Bauxite mines and refinery operators often invest in healthcare programmes and infrastructure for local communities.
Improved access to healthcare, health education, and infrastructure enhances the wellbeing of local communities. For operators, it also lays the foundation for a more sustainable and mutually beneficial relationship with the communities they work in.
Employees have to adhere to health and safety protocols for work-based risks such as working at heights and operating heavy machinery, while companies also invest in improving the health of the local communities outside of work. An assessment is carried out to identify the programmes that can most benefit the specific needs of a community. These can include:
- Nutrition & weight management
- Smoking cessation
- Stress management
- Cholesterol management
- Diabetes education
- Vaccination & immunisations
- Heart health
- Depression screening
- Work-life balance initiatives
- Sexual health
- Vector-borne disease control
- Drugs & alcohol programmes
- Sanitation infrastructure & programmes
Through proactive community engagement, companies work closely with communities. This helps to define location-specific medical needs, address cultural sensitivities, and put measurement practices in place. Where necessary, operators will invest in healthcare infrastructure for the local community, from building hospitals and clinics to providing equipment and resources.
A healthy community means healthy families, which results in a safer and more motivated workforce. In turn, the values of occupational health and safety at the heart of mining and refining operations are taken by the workforce into their homes and communities, fostering a culture of safety.
