Healthy people

Dr Tumi Nyezi is a dentist at Platinum Health's health centre in Rustenburg. Tumi was nominated by fellow employees as a heroine for her dedication to her job and caring nature towards them.

Dr Tumi Nyezi is a dentist at Platinum Health's health centre in Rustenburg. Tumi was nominated by fellow employees as a heroine for her dedication to her job and caring nature towards them.

PROTECTING HUMAN CAPITAL

In general, human capital incorporates the safety, health, knowledge, skills, intellectual outputs, motivation and capacity for relationships of the individual.

In an organisational context at Anglo Platinum, it includes the elements needed for people to engage in productive work and the creation of wealth, thereby achieving a better quality of life for employees and their families.

EMPLOYEE SAFETY

Employee safety is a material issue and has therefore been included in detail in the 'Our Material Issues' section of this report on page 31.

HEALTHY PEOPLE

Anglo Platinum's health strategy is a comprehensive one, aiming for wellness rather than a reactive, curative approach. It recognises the integrated nature of wellness and the complexity of factors that impacts health and well-being.

Employee health cannot be seen or treated in isolation from the health of the communities around our operations, and the public health services of Anglo Platinum proved their value in 2008 by managing waterborne disease in the Makopane area and monitoring and preventing the spread of disease, as in the threat posed by the cholera epidemic originating from Zimbabwe.

Medical treatment, including HIV/AIDS, is provided as a free healthcare benefit to employees as we believe that it contributes to wellness and has a positive impact on safety and productivity at the workplace.

Quality medical care is provided through a health maintenance organisation (HMO).

HEALTH SERVICES PROVIDED

Anglo Platinum provides the following health services:

  • A range of public healthcare interventions aimed at preventing infectious diseases, including tuberculosis, cholera and malaria, and expert assistance to regional healthcare services.
  • The treatment of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis (TB).
  • HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programmes for employees and dependants.
  • Occupational healthcare service.
  • Primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare.
Deterioration of hearing from baseline – %

Given the background of high medical cost inflation in South Africa and various financial constraints, Anglo Platinum continues to be recognised by the Registrar of Medical Schemes as providing quality but also cost-effective and sustainable healthcare, delivered mainly through the HMO. Mine hospital-based healthcare provision is the ideal model for enabling access to affordable healthcare for lower-income families who cannot afford the cost of private medical schemes. This service is available at affordable rates to all employees and contractors working at Anglo Platinum operations.

Occupational health

Anglo Platinum has a well-developed system of occupational healthcare services to prevent or minimise impairment from workplace health hazards. These include occupational hygiene and medicine systems, which are monitored and audited according to the Group's occupational health management guidelines and best practice. This third-party audit comprises all the requirements endorsed by the South African Society for Occupational Medicine (SASOM).

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL)

The most significant occupational health risk at Anglo Platinum remains NIHL, but consistent and systematic efforts to address this risk are starting to show results.

There were 28 new cases of NIHL in 2008. The NIHL definition used is that stipulated by the ICMM.

In 2008, 68 employees were compensated for NIHL, which is significantly lower than in the previous years (111 in 2007 and 637 in 2006). These results are encouraging, reflecting a move towards achieving the 2011 target of zero new cases.

Silicosis

None of Anglo Platinum's operations pose any risk of exposure to crystalline silica dust and its associated lung diseases due to the nature of the ore deposits.

In 2008, there were 13 new cases of pneumoconiosis of which three were caused by exposure at Anglo Platinum's health care services (against 212 in 2004, 234 in 2005, 61 in 2006 and 21 in 2007), including cases of asbestosis. Ten of the new cases were attributable to exposure prior to employment at Anglo Platinum.

Nickel exposure

Potential nickel exposure in isolated sections of the metallurgical process is addressed in the short term through personal protective equipment. Long-term engineering solutions are being implemented. Hygiene monitoring, medical surveillance and targeted biological monitoring are conducted among the small group of employees working in this environment.

Lead exposure

Potential lead exposure in certain isolated sections at the Polokwane Smelter and at the laboratory's fire assay sections is addressed through comprehensive control programmes. Hygiene monitoring, medical surveillance and also specific biological monitoring are conducted among the small group of employees working in these particular environments.

Diesel particulate matter exposure

Exposure to diesel particulate matter in mechanised underground sections has been identified as a potential risk, and a comprehensive baseline occupational hygiene assessment is in the final stages of completion.

Infectious tuberculosis (TB)

Anglo Platinum actively screens for TB and provides comprehensive treatment to infected employees. During 2008, 734 (520 in 2007 and 891 in 2006) employees with new TB infection were treated. There were 91 deaths from TB, of which 81 were HIV-related (seven in 2007, of which six were positive for HIV; and 65 in 2006, when 72% of cases were positive for HIV). Our rate of new TB cases increased from 10 per 1,000 in 2007 to 12 per 1,000 in 2008. This is cause for concern, and in the context of a national epidemic we will step up all preventative and control measures.

Anglo Platinum recorded one case of extremely resistant TB in 2008 (compared with one in 2007).

Initial data from the antiretroviral (ART) programme show a decrease in the risk of TB among employees on ART, reflecting the efficacy of the latter.

Healthcare workers treating patients with infectious TB at our medical stations are exposed to an occupational risk of contracting TB.

Anglo Platinum has in place advanced environmental control arrangements in all areas where there is a high density of people, especially TB wards. This greatly reduces the risk to healthcare and other workers.

Platinosis

The potential for platinum-salt sensitisation occurs only at Precious Metals Refiners. The risk has abated significantly over the last decade owing to improved conditions. Seven cases were diagnosed in 2008, compared with no cases in 2007 and five cases in 2006. The reason for the deterioration in 2008 was exposure during a comprehensive stocktake. Procedures used to guide tasks during stocktake have been amended to prevent future exposure.

Evaluation of fitness to work, rehabilitation and functional assessment centres

As part of the approach to wellness, Anglo Platinum routinely conducts medical examinations on all employees to continually monitor fitness to work and establish any adverse medical condition. To conduct these medicals, Anglo Platinum operates three rehabilitation and functional assessment (RFA) centres: at Rustenburg, Thabazimbi and Modikwa. At RFA centres, batteries of tests are used to objectively measure physical fitness through physical work capacity testing. The centres also undertake functional work capacity testing for specific jobs. If employees prove unfit, they are placed on a rehabilitation programme. All employees on rehabilitation programmes are assessed periodically until they pass the required tests, after which they are declared fit to return to work. In 2008, 278 employees who failed fitness tests could not be placed elsewhere. The majority, however, could be accommodated.

In cases where employees remain unable to meet any of the job requirements or alternative jobs are not available, medical boarding is initiated.

Medical incapacity

Through the Company's medical boarding processes, medically affected employees are evaluated and considered for alternate employment where they are disabled or unable to continue in their current jobs.

Medical boarding procedures considering alternative employment have been successful, with 46% of medically affected employees placed in alternate positions (40% in 2007). Employment was terminated in 278 cases in 2008 (317 cases in 2007), of which 19 followed injuries and 13 occupational diseases. Contrary to frequent perceptions, HIV is not the primary reason for medical boarding. At present it is a very small contributor to boarding.

Nutrition

The South African food-based dietary guidelines and the dietary reference intakes of the Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board, USA, are used as directives to ensure the adequacy of nutritional intake for employees living in accommodation provided by the Company.

Regular audits are conducted by the Group's public health department to ensure adherence to all food safety principles. Raw and cooked food samples are taken to accredited laboratories for microbiological and chemical analysis to ensure conformity to health legislation and Anglo Platinum standards. Every month the consulting dietician analyses reports on actual consumption and meal participation, for portion and nutritional control, and is responsible for addressing any concerns.

Food suppliers are audited annually by the public health department's audit team, which includes a senior South African auditor and a Training Certification Association auditor, to ensure adherence to health criteria.

As part of socio-economic development, the Company is exploring ways of improving nutritional status through self-help schemes, especially in the rural Eastern Limb.