Sustainable Development
Sustainable development at BHP Billiton is our commitment and policy towards health, health & safety, environment and the community, (HSEC). To ensure improved performance, we have set specific targets in these areas.
We have implemented a number of safety initiatives to ensure the health and safety of our employees, site contractors and site visitors.
We are also committed to minimising the environmental impact of the Cannington operation, in line with BHP Billiton's dedication to sustainable development, Cannington's own environmental standards, and the ISO14000 Environmental Management System.
Cannington's commitment to HSEC is completed by our dedication to working with the community in which we operate.
Health & Safety
Cannington Mine is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for all employees, contractors and visitors. We seek to reduce health and safety risks in the workplace through minimising exposure to hazards. We also provide appropriate medical support with a fully equipped medical centre operational at the mine site and a registered nurse available 24 hours a day. We also ensure that HSEC Management Systems are established, implemented and maintained in accordance with statutory requirements and BHP Billiton Standards and Protocols.
Cannington has a series of measurement and audit processes to evaluate the effectiveness of Health & Safety procedures and programs. Internal and external audits are routinely undertaken to review these systems.
Also see Occupational Health & Hygiene and Safety Systems and Emergency Response
Environment
The cornerstone of Cannington's environmental management is the Environmental Value of Care and Respect for the Environment. All employees and contractors at Cannington are responsible for managing their individual environmental aspects and are appraised on how effective they are in doing this.
Cannington has a first principles approach to environmental management based on minimising the environmental impacts of mine-site activities on the land and riverine values of the region. Thorough base-line surveys, ongoing community consultation and, a comprehensive monitoring program allow the company to track environmental performance, implement remedial measures and to respond to changing community expectations.
Particular emphasis is placed on:
- Managing our water resource, including conserving the resource and maintaining water quality
- Conservation and land management
- Controlling our air quality
- Minimising and managing our waste
Community
A proactive program of community consultation has been ongoing since the mine's inception.
The community consultative process has been facilitated by conducting several public meetings, hosting annual Open Days at the site, arranging special visits for interest groups and distributing brochures, letters and videos describing to stakeholders the changing status of the project. Their input was solicited to ensure that any stakeholder concerns or needs were taken into account at the design phase of the different development stages of the project.
There are many benefits for Northwest Queensland from the establishment of Cannington. One of the main benefits of course is the employment of local people within the Mount Isa - Townsville corridor and the commitment to transporting successful applicants to Cannington from ports from only within that corridor. In addition there is a significant expenditure throughout the region as a result of the mine.
