Performance
Sustainable development
OVERVIEW OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Safety
Rio Tinto Alcan and its employees are dedicated to leadership in health, safety, and environmental practices at our workplaces and insofar as they affect the communities in which we operate. The ultimate goal remains zero harm. Regrettably, two fatalities occurred during the year at Engineered Products sites.
Key priorities for reducing major risks include diligent contractor management, controlling pedestrian safety, improving lock out, tag out systems, as well as addressing confined space entry, lifting devices, and working at heights. An initiative has been launched to improve the Process Safety Management System to prevent collapse, fire, and explosion as well as the release of toxic, reactive, flammable, or explosive materials. In downstream operations, a large scale man machine interface programme plays a vital role in fatality prevention initiatives.
During the integration of Alcan, focus has been on the implementation of the Rio Tinto HSE performance standards and reporting definitions, while retaining the elements of leading practice within Alcan. This will establish clear global priorities and common business standards aimed at achieving world class performance and a sustainable culture of excellence. The integration process is progressing as planned. This includes the associated opportunities for knowledge transfer between colleagues, including training programmes in auditing and pre-task assessment, accident investigation, and performance standards.
Rio Tinto Alcan's all injury frequency rate (AIFR) of 1.24 at the end of 2008 represented a 25 per cent reduction over the 2007 integrated Rio Tinto and former Alcan baseline.
Greenhouse gas emissions
While Rio Tinto Alcan is the largest contributor to Rio Tinto's greenhouse gas emissions due to the nature of aluminium smelting, it nevertheless occupies a leading position in the generation of low greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity power, sourced in many cases from hydroelectricity.
Total GHG emissions were 32.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2008 (16.8 from direct and 15.7 from indirect emissions), representing a 4.8 per cent improvement in on site GHG emissions per tonne of product over a 2007 baseline. This is the result of operational efficiency improvements, retrofitting with best in class technology, and the closure of some underperforming operations. Rio Tinto Alcan contributes 65 per cent of Rio Tinto's total GHG emissions.
Projects are currently under way to improve overall site performance, including cost and production, in support of GHG and energy targets. Several of these are being undertaken through the group's business improvement process, each supported by a detailed action plan to bridge the gap between current and targeted performance.
