Why Does BHP Have Two Sets Of Safety Rules

• General News
• 15th March 2012

We all know that there have been several deaths on BHP sites in recent years. And we accept that the strict observance of safety regulations and policies is absolutely non-negotiable.

So why did a BHP supervisor on the Mount Whaleback mine escape penalty after he seriously breached company safety regulations?

An ordinary worker who did what he did would have been extremely lucky to escape being SACKED!

The supervisor concerned:

• Blantantly broke red tag procedures by parking his utility just 6 metres from a massive 980 loader while it was being refuelled by a haul-pak sized lube truck.

The loader was tagged out and he had no authorisation to breach the 50 metre exclusion zone

The supervisor totally ignored working green beacons and advice from the loader operator that he should not be there.

Showing blatant disregard for the rules he proceeded to show a woman HR officer up into the cab of the loader.

• In another incident the same supervisor breached BHP Policy whenhe took five employees gate passes and logged them off at the security gate.

He did this to avoid breaking the firm's 14 hour rule. The five personnel continued working on the Hill for 45 minutes after they were wrongly signed off. HOW WRONG WAS THAT!

However, despite these very serious breaches of company policy and safety regulation the supervisor appears to have gone un-penalised.

After the incident involving the 980 loader operator, the TWU site convenor filed a GRIEVANCE with the company on behalf of the loader operator and the re-fueller.

An investigation was subsequently conducted. But AMAZINGLY, neither the loader operator, re-fueller or the convenor were allowed to participate. How much does that STINK?

And it gets worse the loader operator and refueller were then told they must attend a "CULTURE COURSE!"

This was a GROSS INSULT to two totally innocent employees who did, absolutely the right thing, by reporting the safety breaches.

In fact, YOU can be sacked if you see a hazard or near miss and DON'T REPORT IT!!!

No wonder there is a festering discontent among the Newman troops over BHP's double standards when it comes to safety on site.

People are asking, "How many times can a supervisor's breaches be swept under the carpet before he is properly dealt with.

There's no doubt that if a blue collar worker consistently flaunted the rules like this dick-heade has - they would have been LONG GONE.