Page 18 - Annual Report 2020
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1.4.6 COVID-19: Our global response continued
Our Technology team supported our response to COVID-19, aiding We limited access to Indigenous communities by our people and
all Incident Management teams and Emergency Management made sure vulnerable members had access to medical services
teams globally and rapidly enabling 16,000 people to work and essential supplies. Expert advice early on told us that
remotely while ensuring the stability and security of enterprise Indigenous peoples may have additional susceptibility to COVID-19
and operations systems. infection. Therefore, we ceased face-to-face meetings with
The Technology team also developed a BHP contact tracing app Indigenous peoples very early in the pandemic, implemented strict
(C-19 Tracer) to provide digital personal protective equipment for social protocols for all BHP employees and contractors in regional
communities, and in Australia, supported Indigenous peoples’
our global staff. It helps our Health, Safety and Environment teams
to trace those who had close contact with a COVID-19 positive return to country and coordinated a national, multi-industry
response to protect and support remote communities.
member of our workforce. The app uses GPS and Bluetooth-based
technologies and was deployed in May, with initial rollout to The Vital Resources Fund contributed more than A$3.3 million
Western Australia Iron Ore and Minerals Americas test groups. to peak Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health councils and
Across BHP, we increased the availability of support services for our medical services across the country to support their communities
people, including localised counselling services in addition to our as they transition from lockdown to recovery.
Employee Assistance Program, a range of online campaigns and The BHP Foundation committed A$3 million to the prevention and
communication tools, and greater communication opportunities treatment of COVID-19 with two world-leading research institutions
to keep our people and teams connected. We sought to identify based in Australia. The Foundation provided A$2 million to support
and make safe and suitable arrangements for employees whose the University of Queensland to develop a potential vaccine and
wellbeing was not best served by continuing to work from home. A$1 million to the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity
In Chile, which has had one of the highest rates of COVID-19 for its Australasian COVID-19 Trial (ASCOT).
infection globally, a telemedicine service was established to Suppliers
support and monitor infected workers’ health.
Where local COVID-19 transmission was sufficiently low, We worked with our suppliers to help ensure they followed
stringent health and safety standards among their own workforce.
work arrangement restrictions were lifted in some locations We also worked with them to source critical hygiene products, such
following targeted assessments of local risks, resources, needs as hand sanitiser, face masks and cleaning equipment to protect
and regulations, and the health and mental wellbeing of our our workforce and the communities where we have a presence.
people, their families and communities. For example, our suppliers delivered hygiene products to a school
Community in Moranbah, Queensland when they were running low, and our
The local communities where we have a presence and local local procurement team filled a shortfall in masks for staff at the
businesses play a critical role in supporting our operated assets Andamooka branch of the Royal Flying Doctor Service in South
and we depend on their ongoing wellbeing, success and Australia. Minerals Americas continues to engage closely with the
prosperity. BHP also operates in close proximity to several remote communities associated with Escondida and Pampa Norte to
and regional Indigenous communities globally. identify opportunities to support the ongoing crisis and recovery
We engaged with the communities where we operate to identify phase, including supporting local suppliers.
where support was needed most, contributing to organisations Getting our people to and from sites safely around the world was
to meet supply and service shortages, accelerating payments also a logistical challenge that our suppliers helped us overcome.
to our small, local and Indigenous suppliers and engaging They provided people and equipment to conduct temperature
additional people from local regions. We worked with governments, screenings at airports and bus depots to ensure no one with
businesses and individuals to identify service and supply shortfalls a fever travelled to site. Our suppliers also expanded our bus
and determine the best way to fill those gaps. fleets, increased the number of charter flights and supported
These steps helped to keep our operated assets running safely and new procedures in camps so we could maintain social distancing.
supported communities and businesses that rely on our business. We also worked with our site-based suppliers to implement robust
We established social investment funds designed to help shared resilience plans and include social distancing measures
in their on-site procedures to keep our people safe and our
support the most vulnerable from infection and mitigate the
broader impacts. operations running.
In Australia, this was through the A$50 million Vital Resources Specific examples of our response can be found throughout this
Fund, which provided a broad range of support programs, Report and at bhp.com/media-and-insights/covid-19/.
including additional GP support for remote Indigenous
communities in Western Australia, the establishment of two fever
clinics in Queensland, IT equipment for the Kokatha Aboriginal
Corporation in South Australia and business mentoring in New
South Wales.
In Chile, we contributed US$8 million to a program to increase
the testing capacity and medical treatment facilities in vulnerable
areas, including new sampling units in La Pintana and Puente Alto
including an in-car unit and mobile electric bus, water distribution in
Antofagasta and Pozo Almonte and sanitation campaigns for public
places in Antofagasta, Coloso, Sierra Gorda and Mamiña. We also
established an additional US$3 million fund for communities.
The US$2 million Community Relief Fund in North America,
Trinidad and Tobago and Mexico supported local and regional
health and wellness programs, such as through the donation of PPE
for medical professionals, as well as essential community services,
and we created a partnership with Project Dignity in Singapore to
supply meals to frontline healthcare workers.
16 BHP Annual Report 2020