BHP - Driving safety forward

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Why is this safety program needed? Despite advances in technology and safety protocols, fatalities continue to occur across mining operations globally. This safety program exists to address those persistent risks with a more structured, consistent, and effective approach. Persistent vehicle-related fatalities Analysis of mining fatalities in international mining from 2004 to 2024 shows clear, repeated patterns. Serious incidents continue to occur.

Relying solely on technology without the right human processes and oversight leads to gaps in safety.”

Tackling the pattern: Why a Control Framework is essential We know the top 3 damaging energies causing fatalities. Now the question is, how do we change that pattern? Industry experience shows that isolated or ad-hoc controls are not enough. To make a real difference, we need a structured Control Framework — one that ensures the right controls are not just present, but effective. What the industry has learned Global mining safety initiatives, such as EMESRT and the ICMM Maturity Framework, have shown that: • control measures must be part of a connected system, not one-off fixes • effective controls need to be designed, implemented, verified, and continuously improved • technology alone isn’t enough — success depends on human processes, oversight, and culture.

These may seem rare or unpredictable events - but they are recurring patterns. That means they can be prevented.

This approach helps sites move away from reactive solutions and toward proactive, preventative safety systems.

Fatal patterns: The 3 damaging energies behind mining fatalities Together responsible for 78% of nearly 800 fatal mining incidents (since 2004).

Understanding the types of energy that cause harm in mining is critical to preventing repeat tragedies. Most single-fatality mining incidents over the past 20 are the result of three main energy types.

Select each energy type below to explore how it causes harm and see real mining examples.

Why this program matters

Vehicular energy 30%

Gravitational energy 35%

Machine energy 13%

In this handbook, we’ll start by focusing on vehicular energy , the second most common cause of fatalities in mining (but the most common at BHP).

The other two damaging energies, gravitational and machine energy will be explored later.

Fatal incidents still happen — and they follow familiar patterns.

Past approaches have lacked structure, consistency, and integration.

A proven, global model helps control risk at every level, from equipment to behaviour to culture.

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