Health and Safety

A commitment to provide and maintain a safe and healthy workplace and environment is an integral part of our operations. This is reflected in the health, safety and environmental management systems that exist to protect people and the environment both on and off the site.

We believe that all accidents and injuries are preventable and all workers are entitled to a safe and healthy working environment. Every worker, at the start of every shift, participates in an evaluation of safety on the previous shift and in planning for a safe shift coming up. We monitor and measure our performance each year by tracking the frequency of employee and contractor incidents and establish measures to be taken to improve behaviours and refine procedures.

A safe operation is vital to our success. We have worked hard to establish a safe working environment for our employees and we strive to maintain this. With a safe environment we are able to attract and retain a quality workforce and enhance our reputation in the wider community. Regular employee surveys reveal that a large majority are satisfied with health and safety conditions in the workplace and have high levels of satisfaction with health and safety training and the ability to influence health and safety practices.

International health and safety standards

OHSAS 18001 is the internationally recognised standard developed by a selection of leading trade bodies, international standards and certification bodies to fill a gap where no third-party certifiable international standard previously existed.

 

Many organisations implement an Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) as part of their risk management strategy to address changing legislation and to protect their workforce.

An effective management system promotes a safe and healthy working environment by providing a framework that allows an organisation to consistently identify and control its health and safety risks, reduce the potential for accidents, aid legislative compliance and improve overall performance.

OHSAS 18001 is designed to be compatible with ISO 14001 environmental standards.

The following key areas are addressed by OHSAS 18001:

  • planning for hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control
  • OHSAS management programme
  • structure and responsibility
  • training, awareness and competence
  • consultation and communication
  • operational control
  • emergency preparedness and response
  • performance measuring, monitoring and improvement.

Newmont Waihi Gold currently has OHSAS 18001 certification with Bureau Veritas. Initial certification was achieved in November 2008.
Bureau Veritas Certification

Registration to ISO 14001 entitles Newmont Waihi Gold to use the Bureau Veritas stamp of approval.