HSEC Governance - BlueScope Steel HSEC Report 2004

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HSEC Governance

At BlueScope Steel, we recognise that our success as a company depends in large measure on how effectively and responsibly we work with our employees and the communities in which we operate to meet our health, safety, environment and community responsibilities.

Our commitment to meeting our health, safety, environmental and community responsibilities is essential to the way in which the BlueScope Steel Group conducts its business.

Corporate governance oversight of the Company's discharge of its responsibilities in these areas is undertaken by the Health, Safety and Environment Committee of the Board. The primary objectives of the Health, Safety and Environment Committee, as set out in its Charter, are to:

adopt a Health, Safety and Environment Committee (HSEC) Policy and, as it considers necessary, recommend changes to that policy;
monitor BlueScope Steel's compliance with the approved HSEC Policy;
assess the HSEC standards of BlueScope Steel;
assess the operations of BlueScope Steel and make recommendations for assessing, avoiding, eliminating, controlling and minimising HSEC risks;
assess compliance by BlueScope Steel with applicable legislation;
research and recommend the adoption of acceptable HSEC practices in the industries in which BlueScope Steel operates;
receive reports concerning HSEC incidents within BlueScope Steel; and
consider HSEC issues that may have strategic, business and reputational implications for BlueScope Steel.

The Chairman of the Committee for the 2003/04 financial year was Mr John Crabb, an independent Non-Executive Director. Because of the importance of health, safety and the environment to BlueScope Steel's operations, all Directors are members of the Committee. The composition of the Committee was reviewed during the year and the Committee resolved to maintain its existing membership. Following Mr Crabb's resignation as a Director of BlueScope Steel on 28 July 2004, the Board has appointed Mr Ron McNeilly as Chair of the Committee. The Health, Safety and Environment Committee charter requires that the Committee meets at least four scheduled times per year.

BlueScope Steel has an integrated Health, Safety, Environment and Community Policy which can be viewed at www.bluescopesteel.com.

Our HSEC Policy, Health and Safety Management Standards and management systems drive continuous improvement in our performance in these critical areas through the Company.

Our Health and Safety Management Standards, which include specific performance requirements and auditable criteria, apply to all our sites and operations and to major activities by contractors under our management.

We conduct a series of audits each year to ensure the Health and Safety Management Standards are being applied adequately and effectively, and to verify performance. These include both internal and external audits.

We are committed to acting with integrity, honesty and fairness when dealing with our stakeholders. Processes are in place to facilitate communication with our stakeholders to determine their HSEC concerns, information needs and aspirations for community development.

Any concerns and complaints related to HSEC matters are recorded as incidents and investigated.