-term 

counselling aimed at resolving personal and work-related 

issues which may affect employees’ work performance or 

their quality of life. 

Sustainability

SAFETY AND HEALTH 

Safety and health are interrelated in the mining industry. Creating and maintaining a safe working environment is 

a cornerstone of Leighton Contractors’ operations throughout Australia. The organisation’s safety and health policy 

makes a commitment to eliminating workplace injuries and illness, and to providing a safe and healthy working 

environment for employees, contractors and the public. 

Leighton Contractors' vision for safety and health is 'injury-free workplaces drive our business'. 

To achieve this vision, Leighton Contractors’ 

objectives are to: 

• have a supportive safety and health culture 

where visible and accountable leadership 

is paramount; 

• ensure that every person goes home from 

work as healthy as they arrived; 

• ensure that our approach to all safety and 

health matters across the business 

is consistent; 

• ensure that contractor safety and 

health is made as important as that 

of our employees; 

• promote a culture where personal 

responsibility for safety and health 

behaviour is required; 

• establish annual safety and health targets 

and objectives to support the achievement 

of zero injury and illness; 

• develop leaders’ capabilities to positively 

impact the safety and health behaviours of 

employees and subcontractors; 

• promote a culture of safety and 

health excellence through improved 

communication, consultation, continuous 

improvement, openness and ownership; 

• implement a simple safety and health 

risk management system that enables 

knowledge, legal compliance, third 

party certification requirements and the 

identification of incident trends and root 

causes; and 

• provide rehabilitation support services to 

employees in the event of a work-related 

incident or illness. 

Leighton Contractors’ Workers Compensation 

premiums, which are well below industry 

averages, directly reflect its exceptionally 

strong employee safety record. This is 

enhanced by the organisation’s integrated 

management system which focuses on the 

training of personnel, ensuring personnel are 

competent and encouraging consultation at 

all levels in the workplace. 

10 Leighton Contractors

Objectives and targets 

Incident Classifications 

Class 1: Injury, which permanently 

alters a person’s future (eg. 

fatality, quadriplegia, paraplegia, 

amputation, severe back injuries, 

disfigurement, psychological 

disturbance). 

Class 2: Injury, which temporarily 

alters a person’s future 

(eg. lost time injury). 

Class 3: Injury, which temporarily 

inconveniences a person 

(eg. first aid, medical 

treatment). 

Safety and health Key Objectives 

actual results 

Zero fatalities or Class 1 incidents 

Zero fatalities or Class 1 incidents 

20% reduction in lost time Injuries Zero lost time injuries 

Average lost time rate < 5 

Maintain Certification to AS/NZ 4801 

Zero average lost time rate 

Certification maintained 

Sustainability 11


Health Surveillance 

There are different statutory requirements 

in each of the States in which Leighton 

Contractors operates. 

Every Leighton Contractors’ employee 

and subcontractors’ employee in Western 

Australia must undergo a health assessment 

before commencing work on a Leighton 

Contractors’ worksite. 

In Queensland, an employee must undergo 

a Queensland Coal Industry medical and 

hold a current five-year certificate issued 

by a doctor who has been authorised to 

do so. However, although the certificate 

has a currency of five years, if they deem 

necessary, the project’s management can 

order a new medical examination to be 

undertaken at any time. 

These certificates both ensure the initial 

fitness of the employee to work in the 

demanding environment of a mine and 

also acts as a benchmark for any potential 

medical problems that may arise during or 

following the employment period. 

Induction 

For their own safety and for the safety 

of others, all employees (including 

subcontractors’ employees) and visitors 

to a Leighton Contractors' mine site must 

undergo induction to the extent required for 

their work or their presence at the site. The 

form and the duration of these inductions 

depend on the various State regulations, on 

client requirements and on the policies and 

procedures of Leighton Contractors. 

Generally an employee induction program 

lasts close to one week. For Queensland coal 

mines it comprises; 

• a generic coal industry induction lasting 

two days. No one is allowed to work on a 

coal mine in the State unless they have 

been through this induction; 

• the client’s own induction requirements. 

For BMA Coal, it lasts one full day; and 

• Leighton Contractors’ on-site induction. 

For personnel who are new to a mine 

site, this lasts one day. For experienced 

personnel, the induction lasts about 

six hours. 

Employees engaged to operate any type of 

machinery at a coalfield must have or must 

obtain a Certificate of Proficiency. This 

certificate is issued after the employee has 

completed the relevant and required training 

and assessment packages. Experienced 

operators may produce a current certificate 

for the specific equipment to be operated 

but they are then given a ‘challenge test’ (a 

static test of knowledge) to verify the claimed 

competency. A competency test is even given 

to experienced employees moving from one 

Leighton Contractors’ coal mining site to 

another; because the individual’s competency 

must be established for each client and to 

comply with the relevant legislation. 

A similar situation exists in Western 

Australia where, under State mining 

regulations, new operators on Leighton 

Contractors’ mining contracts in the State 

must prove their competency on the 

machines they will use. Trainee operators are 

under tuition for a period of two weeks, then 

they operate under constant assessment by 

competent staff for a further period of three 

months. Every operator who moves from one 

type of equipment to another is retrained 

and then re-assessed for competency. 

safety awareness 

Before the start of every shift, all operators 

working on that shift gather for a prestart 

meeting at which supervisors discuss 

with them previous incidents, safety and 

environmental matters and operational 

procedures. On a fortnightly basis, toolbox 

talks are held with the operators at which 

safety, environmental and operational issues 

are discussed. Additionally, to make the 

workforce even more aware of safety issues, 

there is continual training on safety topics. 

Safety and health committees (comprising 

employees from all levels of the business) are 

established to assist in promoting site safety. 

DRUGS AND ALCOHOL 

Because of its concern for the safety of all 

employees, Leighton Contractors has a firm 

policy on alcohol, illicit drugs and smoking. 

As a condition of employment, employees 

acknowledge that they may be required to 

undergo tests to determine alcohol or 

drug abuse at any time during their terms 

of employment. 

Copies of the policy are handed to all 

employees on engagement and must be 

signed by them at that time. The policy is 

also clearly communicated to all employees 

during their site induction programs. 

There is ‘zero tolerance’ for alcohol and 

illicit drugs at all Leighton Contractors 

mining workplaces. 

Employees who suffer from illicit drug or 

alcohol dependency or who abuse such 

substances can, where appropriate, obtain 

assistance through the organisation. 

All mining crew members attend briefings 

before the start of every shift. 

Sustainability 13

INJURY MANAGEMENT 

The key objectives of Leighton 

Contractors’ Safety and Health 

Policy are to create a safe and 

healthy working environment, 

and to strive towards eliminating 

personal injury. However, if 

personal injury occurs, the 

organisation concentrates on 

managing the injury and the 

rehabilitation process. 

Leighton Contractors has developed and 

implemented an injury management policy 

which states that successful outcomes would 

be demonstrated by: 

• proper reporting, recording and treatment 

of all personal injury; 

• prompt commencement of the 

rehabilitation process, where appropriate; 

• progressive reduction in the time lost due 

to personal injury; and 

• compliance with the States’ legislation 

and regulations. 

Each State has developed its own 

specific personal injury management and 

rehabilitation policy in order to properly 

address the State legislation applicable to 

their areas of operation. 

The policy on injury management is to return 

the injured employee back to work as soon 

as possible. Every person who suffers an 

injury is assessed by a doctor for fitness to 

undertake duties in the future – either in his 

or her normal employment or in an alternate 

role. Alternate duties are defined for every 

mining position. 


THE 'LEIGHTON SAFE' PROGRAM 

Furthering its policy of creating 

and maintaining a safe and healthy 

working environment, during 

2004-2005 Leighton Contractors 

launched ‘leighton safe’; a totallynew 

company-wide program. 

One initiative of this ongoing program, 

the ‘leighton safe’ Awards, was launched 

in June. These awards acknowledge the 

achievements of teams, projects and 

individuals within Leighton Contractors 

who, through their own initiatives, have 

made a significant contribution to safety, 

health and the environment. The Awards are 

also open to participation by the Leighton 

Contractors’ subcontractors. 

Another initiative is the ‘leighton safe’ 

Essentials program; launched nationally in 

June. This multi-faceted program targets 

activities that present the greatest risk of 

injury to employees at work, namely: 

• eye injuries; 

• falls; 

• mobile plant and equipment; 

• electrical hazards; and 

• manual handling. 

Introducing the eye safety awareness 

program, managing director Peter McMorrow 

said that eye injuries could be eliminated 

from all sites through proper workplace 

design, effective engineering controls, 

documented safe work methods and the use 

of suitable eye protection. 

As a result, wearing eye protection 

complying with AS/NZS 1337 and AS/NZS 

1336 is now compulsory on all Leighton 

Contractors’ worksites – although the mining 

worksites have had mandatory eyewear 

policies for well over a decade. 

Additionally, in order to achieve the 

objectives of the eye protection policy, 

leaders in consultation with the workforce 

were instructed to “…strive to: 

• proactively identify hazards in the 

workplace with the potential to cause eye 

injury or damage; 

• progressively eliminate recognised eye 

injury hazards at their source; 

• develop effective controls to reduce the 

risk of eye injuries occurring; 

• provide all employees and visitors to site 

with appropriate safety eye wear; 

• ensure all employees and visitors are aware 

of the company’s mandatory eye protection 

requirements; 

• provide specific eye safety awareness 

training as appropriate; 

• enforce the site mandatory safety eye wear 

requirements; and 

• follow the policy guideline for mandatory 

eye wear. 

Programs to combat each of the other 

four key risk areas are being launched at 

quarterly intervals. 

Above right: A totally new form of 

communication has been developed to 

create awareness and inform employees 

about the Awards program. 

Right: Leighton Contractors' employees and 

their families are featured on posters which 

spread the safety messages. 

Sustainability 15

OUR ENVIRONMENT 

ENVIRONMENT POLICY 

Employees who join the 

organisation at any level are made 

aware of Leighton Contractors’ 

environment policy and are required 

to work actively towards achieving 

its objectives in their specific areas 

of responsibility. 

Leighton Contractors’ key objective is to 

“... balance economic, environmental and 

social responsibilities to minimise the 

environmental impact of our activities both 

on the projects where we work and on the 

surrounding communities”. 

Leighton Contractors is also focused on 

reducing waste, preventing pollution and 

minimising its use of natural resources 

and energy. 

To assist in achieving these environmental 

objectives, it “undertakes to: 

• strive to continually improve our 

environmental performance and implement 

formal environmental management systems 

which conform to recognised standards 

including ISO 14001; 

• comply with all relevant statutory 

obligations and codes of practice to which 

we subscribe; 

• assess project environmental risks and 

implement a risk management program; 

• report quarterly on our environmental 

performance and take remedial action 

where performance does not meet 

expectation; 

• communicate this policy to all personnel 

within the company and make this 

policy available to all interested parties 

upon request; 

• provide appropriate induction, education 

and training for all personnel relevant to 

their environmental responsibilities and 

statutory obligations; 

• encourage our suppliers and other 

interested parties to work with us to 

achieve the objectives of this policy; 

• encourage ethical environmental 

practice and behaviour both within the 

company and with those with whom we 

work, including respect for cultural and 

community values; and 

• periodically review this policy to ensure 

that it is both adequate and effective.” 

Emissions and energy programs 

During 2005/2006, Leighton Contractors’ 

Construction and Mining Division is joining 

the Australian Government’s Greenhouse 

Challenge Plus program, which will mandate 

certain emissions management procedures 

for large energy and resource projects. This 

program is expected to reduce Australia’s 

greenhouse gas emissions by more than 

15-million tonnes a year during the target 

period 2008-2012. 

Leighton Contractors will collect information 

on its greenhouse gas emissions and 

establish action plans and cost effective 

abatement strategies. Reporting against the 

scheme will commence in 2005/06. 

Leighton Contractors will also take part in 

the Australian Government’s new Energy 

Efficiencies Opportunities program, under 

which organisations will identify energy 

usage and improve energy efficiency. The 

regulations underpinning this program are 

expected to be enacted early in 2006. 


OBJECTIVES AND TARGETS 

As adopted in the Leighton Contractors’ Business Plan for 2004/05, the overall key objectives are no Level 1 

incidents with Levels 2 and 3 systematically reduced. Compliance with legislative requirements, maintenance 

of certifications and reduction of environmental impacts, as follows: 

Environmental Key Objectives 

No Level 1 incidents 

Compliance with Legislation, Regulations, Licences and/or Permits 

Maintain ISO 14001 Certification in all Branches 

Risk assessment implemented on all projects, including mitigation, 

strategies and impacts 

Maintain complaints register on all projects 

Project inductions to include awareness of environmental issues, 

risks and procedures 

Audits to be conducted on all sites 

All mining projects to implement the AMI Code 2000 for 

Environmental Management. 

related Targets 

1. All incidents recorded 

2. EIFR

ENVIRONMENTAL SNAPSHOT: ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING – MOORVALE, QUEENSLAND 

Month Oil recycled Fuel used Scrap metal Fuel delivered Batteries Oil filters Containers oily 

(Litres) (Litres) recycled (Litres) recycled disposed rags disposed 

(Tonnes) off site off site 

Jun 04 3,900 445,985 0 418,593 0 0 0 

Jul 04 0 558,985 0 559,002 33 3m 3 0 

Aug 04 13,400 562,590 14.58 572,002 0 1m 3 1m 3 

Sep 04 0 551,845 0 572,001 0 0 0 

Oct 04 8,300 720,944 0 624,002 0 2m 3 0 

Nov 04 11,000 718,863 0 780,001 0 0 0 

Dec 04 8,000 689,451 0 676,002 0 2m 3 1m 3 

Jan 05 8,000 722,829 0 624,000 25 2m 3 0 

Feb 05 0 727,554 0 797,357 0 0 0 

Mar 05 17,000 770,595 0 832,000 0 1m 3 1m 3 

Apr 05 9,100 958,079 0 884,002 0 1m 3 0 

May 05 12,000 780,001 0 754,277 0 2m 3 1m 3 

June 05 7,000 736,365 0 936,885 0 0 0 

Wash-down water is collected and then the oil, 

water and solids are separated. Wherever possible, 

the water is recycled for use on site. 


Rags used in maintenance are properly 

stored until removed for recycling by 

licensed subcontractors. 

A rigorous tyre management program 

has been implemented to ensure that 

plant tyres are used to their fullest 

extent without compromising safety. 

On occasions, serviceable and safe 

tyres are re-used as delivery tyres on 

new earthmoving equipment. Uses for 

unserviceable tyres include minesite 

signage, traffic management and a 

variety of other applications. 

Used oils are stored on site in tank farms 

until collected by licensed subcontractors 

for recycling or proper disposal. 

Sustainability 19

THE COMMUNITY 

Leighton Contractors has a strong 

commitment to the communities 

in which it operates. 

Wherever possible, Leighton Contractors 

attempts to confer whatever benefits are 

possible on these communities. It generally 

brings significant numbers of new residents 

into the towns nearest the mines. Often, the 

projects employ locally based consultants, 

office staff, plant operators, etc. Frequently, 

a percentage of the supplies required to 

sustain the team are sourced from the 

region. Leighton Contractors employees 

are often to be found as members of 

local sporting teams, community groups, 

fundraising committees and similar bodies. 

For example, employees working at the St 

Ives gold mine in Western Australia play 

a major role in the life of the community 

at Kambalda, the closest town. Leighton 

Contractors has a preference to employ 

residents of the town. This policy has 

provided a major boost to its economy, 

which needed strengthening prior to 

Leighton Contractors’ arrival in the region. 

To provide further support to the local 

economy, Leighton Contractors pays 

relocation allowances or ‘living away from 

home’ allowances to encourage its mine 

employees to live in Kambalda – rather than 

employ them on a ‘fly-in, fly-out’ basis, as 

it must at more remote locations. 

In contrast, the Yarrie-Nimingarra mining 

project in Western Australia is so remote that 

virtually no communities exist in the region. 

The mine site is some 2.5 hours by road 

from the nearest population centre, Port 

Hedland, and the majority of the employees 

operate on a ‘fly-in, fly-out’ basis from 

homes in Perth. 


CASE HISTORY: ST IVES GOLD MINE 

COMMUNITY PROJECTS 

In 2001, Leighton Contractors was involved 

in the $200 million development program 

for the West Angeles project, located in the 

remote northwest of Western Australia. SKM 

was the main ECPM contractor. As part of 

the development phase, it was decided to 

‘put something back into the community’ 

by initiating a program titled LivingWorks in 

the Pilbara. 

The program aimed to raise $200,000 

within two years to support community 

based training for the identification and 

intervention of people who might be at risk 

of suicide. This program is part of Lifeline’s 

suicide prevention activities. Suicide has 

long been a significant factor among people 

living remote from their families on mining 

projects, yet it receives very little publicity. 

In 2002, Leighton Contractors was 

contracted by Gold Fields Limited to 

operate the St Ives Mine near Kambalda. 

Because the incidence of suicide was also a 

significant problem in that community, the 

program was extended to this region. 

The targeted $175,000 over three years 

was raised through corporate dinners, 

sporting events, other community functions 

and the efforts of the local Boulder Rotary 

Club. The program also has the direct 

support of Leighton Contractors’ client, 

Gold Fields Limited. 

The money is now being directed specifically 

at training a large number of people in 

the community to identify those at risk of 

committing suicide, to intervene and then to 

assist them to obtain professional help. 

This program is now working very effectively 

– and saving lives. 

Sustainability 21

Portrait 

of a mining 

contract: 

Moorvale 

Under a $240-million contract, 

Leighton Contractors provides 

Macarthur Coal with a complete 

mining service at its Moorvale 

coal mine in Queensland’s Bowen 

Basin, some 150 kilometres west 

of Mackay. 


Before moving onto the Moorvale site, 

Leighton Contractors established a 

good relationship with Macarthur Coal, 

undertaking a major contract mining project 

at that company’s Coppabella Mine, located 

about 10 kilometres away. 

Leighton Contractors’ mining team moved 

its infrastructure and equipment to Moorvale 

when the Coppabella contract came to 

an end and, before initiating the mining 

operations, it established Moorvale’s 

workshop and administration facilities. 

The work under the contract includes 

planning and scheduling, clearing, subsoil 

removal, drilling and blasting, overburden 

removal, coal mining and delivery; also 

forming the waste dumps. 

Leighton Contractors is responsible for 

ensuring that its own environmental 

management plans comply with those of 

its client and those of the relevant State 

Government authorities. In effect, Leighton 

Contractors provides a totally autonomous 

operation to Macarthur Coal. 

Statistics on production, safety, health and 

other performance indicators are provided to 

the client on a monthly basis, to Leighton 

Contractors’ management and to all relevant 

government bodies. 

Emphasis on Safety 

The mining conditions at Moorvale present 

a particular challenge. The dip of the coal 

deposits is steep, currently up to 8º and 

potentially increasing to 12º in the future. 

However, dump trucks cannot operate on 

gradients of more than 6º. So, for safety and 

practical mining reasons, great care must be 

taken in planning the mining methodology. 

Also, although selecting highly skilled and 

qualified employees for the project, the 

workforce still requires site-specific training. 

For example, the mine conditions demand 

the use of a unique ‘dozer-push’ technique 

which requires induction and coaching from 

a supervisor. 

Apart from this, there are three principal 

hazards common to all mining sites: 

· the interaction of heavy and light 

vehicles (the former often weighing up 

to 350 tonnes including their loads and 

generally travelling at speeds between 

15 and 50 km/h); 

· blasting operations; and 

· the management of geotechnical risk 

– mainly ensuring wall and waste 

dump stability. 

Under the Leighton Contractors’ health and 

safety management plan, alcohol and illicit 

drugs are totally banned. All employees 

are aware that random testing of the entire 

workforce (including office personnel) 

takes place regularly. Testing also takes 

place after any incident on site or even ‘on 

suspicion’. Leighton Contractors’ policy is 

‘zero tolerance’. 

Respect for the Environment 

At Moorvale, Leighton Contractors uses many 

environmental management procedures, 

which are common to all of its mine sites. 

They consist primarily of ensuring that: 

· all types of waste are properly disposed 

off site; 

· there is adequate protection against 

environmental incidents (such as oil 

spills); and 

· effective clean-up procedures are in place. 

Some requirements, such as those 

associated with the ultimate land 

rehabilitation by Macarthur Coal, are site 

specific. For efficiency and to speed site 

rehabilitation, under its mine planning 

strategy and concurrently with the mine 

development, Leighton Contractors 

places the mine waste to create the 

landforms required by the conditions of 

the Environmental Management Overview 

Strategy (EMOS). For example, if the land 

eventually will be used for cattle grazing, the 

dumps may require grading to a 8º gradient. 

The task of spreading the topsoil, mulching, 

reseeding and, subsequently, ensuring the 

reseeding is successful is the responsibility 

of Macarthur Coal. 

Being located in Central Queensland, in a 

region where rainfall is very low, water is 

an extremely valuable resource. Most of 

the water used at Moorvale is provided by 

Macarthur Coal along a specially constructed 

pipeline, and must be carefully conserved. 

A Role in the Community 

Leighton Contractors’ team at Moorvale 

certainly contributes to the life and 

the economy of the region. Coppabella 

and Nebo, where most of the Leighton 

Contractors employees live, have populations 

of about 300 and 900 respectively. The 

Moorvale project employs a management, 

operational and maintenance team of 

more than 90 people; most of who live 

at externally supplied camps at both 

Coppabella and Nebo. 

The nearest significant town is Moranbah, 

which has a population of about 6000. 

Leighton Contractors sponsors the local 

school’s swimming club, its motocross 

clubs, junior Rugby League teams and 

other activities. Many Leighton Contractors’ 

employees are on local committees, while 

they and their families shop at Moranbah 

and use local tradespeople. In turn, they 

benefit from the town’s facilities. 

Sustainability 23

Leighton Contractors 

Corporate Services 

Level 4 

472 Pacific Highway 

St Leonards NSW 2065 

T 02 9925 6666 

F 02 9925 6004 

For all information on this report, 

please contact Martin Smith – 

martin.smith@leicon.com.au 

Printed on Harvest. 

• 70% Bagasse pulp, the residue from 

sugar cane crushing, which previously 

was burnt or put into landfill. By 

converting the residue into paper, there 

is increased value from each sugar cane 

crop, reduced air pollution and less 

pressure placed on land and forests. 

• 30% softwood pulp, which is Elemental 

Chlorine Free and sourced from 

sustainable plantation forests.

Leighton Contractors' Mining Operations Safety, Health ...

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