At MRM we are committed to maximising the health and safety of our permanent employees, contractors and visitors. For this reason MRM has an occupational health and hygiene program that starts with a clear understanding of what occupational health means at MRM.

Occupational Health at MRM is focussed on prevention strategies to create and maintain a safe and healthy working environment maximising our employee and contractor physical, mental and social health and welfare.

Occupational Health at MRM is also concerned with making adjustments to work practices, organisation and the work environment to facilitate the physical and mental health, and the performance of our workers.

Our health and hygiene strategies include:

• Surveillance to identify, monitor and control the health hazards in the workplace. At MRM our key considerations includes monitoring and minimising lead levels, noise levels, slips, trips and falls hazards, heat stress, dust exposure, fatigue and hazards associated with general musculoskeletal degeneration
• Striving to ensure our worker exposure to hazardous conditions are below the relevant Australian standards
• Providing safe work organisation and practices, including work place design, equipment maintenance and materials handling
• Providing information, education, training and guidance on occupational health and occupational hygiene issues, safety, ergonomics and PPE. E.g. Manual Handling awareness sessions at toolbox talks
• Monitoring changes to worker health over the course of their employment, and providing service to help our workers maintain their health through their working life
• Facilitating the rehabilitation and return to work duties in an optimal time frame, with on site physiotherapy to help achieve this
• Providing a well equipped cardio and weights gym and many sporting facilities
• Providing weekly core strengthening classes open to all employees and contractors
• Providing individually tailored exercise and wellness programs for employees and contractors
• Providing first aid and emergency treatment with on site paramedics

Blood lead monitoring

Elevated lead in blood is a matter taken seriously by Xstrata. Strict protocols are in place to reduce the risks of employees’ exposure to lead in the workplace.

MRM uses the National Standard for the Control of Inorganic Lead at Work (NOHSC:1012) and the National Code of Practice for the Control and Safe Use of Inorganic Lead at Work (NOHSC:2015) as a guide for the control of blood lead levels in all our employees.

Xstrata sets its medical removal limit below this standard of 50 micorgrams per decilitre (µg/dL). Employees with blood-lead concentration levels of 40µg/dL or greater must be removed from the workplace until concentrations are below 30µg/dL. Pregnant employees should not have a blood-lead concentration that exceeds the national standard of 10µg/dL.

Other areas of interest

Xstrata plc Sustainability

Xstrata Zinc Australia Sustainability Report 2010