The Risk Management Tool Box Blog

The  WA Department of Mines and Petroleum reports that in 2012 it has received more than 7,000 mining, petroleum and geothermal applications.

And thanks to a recently launched online access system, members of the public now have greater access to some of the detailed environmental plans mining companies submit through Annual Environmental Reports (AERs).

These detail a company's mining activities, as well as disturbance areas and completed environmental rehabilitation works.

The new online system for submitting AERs to the WA Department of Mines and Petroleum provides a number of benefits, including:

1.  Providing the public with easily accessible information on how resource companies are responding to their environmental responsibilities; and

2.  Improving data consistency, efficiency and transparency across the department's services.

The online system will become compulsory for Mining Companies to use from July 1 2013.

New Zealand does not have a very big population, but more than 100 people die from catastrophic workplace accidents each year.

And nearly 1,000 people die as a result of more chronic work-related diseases such as those associated with exposure to asbestos.

Records also show that the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment receives about 6,000 reports of a serious harm incident occurring in NZ workplaces each year.

Furthermore, around 190,000 people claim workers compensation medical costs as a result of being harmed at work.

Of those injured workers, around 23,000 people are injured seriously enough to be off work for more than a week and 370 people are injured seriously enough to require hospital care and be diagnosed with a life-threatening condition.

These are all very worrying statistics and NZ business needs to do more to get a grip on work place hazard and risk management.

Like other Western countries, men's overall life expectancy and health in Australia has increased markedly since the end of WWII. 

The average life span now stands at 79 years for most Australian males.

But men's life expectancy remains substantially below that of women's.

This situation is even worse for Aboriginal males.  They make up 2.5 per cent of the male population but average life expectancy is only 67 years.

Below are the most common lifestyle risks which are shortening all men's lives in Australia:

●  68% are overweight or obese;

●  95% do not consume enough fruit or vegetables;

●  58% do not get enough exercise;

●  18% smoke tobacco products daily;

●  6% drink alcohol at levels which place them at risk.

Source: InPsych, The Bulletin of the Australian Psychological Society, August, 2012.

Dr Catherine Macdonald, in collaboration with Andrew Schloeffel, Director of Sustainable Mining at the Department of Resources, Energy & Tourism (DRET) in Canberra (Australia) has recently written and released a handbook on Social Responsibility in the Mining and Metals Sector in Developing Countries. 

Input to the publication was also given by other industry participants in Australia, including Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, Palladin Energy and Newcrest. 

The Handbook, which outlines how best to gain and maintain a social licence to operate, was well-received when launched at the recent Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth.

A copy of the handbook is available by clicking this link.