Sustainability

• About this report
• Governance
• Sustainability & Alumina
• Environment
• Employees & Community
  • Employee profile
  • Safety
  • Local communities
• Economic contribution
• AWAC’s global operations
• GRI Index

Safety

As a non-operating partner in AWAC, Alumina Limited views workplace safety as a key performance indicator because:

• It is a fundamental right for employees, contractors and visitors to be safe at work. 
• It demonstrates the level of management control and expertise that Alcoa brings to operating the AWAC joint venture.
• A safe work environment encourages work participation and attendance, which drives productivity and performance. 

Managing safety in AWAC’s complex mining and manufacturing environment requires strong systems as well as a focussed safety culture committed to continuous improvement.  As the operator Alcoa has invested substantial intellectual, financial and system resources over several decades to understand the key drivers behind safety behaviour with the sole aim of eliminating fatalities and serious injuries from AWAC’s operations.    

The two main safety metrics include: 

• Lost Workday (LWD) Incident Rates: which represent temporary or permanently disabling incidents that impact the long-term health and welfare of employees and contractors.
• Total Recordable Incident (TRI) Rates: the more frequent incidents in critical areas, such as ergonomics, noise, and hand/finger injuries that result in lost time or restricted work activity, as well as those that require medical treatment.

Results and goals 2010 

Sadly there was one fatality at AWAC operations during the year.  On 5 April 2010, a 48-year-old employee at AWAC’s Alumar Port Operations in Brazil was fatally injured when the operator’s cab of a ship-unloading crane fell approximately 25 meters (82 feet) from the superstructure to the ground.  

AWAC’s total recordable injury rates, which were at low levels compared to the rolling ten-year average, increased marginally from 2.24 in 2009 to 2.4 for 2010.  There was also a slight lift in Lost Work Days in the year from 0.13 to 0.31 in 2010.  These results remain well below aluminium industry standards on a rolling average basis. 

Zero work-related injuries and illnesses remains the long-standing goal. Initiatives during the year to improve safety performance included: 

• Increasing reach of EHS training through the online learning system AlcoaLearn and using web-based broadcast for training delivery, ensuring business unit and location professionals maintained the knowledge and skills necessary. 
• Ongoing simplification of Alcoa’s safety standards through the ISO 18001/14001 management system and streamlining audit protocols.    
• Further progress in integrating the safety system with the Alcoa Business System (ABS) framework, to target non-conforming materials, products, equipment, and work practices, as well as accidents and waste.

 

During the year average employee absenteeism deteriorated from 4.29 per cent in 2009 to 4.50 per cent in 2010.  

Alumina Limited’s results 

While Alumina Limited has a relatively small operational footprint, we focus on our safety performance through training. There were no recordable injuries for the year or Lost Work Days as a result of incidents.