ICMM has launched the report of the Health and Safety Conference held in Santiago, Chile, in November 2012. The conference consisted of 19 companies and over 300 delegates including five chief executives. The report highlights the importance of collaboration, culture and leadership which was a common message heard throughout the 19 sessions that took place during the conference. The vehicle safety aspects of the conference were extensively reported in International Mining’s April issue, pp64-76.

The conference aimed to ensure the well-being of employees, contractors, their families and their communities, highlighting the importance of companies putting people first. The report indicates that it is people’s well-being that drives efforts to improve health and safety performance in ICMM, whose members have committed to seek continual improvement.

Other themes that emerged from the conference discussions included the health and safety paradigm shifts occurring and the fact that leadership is the primary enabler of good health and safety performance. The growing willingness for collaboration and learning through sharing experience was also discussed as well as the fact that integrated well-being is both the concept guiding the development of processes, and the outcome of sound health and safety management.