Safety and Health

Taking a Leadership Role on Safety and Health

In recognition of the fact that no minerals fatality, injury or disease is acceptable, the Minerals Council decided in 1996 to take a leadership role on safety and health.

The Council made safety and health its top priority, agreed on a statement of vision and beliefs, safety awareness definition and established the Safety and Health Committee.

Safety and Health Vision

An Australian minerals industry free of fatalities, injuries and diseases.

Safety Awareness Definition

The state of mind where we are constantly aware of the possibility of injury and act accordingly at all times.

Safety and Health Beliefs

All fatalities, injuries and diseases are preventable.
No task is so important that it cannot be done safely.
All hazards can be identified and their risks managed.
Everyone has a personal responsibility for the safety and health of themselves and others.
Safety and health performance can always be improved.

Safety and Health Committee

Commitment to Safety and Health

Six years after the minerals industry's collective agreement to make safety and health its highest priority, new approaches continue to be developed. The Minerals Council of Australia is taking a leadership role through the implementation of a strategy, pursued by the Safety and Health Committee, which is designed to improve the industry's safety and health performance.

An ambitious work program developed by the committee each year is based on a well-established program involving awards and communicating the experience and performance of the industry. The committee continues to be committed to the elimination of all fatalities, injuries and diseases.

The Committee pursues its work through four working groups which represent the key drivers used by the Committee to pursue its goals :

Leadership Working Group
Recognition Working Group
Health Working Group
Legislation Working Group
Working Arrangements Working Group
MICI Management Working Group

Operator/Contractor Safety and Health Management

It is the policy of the Minerals Council of Australia that:

Operators have the responsibility to protect the safety and health of every person on site including contractors and their employees.
The relationship between the operator and contractor will include the agreement and implementation of a plan to effectively identify and manage safety and health issues.