At BHP Billiton, we take our commitment to sustainable development seriously. The BHP Billiton Charter states, ‘Our purpose is to create long-term value through the discovery, development and conversion of natural resources . . .’.

However, value is not limited to financial returns. The Charter recognises that, ‘We are successful in creating value when:

While we recently announced a record profit that has been recognised by the financial market and reflected in our share price, it saddens me to report that in terms of one of our key measures of success, that of zero fatalities, we have failed. Seventeen of our work colleagues have lost their lives during this fiscal year. This toll on human life and the impact on family, friends and associates is profound, enduring and extremely concerning for myself, our senior executives, our fellow employees, the Board and the entire BHP Billiton family.

Our commitment to the Charter remains as strong as the day it was created. When we demonstrate the creation of value across all facets of our business and confidently provide a workplace that delivers Zero Harm, we will be truly successful.

We are constantly working on determining what causes harm and what needs to be done to create a hazard-free workplace. It is vital that we go back to the fundamentals of safety management and that we continue to explore all of the assumptions and learnings on which we base our safety protocols and standards. The entire management team understands this imperative and their personal commitment and performance is being taken into account in their performance reviews. I look forward to reporting strong progress in this area in our future reports.

On a positive note, I am pleased to report that we have continued to progress soundly in the other dimensions of sustainable development. I encourage you to read our case studies, which provide some concrete examples of how we are putting policy into practice. Our internal HSEC Awards program has again been highly successful in promoting and recognising outstanding HSEC performance and innovation across the Group. It provides a strong indicator of the extent to which individuals within our operations are contributing to our sustainability aspirations.

We have been delighted over the past year to again receive external recognition for our performance in public reporting, community relationships and sustainable development. This recognition reflects the tremendous efforts of a great many people from both within the Company and our host communities who have helped us progress in these areas.

The Full HSEC Report on our website has been prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative 2002 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines and represents a balanced and reasonable presentation of our organisation’s economic, environmental and social performance. A printed summary report has also been made available due to the strong support we received from our stakeholders for this initiative last year.

At BHP Billiton, the long-term, stable nature of our business means we have the capacity to plan for and meet the challenges that will arise as we contribute to sustainable development at the local, regional and global level. We have made significant progress towards sustainability, and we will continue to focus on the creation of value for our shareholders and our stakeholders.

Chip Goodyear
Chief Executive Officer

Our approach to reporting

This Report is intended as a brief overview of our HSEC performance over the reporting period.

For a more detailed discussion on all aspects of our HSEC performance, initiatives and case studies, refer to our Full HSEC Report, which is available on our website. The web map above shows what is available and where you can access the information provided on the website.

To aid with providing direction to the relevant sections on our website, we have included a web navigation box at the base of the pages of this Report.

The purpose of the box is to provide the direct web address for the detailed information that is presented in our Full HSEC Report.

Global Reporting Initiative

The Full HSEC Report on our website has been prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) 2002 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. A GRI Navigator, independently prepared by URS Corporate Sustainable Solutions, is available on our website and outlines how each specific indicator of Part C of the GRI Guidelines has been addressed. It should be recognised that, due to the size and complexity of our business, judgements have had to be made regarding the extent of the information that can be presented in relation to each GRI indicator. Please contact the Company if you would like further information.

Basis of reporting

BHP Billiton is a Dual Listed Company comprising BHP Billiton Limited and BHP Billiton Plc and their subsidiaries. The two entities continue to exist as separate companies but operate as a combined group known as BHP Billiton.

Throughout this Report, the terms BHP Billiton, the Company and the Group refer to the combined group, including both BHP Billiton Limited and subsidiary companies and BHP Billiton Plc and subsidiary companies. Joint venture projects where we are not the operator are excluded unless expressly stated.

The statistics in this Report cover the facilities owned and operated by BHP Billiton during the 12-month period to 30 June 2004. All dollar figures in the Report are US unless otherwise indicated.

We are continuously improving our reporting systems and endeavour to present useful and accurate information. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, including the figures, in this Report, the data are derived from our many operations around the world and, in some cases, grouped data are not strictly comparable.

Anyone seeking to rely on information in this Report or seeking to draw detailed conclusions from the data should contact the Company for verification and assistance.

Your comments on the contents of our HSEC Report would be greatly appreciated and can be noted on the Feedback Form on our website.

Our approach to sustainable development

The Company’s commitment to sustainable development has evolved over our long history of operational experience and through lessons learned along the way. Working through complex issues associated with our operations has highlighted environmental and social performance as a critical success factor for the Company. We are well aware of the costs of getting it wrong but, more importantly, we recognise the value that can be created by getting it right. Consequently, we adopt a holistic approach to our business strategy, seeking to realise value for all our stakeholders through sustainable business philosophy.

Sustainability challenges

Our sustainability challenges are those issues that may have a significant impact on our business. These include:

Fatal risks

The safety of our employees and the communities in which we operate is integral to our business. Our goal is Zero Harm.

Despite implementation of safety standards and systems being mandatory at our operations, significant incidents and, in some instances, fatal accidents continue to occur. This is a cause of major concern to us, and we are totally committed to eliminating these incidents from our businesses.

Our challenge is to fully implement the safety management standards we have developed and ensure that all our employees and contractors understand, apply rigorously, and fully comply with these standards.

Greenhouse gas emissions

The Company is both a user and producer of fossil fuel energy products that create greenhouse gas emissions.

Looking forward, global demand for energy will continue to grow, with the strongest growth in developing countries. Access to affordable energy is a critical component of poverty alleviation and social development and, therefore, will remain central to society.

Our challenge as a member of the global society is to help meet the world’s energy needs while mitigating the potential impact of greenhouse gas emissions on the climate.

Access to resources

Access to resources is fundamental to the sustainability of our business. Our challenge is to achieve access to the resources relevant to our scope of operations while addressing heightened political and societal expectations related to obtaining and maintaining a ‘licence to operate’.

We must identify, understand and manage requirements associated with the fact that prospective developments are increasingly in developing and/or sensitive regions where there may be competing environmental, racial, social, political and economic pressures.

Sustainable community development and closure

Resource companies contribute to the community in many ways – through employment, use of local suppliers and contractors, disbursements to governments, including taxes and royalties, and by providing support for community development programs and local community organisations.

Although the lifespan of our operations vary, all reach a point where the majority of the natural resource has been extracted and it is no longer economic to continue operations. The social and environmental impacts of closing an operation are complex.

Our challenge is to build human and social capacities within the communities in which we operate, in order to leave a positive legacy that outlasts the operation and ensures a future for communities beyond resource extraction.

Occupational and community health

People are essential to the success of our business. Understanding and mitigating the impact of occupational exposures on our workforce is integral to our journey towards Zero Harm.

We also have a responsibility to work with the communities in which we operate in setting up programs focused on significant community health issues that may also impact on our workforce and their dependants. At a broader level, we must consider our role in addressing community health issues of global significance and how we may assist in supporting management programs that extend beyond the communities in which we operate.

It is clear that strong governance in both the financial and non-financial arenas is a critical aspect of running a successful corporation. Our approach to corporate governance is detailed in our financial Annual Report.

This section outlines our approach to HSEC governance.

HSEC governance

Structure and responsibilities

At every level of the organisation, our line managers are responsible for HSEC matters. Although they are supported by functional personnel who provide specialist advice and support in managing all aspects of HSEC, ultimate responsibility rests with the general and senior management teams. Executive remuneration is also directly linked to the financial and non-financial performance of the Company. As shown in the diagram below, the Company’s peak HSE governance body is the HSE Committee, which is a subcommittee of the Board.

HSEC organisation structure

Policy, standards and systems

The BHP Billiton Charter, HSEC Policy and HSEC Management Standards are mandatory at all our sites and operations, under a hierarchical management system where systems and documents must meet and support the requirements of those of higher levels, as shown in the adjacent diagram.

The 15 HSEC Management Standards are well established, providing a strong basis for continual improvement in performance. The Standards were developed to ensure consistent interpretation and implementation of the HSEC Policy. They form the basis for the development and application of HSEC management systems at all levels in the Company.

Hierarchy of systems and documents

The Guide to Business Conduct applies to all our workforce regardless of their specific job or location. It provides employees and contractors with direction and advice on carrying out business and interacting with governments, communities and business partners. This includes clear guidelines on general workplace behaviour as well as our policies, standards and guidelines on a wide range of ethical issues including conflict of interest, financial inducements and bribery, insider trading and political contributions.

Part of the global community

BHP Billiton is committed to maintaining and promoting dialogue with stakeholders in the resources industry and remaining responsive to the global community’s concerns and aspirations. The Company recognises the importance of accountability to stakeholders, and we seek to be transparent in relation to our communications. There are a number of processes across the Company that encourage dialogue with our stakeholders. Our approach is to ensure these processes occur on a number of levels, thereby providing sufficient flexibility to meet the needs of our local communities while also facilitating more broader communications.

Our Charter, HSEC Policy, Management Standards and Guide to Business Conduct all promote a commitment to acting with honesty, integrity and fairness in our interactions with all our stakeholders.

The Company’s performance in the areas of health, safety, environment and community (HSEC) is driven by our commitment to people, the environment, our host communities and our commitment to create value for our shareholders.

This section presents the key aspects of the Company’s performance in 2003/04, with comments on our performance trends and improvement initiatives in the categories of:

During the period, the Company was recognised with awards by external groups and organisations for its HSEC performance. We also conducted our internal HSEC Awards program to encourage and recognise excellence in performance by our employees and contractors. These are summarised inside the back cover of this Report.

Audit and self-assessment

Twenty-four HSEC audits were conducted during the reporting period to assess the level of implementation of the HSEC Management Standards. The program involved 76 personnel from both HSEC functional roles and operational roles and two external auditors. This brings to 79 the number of sites audited since the program commenced in September 2001, with 208 BHP Billiton and 16 external auditors involved. Four sites remain to be audited by December to complete the first three-year cycle.

Risk management

We are pleased to report that risk registers are in place and being maintained at all sites, CSG and Corporate levels, in line with our HSEC target. Work was also undertaken to better align HSEC risk assessment processes with our Enterprise-Wide Risk Management (EWRM) strategy, which is embedding risk management processes into all our critical business systems, allowing us to adopt a precautionary approach to business

management. When critical decisions are being made, managers are required to look beyond the obvious risks and recognise all sources of uncertainty, including issues related to health, safety, environment and community.

Product stewardship

Product stewardship is a principle that requires all those involved in the life cycle of a product to take responsibility for the impacts to human health and the natural environment that result from the production, use and disposal of the product.

We set a Company-wide target that life cycle assessments (LCA) be prepared for all major minerals products by 30 June 2004. During the reporting period, in line with this target, LCAs were completed for copper, nickel, iron ore, aluminium, metallurgical coal, manganese and thermal coal. In addition, our Cannington silver/lead/zinc operation has initiated the global Green Lead™ project and our Diamonds business is a member of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.

Background

People are central to the success of our business and, accordingly, understanding the potential for health risks and establishing suitable mitigation measures are integral to our journey towards Zero Harm.

Health management

Employee health

Employee health and associated occupational illness remains a key focus of our health management. The control of employee exposures and a reduction of occupational illnesses are the thrust of our Company health targets, which will be revised during the coming year to further focus on reduction in these areas. It should be noted that all exposures monitored are potential exposures and do not take into consideration the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) where it is utilised to mitigate exposure. Having said this, our aim, consistent with the ‘hierarchy of control’ approach, is to remove or avoid hazards through engineering or design solutions wherever possible. PPE is utilised where this approach is yet to be implemented or is not currently feasible.

The requirement for reporting potential exposures above action levels (50 per cent of the occupational exposure limit) but below occupational exposure limits has been established to give us an understanding of the potential for harm and enable us to establish proactive plans to mitigate exposures and consequently reduce the incidence of occupational illness.

Personal protective equipment

Continued improvement in our PPE program is still very important, and we are seeking to standardise our approach across the Company. For example, we have developed a Personal Protective Equipment Compliance Auditing Guideline to ensure there are standard processes for measuring PPE compliance across the organisation.

Exposure standards

Occupational exposure limits are now standardised across the Company. Monitoring of exposure through the Company has also been improved through the updating of the health exposure assessment guideline and the provision of a standard statistical analysis package for our operations. This process has been further supported by the development of a number of position statements for substances of particular importance to the organisation, and/or where there is significant variation in the occupational exposure limits being recommended by leading authorities.

Community health

We recognise that, as members of the community, our employees and contractors can be impacted significantly by communicable diseases. Our main programs in community health have therefore been focused on the three major infectious diseases, which also impact many of our operations. These are malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.

Performance

Occupational exposures

Occupational illnesses

Background

The safety of our employees, contractors and the communities in which we operate is an integral part of our business. Our goal is Zero Harm. To this end, we are seeking to create a mindset and an environment where people believe it is possible to work injury free — regardless of where they are in the world, what role they undertake or in which business they work.

Safety management

During the reporting period, a substantial review was undertaken to assess what priorities are appropriate to re-establish a stable progression towards Zero Harm. A number of key strategic learnings have emerged for the organisation:

Fatal Risk Control Protocols

A significant effort is being made to implement the requirements of the Fatal Risk Control Protocols across the organisation. There is clear evidence that their implementation, particularly in relation to light vehicle usage, has already delivered more effective barriers, preventing significant incidents and serious outcomes.

Leadership, behaviour and awareness

Effective safety leadership is crucial to the success of our safety programs. We therefore hold line management accountable for safety at all our operations. Behavioural-based safety is the process of involving our people in defining the ways they are most likely to be injured and asking them to observe co-workers and engage them in a discussion that reinforces safe behaviours and identifies ways the job can be done more safely. Our approach aims to increase safe behaviour and decrease at-risk behaviour by involving our leadership, employees and contractors. A number of behavioural-based safety programs are being implemented across our operations.

Lead indicators

A lead indicator is a metric used to drive and measure activities carried out to control and prevent injury, damage or loss. When measured and monitored effectively, they provide

data to enable effective intervention to address or reverse a negative trend before it results in injury, damage or loss. Lead indicators are now being incorporated into our safety metrics at all operations.

Contractor management

Managing contractors and their activities more effectively at our operations has been identified as a significant improvement opportunity for the Company. Our objective is to ensure that standards and procedures adopted by our contractors are consistent with the BHP Billiton standards. During the reporting period, we have taken a number of steps towards improved consistency in this area.

Performance

Fatalities

Classified Injury Frequency Rate

Background

Our approach to environmental management is incorporated in our Charter, which states that we have an overriding commitment to health, safety, environmental responsibility and sustainable development. In addition, we adhere to the HSEC Management Standards that form the basis for our management systems at all levels. They cover the entire life cycle of operations, including decommissioning, closure and rehabilitation.

Environmental management

Our environmental management during the reporting year remained focused on three main areas:

Environmental management systems

All our sites now have in place environmental management plans such as greenhouse gas and energy, waste, water and land management plans as part of Company-wide targets. All our required sites are also now certified to the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System standard. Company-wide professional networks have been established to deal with critical areas of environmental management practice including greenhouse gases and closure.

Closure planning

During the reporting period, we developed a Company-wide Closure Standard. The Closure Standard presents a set of consistent principles and procedures to formally recognise and coordinate the Company’s approach to planning for, providing for and executing closure. While the area of land rehabilitated improved by 15 per cent compared to the previous year, we continued to disturb more land than we rehabilitated, mainly due to increased mining activities at our coal, bauxite, copper and diamond operations.

Climate change

We are working on activities related to climate change risks and opportunities in a number of ways. These include reducing the greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity of our operations in line with a target, requiring sites to develop GHG management and energy conservation plans, pricing carbon in investment decision-making, funding research and development activities, and collaborating with customers.

Biodiversity

The intent of our biodiversity management is to recognise and manage the values of biodiversity that may be adversely affected by our activities. During the year, we researched relevant biodiversity metrics that can be used to monitor and measure the success of our land management and rehabilitation strategies.

Performance

Environmental incidents

Regrettably, we had two significant incidents at our now closed Selbaie site in Canada during the reporting period. These related to acid water seepage that resulted in the release of poor-quality water outside the designed containment system. Measures are being put in place to prevent recurrence.

Water

Waste

Greenhouse gases

Background

Because we operate in a diverse range of countries and cultures around the world, working effectively with these different communities is a task that requires time, resources and expertise.

We are becoming increasingly aware that we must build our people’s capacity within the Company so that they have the skills that will enable them to build strong relationships with the different community groups with which they interact.

Community management

Human rights

During 2003, a Human Rights Self-assessment Toolkit was developed and distributed to all Company sites to assist them in appraising their potential exposure to human rights issues. Use of the toolkit is consistent with the Company’s target of ensuring there are no transgressions of the principles contained within the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Since its implementation, 44 per cent of sites have completed the self-assessment.

For further details on how we are progressing issues that have been raised at two of our operations, refer to our case studies in the Full Report: ‘Process of resolving Tabaco land acquisition issues continues’ and ‘Dialogue Table meetings provide a forum for resolving community issues at Tintaya’.

Community relations

During the year, 26 operations undertook stakeholder perception surveys to better understand their performance from their stakeholders’ perspective. A number of these stakeholder perception surveys were also reviewed to determine whether there were any consistent or emerging themes that could be applied across the organisation.

Community Relations Network

A Community Relations Network has been established to facilitate and encourage communication between employees with community responsibilities. The network provides each member with easy access to 180 people across the Company with whom questions can be raised, experiences shared and advice and opinions sought.

Employee Matched Giving Program

The second pilot phase of the Employee Matched Giving Program was implemented in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. The program aims to strengthen local communities by supporting and encouraging employees who volunteer, fundraise or donate to not-for-profit organisations. During 2004, the Company contributed over US$220 000 to 140 not-for-profit organisations as part of this program.

Corporate foundations

Many of our operations have chosen to manage their community contributions through a corporate foundation structure. These foundations vary in their maturity; some have been functioning for over ten years and others have only recently been established. We are undertaking a study of these foundations in an attempt to determine whether it is the most effective way to deliver community programs, keeping in mind the diversity of countries and cultures in which we operate.

Performance

Human Rights

No transgressions of the principles embodied within the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights were identified within the Group during the year.

Community relations plans

In line with our HSEC target, 98 per cent of the sites required to have community relations plans in place now have operational plans or were covered by a regional development plan developed by the business group.

External reporting

This year, 98 per cent of sites required to prepare public HSEC reports have produced them or they are included in business level reports, which meets our target.

Community contributions

Background

The socio-economic aspects of our operations relate to how we manage our people, govern our business and contribute to the economies within which we operate.

Management and performance

Employee relations

Employee relations are the responsibility of local and business unit management. Employee relations arrangements at individual workplaces are required to respect local legislative requirements and other local standards and circumstances. Our Guide to Business Conduct outlines our policies with regard to equality in employment.

Employee profile

Diversity

The Company is committed to developing a diverse workforce and to providing a work environment in which everyone is treated fairly and with respect and has the opportunity to contribute to business success and realise their potential.

BHP Billiton South Africa has adopted an empowerment strategy of change. This empowerment strategy covers transformation at the levels of ownership, management, sustainable socioeconomic development, procurement and employment equity. The employment equity policy is aimed at redressing previous disadvantages, disempowerment and employment imbalances through accelerated development, training and education programs.

Indigenous employment continues to be an important issue at a number of our sites. Various initiatives have been introduced and reported in previous years, which have been supplemented at some operations by new programs aimed at further consolidating and increasing indigenous employment levels.

Business conduct

A 12-month trial of an external helpline system was established in October in South Africa. It was later extended to include Mozambique. The system provides staff with an external freecall phone number to call as an alternative to our internal business conduct helpline and fraud hotline. After the trial has run its 12-month course, a decision will be made on whether to continue with the service in South Africa and Mozambique, to widen the service to other countries or to cease offering the service and revert to our internal system.

Economic contributions

The economic contribution we make to society is much more than the financial profits we derive. More specifically, our contribution includes the value that flows from the broader contributions of our operations, such as payments to our employees and suppliers and disbursements to governments, including taxes and royalties.

HEALTH

SAFETY

ENVIRONMENT

COMMUNITY

SOCIO-ECONOMIC

A research project commenced in 1990 with a project committee comprising mine management, workforce representatives, engineering personnel and external specialists. A sampling program commenced at an Illawarra Coal mine and was then extended to eight collieries in the state to establish if exposure levels were consistent across the underground coal mining industry. Control technologies evaluated included fuel quality, ventilation, engine design, disposable exhaust filters, engine decoking and water conditioner cleanliness. Control techniques found suitable have been further improved, resulting in reduced operating costs and an improved work environment. Maintenance practices have also been monitored.

As a result of this project, Illawarra Coal has developed a strategy to effectively manage diesel particulate levels, based on the following conclusions:

The strategy has been effective. Monitoring over a 12-month period at Illawarra Coal’s Elouera Colliery indicated that employee exposures to diesel particulates averaged less than half the recommended exposure standard proposed by a committee convened by the NSW Minerals Council.

Our common aim is to work together to deliver increased value by reducing the total cost of ownership of our earthmoving equipment fleet through improved commercial arrangements and continuous improvement process projects. These will also lead to enhancements that comply with the BHP Billiton Fatal Risk Control Protocols, decrease HSEC risks associated with the earthmoving equipment and help us achieve our goal of Zero Harm.

With the support of the Company’s HSEC and asset management teams, initial focus areas were identified that could enable the implementation of projects and initiatives. These include:

The resources of both alliance partners will be utilised to facilitate achievement of our cost reduction, productivity and HSEC enhancement objectives.

The RNP is located within the Bandalup Corridor, a band of remnant vegetation that falls within the buffer zone of the Fitzgerald River Biosphere, a world-renowned biodiversity area. The clearing of remnant vegetation associated with project development has impacts on biodiversity including loss of habitat for fauna and, to a lesser extent, direct fauna impact from road traffic. The loss of habitat has been compensated through the purchase of an adjacent 650-hectare ‘bush block’ as a conservation offset, together with the revegetation of approximately 600 hectares of existing cleared farmland to allow its incorporation back into the Bandalup Corridor.

Four mining exclusion zones have been established to preserve restricted flora species identified during ecological survey work.

The project team has also focused on reducing clearing of remnant vegetation by locating as much infrastructure as practicable on adjacent historically cleared land. Where clearing is unavoidable, progressive rehabilitation has been included in the mine development schedule. At the completion of these revegetation activities and subsequent mine rehabilitation, the width of the Bandalup Corridor will actually be increased and we believe that any potential loss of biodiversity associated with land clearing will effectively be reversed.

We have also sponsored a research project studying the resident heath mouse, Pseudomys shortridgei, an Australian Commonwealth endangered species. The research will assist in developing a recovery plan for the heath mouse to hopefully allow its removal from the endangered list.

In 2004, the third year of the CCLP, ten BHP Billiton employees from eight countries and representing all Customer Sector Groups joined the Oxfam Community Aid Abroad team in India. In the eastern state of Orissa, the group was exposed to best practice examples of community development, effective community dialogue methodologies and the negative impact that poorly managed minerals operations can have on impoverished communities.

Program participants achieved a greater appreciation of the community development process, including:

The value of the program to the Company is that there is now a group of more than 40 CCLP graduates in positions where they can directly influence Company practices and improve our community performance. It is also hoped that the CCLP will enhance our contribution to the longer-term development of social capacities and improve the well-being of individual people in communities where we operate.

In early 2003, the Company implemented a Black Economic Empowerment Procurement Policy for the southern African region. The Policy confers preferential status on BEE suppliers and has the explicit purpose of providing access for black suppliers to the Company’s procurement activities and increasing spending with legitimate BEE suppliers. Our objective in implementing the Policy and setting up the BEE Supply Unit is to ensure that all buying organisations within the Group have the support to meet our commitment to sustainability, as stated in our Charter.

Through the BEE Supply Unit, the Company is promoting BEE spending principally in three ways: supplier transformation; targeting of existing and new BEE suppliers; and building capacity. (See examples below.)

Two Business Development Centres, which have begun operating at Steelpoort and Witbank, will be the primary drivers behind capacity development as:

We are also collaborating with other mining companies to maintain an online BEE supplier database and to accredit potential BEE companies. Recognition of the BEE database as the accepted vehicle from which the major mining houses will source supply, coupled with the benefit of independent and aligned BEE accreditation, should further encourage the transformation of suppliers in our industry sector.

Maduka Construction

Robert Maduka is a former employee of Ingwe Coal’s Khutala Colliery in Mpumalanga Province. After four years of employment at the mine, Robert seized the opportunity to start his own business servicing the mine and formed Maduka Construction.

Currently, Maduka Construction’s responsibilities at Khutala include:

To support the stonedust sampling work undertaken by Robert and his team, Khutala Colliery donated a computer to Maduka Construction to assist in generating reports for the mine management.

Mashidi Metal Picking and Cleaning Services

For more than 30 years, Phineas Mashidi was an employee of Ferrometals, a chrome ore smelter for Samancor Chrome in Mpumalanga Province. In 2001, Phineas chose to accept a retrenchment package and start his own company, Mashidi Metal Picking and Cleaning Services. The company now has 52 employees.

At the smelter, molten chrome ore is poured onto casting floors and allowed to cool. It is then mechanically broken and metal is separated from slag. Mashidi Metal Picking is contracted to load the broken chrome ingots into front-end loaders for further crushing and stockpiling.

As some safety issues have been identified with this work, namely back and finger injuries, Ferrometals is looking into mechanising part of the process and training Mashidi staff with new skills.

HEALTH AWARDS FINALISTS

ENVIRONMENT AWARDS FINALISTS

SAFETY AWARDS FINALISTS

COMMUNITY AWARDS FINALISTS

About BHP Billiton

Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, the Group has primary listings on the Australian and London stock exchanges. We have adopted a business model based on customer-oriented groupings called Customer Sector Groups (CSGs). This structure reflects our focus on the needs of our customers. In March 2004, we announced that we had modified our organisation structure to streamline reporting and maximise the operational effectiveness of the Company. As a result, the existing Customer Sector Groups (CSGs) were brought together under three broadly related business areas of Non-Ferrous Materials, Carbon Steel Materials and Energy. The existing CSG structure has been very effective and will be continued within the new organisation structure.

Each of the CSGs is a substantial business in its own right and several are leaders in their respective fields. The CSGs are Aluminium, Base Metals, Carbon Steel Materials, Diamonds and Specialty Products, Energy Coal, Petroleum, and Stainless Steel Materials.

Our key markets include downstream refiners and processors of raw materials, such as steelworks, smelters, petroleum refiners, thermal power stations and diamond cutters.

In line with the values expressed in our Charter, throughout our operations we have an overriding commitment to health, safety, environmental responsibility and sustainable development.

Contact Us

Ian Wood
Vice President
Sustainable Development and
Community Relations
BHP Billiton
BHP Billiton Centre
180 Lonsdale St
Melbourne Victoria 3000 Australia

Phone: +61 1300 554 757
Fax: +61 3 9609 3015
Email: hsec@bhpbilliton.com
Website: www.bhpbilliton.com

This Report was printed with soya-based inks on paper that is manufactured from sustainable plantation forests, is oxygen bleached, recyclable and biodegradable, and made by a manufacturer that has ISO14001 environmental management system certification.