Our Workplace Is Dangerous – but Don’t Tell!

By Jim Cocks

Management of injuries and fatalities in the workplace continues to be a low profile affair for some, as an examination of safety disclosure by Top 50 companies shows.

Every year about 200 Australians farewell their families, go to work and die. Large companies make mantra-like statements such as those of vice President of safety for BHP Billiton, Barry Formosa: "Our business performance is related to our safety performance." Corporate Monitor examined companies within high risk sectors amongst the Top 50 listed companies and assessed the degree of governance on OHS matters, especially disclosure and the use of OHS performance targets in relation to directors' and executive's remuneration levels.

(Ethical Investor, issue 26, September 2003)