Safety performance at Australia's top companies is serious business

A new report by Citibank has found that the most work fatalities occur in the mining, materials, construction, engineering and logistics industries, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

The report - Safety Spotlight: ASX 100 Companies & More Injury & Fatalities Data FY05 to Sept FY13 Presented & Interpreted - estimates that since 2005, companies with more than 10 fatalities among employees and contractors include Aquarius Platinum, BHP Billiton, Boral, Coca-Cola Amatil, Leighton Holdings, Lend Lease, Newcrest Mining, Orica, Rio Tinto, Toll Holdings and Transfield Services.

The report states: “Fatalities are varied. Vehicle/mobile plant accidents, public roads and mine sites, helicopter accidents (5 BHP, 8 Newcrest, 3 Oil Search, 11 Rio Tinto), falls from height, falling objects or crush injuries, underground rockfall in mining, electrical accidents, deaths due to lightning, cyclone and landslip, employees failing to follow procedures, cases where an employer failed to provide safe equipment or a safe workplace.”

Scrapping renewable energy goals an expensive move

Submissions to a Senate inquiry warn the Abbott government will be forced to spend more on its Direct Action program to meet its emissions reduction promises if it abolishes the Renewable Energy Target, according to the Australian Financial Review.

Miners demand brake on green left

The peak Tasmanian mining body is pushing for the Coalition to expand its proposed environmental laws reforms to stop “green left” groups from using legal technicalities to challenge sensitive projects and “impose their minority view upon broader society”, according to The Australian.

With escalating tensions over the remote Tarkine region, the Tasmanian Minerals and Energy Council has accused the green left of “trying to drive the mining industry out of all of western Tasmania”