ArcelorMittal South Africa 2007 Sustainability Report Page 26 The issue of health and safety is given the highest level of priority at ArcelorMittal South Africa and the company is committed to continuous safety improvement to reach its goal of zero injuries and occupational diseases. Safety and health Securing the safety of employees and contractors Structures to govern health and safety issues In meeting this mandate, the company is guided by the Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) policy which is implemented at board, Exco, business unit, division, department and shift level and which is governed by the SHE Committee of the board. The CEO, COO, general managers of each of the company’s business units, Company Secretary and Executive Director: Human Resources (currently vacant) sit on this committee, which meets quarterly to discuss safety performance and the progress on safety strategy. During 2007, a union representative from Solidarity (NUMSA participated in 2007) also attended the SHE Committee meetings following a decision made in 2006. Each year a representative from a different union will hold this seat which will be allocated on a rotational basis. SHE Committee meetings are held at the operating facilities and include a plant walkabout where committee members and plant management get an opportunity to engage shopfloor employees on safety and health matters. SHE issues are the first item on the agenda at the Executive Committee (Exco), Operations Committee (Opsco) monthly meetings and other management meetings. CEO SHE meetings which include a safety walkabout, are also held six monthly at each operating unit where the CEO, COO and Group Manager SHE have an opportunity to review safety performance and progress on improvement initiatives. At these meetings, the Business Unit General Manager also presents the safety performance of the previous six months and provides a progress report on the implementation of safety plans. At business unit level, safety issues are covered in monthly management meetings, and unions are also involved and updated on safety performance and progress made in improving safety performance and culture. At plant level, safety meetings are, in most cases, held on a monthly basis or, at the very least, every three months, as is required by Safety records in 2007 Newcastle Works achieved its best ever safety performance in 2007 with an LTIFR of 1,25, while the safety performance of ArcelorMittal South Africa as a whole in 2007 was also at an all-time best of 2,2 (an equivalent of 0,44 when measured on 200 000 hours). SHE meetings are now held on site, allowing the Business Unit General Manager to gain greater insight into specific safety issues. Key issues are: •  secure the safety of employees and contractors •  safeguard the health of employees Responsibilities of the SHE Committee •  Ensure that the management of safety, health and the environment in the company is aligned with the overall business strategy of the company and is geared towards compliance and fulfilment of its commitments and obligations in this field; •  Consider and approve corporate  safety, health and environmental  strategies and policies, and monitor compliance; •  Consider and approve major safety, health and environmental projects; •  Ensure that its members are informed about all significant impacts on the company in the safety, health and environmental field and how these are managed; and •  Monitor the company’s safety, health and environmental performance, progress and continuous improvement.