Mine to Market November-December 2012 - Mount Isa Mines

Julia Mansfield, Health Coordinator EHM
studies samples using one of the Antimicrobial
Copper work benches
Keeping our
community
informed
Community
Copper benches passing
on health benefits at
Ernest Henry Mine
Copper is renowned for its antimicrobial properties,
which are known to reduce the touch-transfer of
disease-causing organisms.
Locals gathered at the Cloncurry
Community Precinct on November 14 for
the Ernest Henry Mining (EHM) Community
Information Session.
To celebrate our first session in the
new precinct, guests were invited to share
afternoon tea with our senior management
team before Myles Johnston, General
Manager EHM, presented an update on our
operational performance.
The presentation featured progress
updates on our shaft, underground mine
and Mount Margaret Mining operations, as
well as information on our latest sustainable
development activities focussing on EHM’s
community involvement program.
Thank you to everyone who attended the
Community Information Session and to those
who provided valuable feedback.
When cleaned regularly, antimicrobial copper surfaces kill 99.9 per
cent of bacteria within two hours of exposure. This can have
a big impact on reducing the prevalence of disease-causing
bacteria in healthcare facilities.
For this reason copper has been used in the construction and modification
of two benches in our Ernest Henry Mine’s health clinic.
One of the new benches is being used in the medical clinic’s drug testing area
and the other is in the medical preparation area. These are the first products with
antimicrobial properties being used within our north Queensland operations.
Julia Mansfield, Health Coordinator Ernest Henry Mining, says the first copper
bench was installed in September and a copper overlay surface was installed to
the main clinic bench top in October of this year.
“We are hoping that other areas of the operation will also be able to use
this type of copper touch surfaces to take advantage of their antimicrobial
properties,” Julia says.
“Other areas that come to mind are the village kitchen preparation surfaces
and door handles.
“The health and safety of our workers and visitors is always our number one
concern, and hopefully these new benches will contribute to this in a positive
way at a local level.”
In the US alone, it is estimated that infections acquired in hospitals affect
two million individuals a year, resulting in nearly 100,000 deaths annually.
Unlike coatings or other material treatments, the antibacterial effectiveness
of copper metals won’t wear away and Antimicrobial Copper is the only solid
surface material registered by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
to continuously kill bacteria.
Pictured from top:
Percy Scobie, Superintendent Concentrator
Infrastructure EHM, chats with Andrew Daniels,
Mayor Cloncurry Shire Council, James Murdoch and
Greg Bellinger, Bluescope, and David Woolford,
E&A Contractors
Myles Johnston, General Manager EHM give guests
an update on our operations
mine to market
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