Award Winning Performance

Toward Zero Harm

At BlueScope Steel, nothing is more important than our safety. BlueScope Steel continues to move a step closer to our goal of Zero Harm. Our Company incurred no fatal incidents in the past year, while our injury rates remain at world-best standards.

In 2006/07, our Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) was 0.4, remaining below 1.0 for the third year running. This result compares well to the International Iron and Steel Industry rate of around 4.0. Our Medically Treated Injury Frequency Rate (MTIFR) was 6.5. (Both rates express incidence per one million hours worked).

A key factor in our safety performance was a very high level of employee participation. For example, during the year, an average of 95 per cent of employees across our entire Company were involved in conducting safety audits each month. In addition, 28,000 near misses were reported. These measures are a strong indication that our people are focused on staying safe, and on watching out for each other every day.  During the year there were many noteworthy safety achievements.

Asia

Every business in all nine Asian countries in which we operate achieved an LTIFR of ZERO. Our Asian facilities continue to set new safety benchmark levels. For example, Thailand's Map Ta Phut facility achieved over 20 million hours lost time injury free. BlueScope Steel Malaysia has had nine consecutive months without any injury. These are truly world-class results.

Australia and New Zealand

Australian and New Zealand Industrial Markets achieved 5.9 million hours lost time injury free while Australian Manufacturing Markets also posted a record lost time injury free period of 3.8 million hours.

Within these groups, specific businesses achieved great milestones. Port Kembla Steelworks recorded 15 million hours lost time injury free while Illawarra Coated Products operated for a full year, comprising over 2 million hours, lost time injury free. Port Kembla Slabmaking posted 5 million hours lost time injury free. Our New Zealand Steel Contractors have worked for two years lost time injury free. The construction of our Western Sydney Service Centre was completed without lost time injury and Western Port ended the year with no medically treated injury for the last three months.

North America

A number of BlueScope Steel North American businesses achieved new record lost time injury free periods. These include: Butler Buildings Laurinburg, Butler Construction, Visalia and Vistawall.

We believe these efforts demonstrate that Zero Harm is achievable and we will continue to work toward this goal. Meanwhile, BlueScope Steel is building a reputation, within and beyond the steel industry, as a world class performer and leader in safety.