Health
Encouraging and improving the health and wellbeing of our people is as vital as protecting their safety.
We take steps to minimise any illnesses that may develop as a result of conditions at our operations. We aim to reach a goal of no new occupational illnesses.
To manage potential health issues, we adhere to the risk based occupational health standards of the Rio Tinto Group.
The standards, relevant to Dampier Salt, cover the following areas:
- Risk management
- Medical and first aid treatment
- Hearing conservation
- Manual handling and vibration
- Thermal stress
- Hazardous substances
- Fitness for work and fatigue management
As is the case with safety, leaders are accountable for performance against the health standards. These are supported by our trained H&S personnel on site that implement health systems and monitor workplace conditions to control exposure to health hazards.
Heavy equipment can be noisy. We are working to reduce exposure to noise by monitoring noise levels related to particular equipment, looking at alternative engineering solutions and doing a job differently to reduce noise.
Our operations are based in the Pilbara and Gascoyne regions of Western Australia, where temperatures can reach over 40 degrees celsius. Heat stress can become a health risk. Actions put in place to mitigate this include heat stress monitoring and hydration awareness campaigns.
The vibration caused from rattle guns, a standard piece of equipment at our operations, is recognised as having health implications after extended periods of use. A new design of rattle gun has been introduced, effectively engineering out the vibration.
