Safety is first

Mining and processing can be a dangerous occupation, with people working with large moving equipment, explosives, chemicals and high temperatures – plus there are also risks like working at heights and driving vehicles. What is Rio Tinto's approach to safety?

Health and safety are fundamental values of Rio Tinto. We give them major priority. Because all injuries are preventable, our goal is zero injuries. Most injuries occur because of behaviour, the things people do, rather than the circumstances or situations of the work environment. As we work, we all constantly make choices to act in certain ways.

How do you get people to make the right choices?

We can't achieve it by just applying a rule book. Management has to be open about problems, enlist the support of employees in devising solutions and lead by example, demonstrating safe behaviours. To achieve zero injuries means every employee must think about the potential risks in everything they do, looking after not only themselves but also their fellow employees.

How does a large and complex organization attempt this?

Our approach to safety has evolved. We used to have primarily a rule based culture where employees were expected to do as they were told. This ultimately in the mind of the employee places the responsibility for his or her safety in the hands of the managers who make the rules. Now our rules, or as we call them, standards, that mandate protection devices and procedures like checking for risks, are being reinforced by a focus on behaviour. We supplement the standards by encouraging employees to see that acting safely is in their own best interest. Rio Tinto seeks to inspire employees to look after each other and take responsibility for their own safety. The emphasis is now people centred, rather than solely based on systems and technology.