Press release: Protect your hands

– Hand safety campaign launched –

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia – After traffic accidents, the most common accidents involve injuries to hands and feet according to statistics in Mongolia. Such injuries mainly occur at the workplace as well as at home. They range from cutting hands and fingers while preparing meals, to crushing and pinch-point injuries while working with equipment. There are even cases where people completely lost hands.

Wary of these trends, Oyu Tolgoi is focusing on raising awareness of the risks to hands among its workforce, while encouraging the wider public to protect their hands too.

A.Tsengelmaa, Head of the Labour Conditions Research Department of Ya.Munkhchuluun’s Occupational Health Research Centre, says: "Oyu Tolgoi does exemplary work in occupational safety. They put safety above anything else. Their safety training is carried out regularly and a Risk Demonstration Centre for safety training has been established. I support the company’s new hand safety campaign. Generally, we should always remember than any injury stems ultimately from negligence and being careless and carefree. Mongolian people have this common problem. If safety rules are enforced strictly, we can avoid accidents and injuries.”

R.Enkhsaikhan, Vice president of the National Centre for Trauma Research, says: “The hand is one of the most important organs of human body. While humans think with their heads and brains, any conscious action is done above all by your two hands. Therefore, in any hazardous situation, the hand is likely to be first organ to be affected. So, please protect your hands, think before you use your hands, follow safety instructions, and be careful when doing any action.”

B. Battulga, Oyu Tolgoi’s safety Superintendent, added: “There is virtually no task which doesn’t involve hands. The human hand will not grow again – it is given to humans only once. Imagine if you lacked hands and fingers. Try to do anything while bending one finger out of the way. It’s hard, isn’t it? In our industry, hands and fingers play the most important role and are always at risk. All possible measures must be taken to reduce this risk. Everyone's participation in our hand safety campaign is important. During this time, we are planning a variety of activities to provide training to employees to give them the necessary knowledge and information”.

In September, Oyu Tolgoi’s safety motto will be, Look Before You Touch. No matter for how many years you have done this task for, you cannot assume it is safe. Every day, you should always consider whether you could injure your hands and fingers. Instead of learning lessons from injuries, it is much more important to prevent hazards in the first place.”

Please, protect your hands.

About Oyu Tolgoi LLC (http://ot.mn/en)

Oyu Tolgoi LLC, Mongolia's largest copper and gold mining company, is a strategic partnership between the Government of Mongolia, Turquoise Hill Resources and Rio Tinto. Located in the Umnugobi, Oyu Tolgoi has commissioned Concentrator plant in December, 2012 and commenced shipments of copper concentrate in July of 2013. As the biggest single investment in Mongolian history, Oyu Tolgoi already is a major driver of the country’s economy.

Oyu Tolgoi is managed by Rio Tinto, which is investing global expertise and cutting-edge technology to help develop Mongolia’s mining industry and ensure Oyu Tolgoi is one of the world’s most advanced mines. Oyu Tolgoi is developing a nationwide vocational training programme, regional infrastructure, and is committed to ensuring more than 90 per cent Mongolian national employment and a strong Mongolian supplier base. These programmes will help drive economic growth for generations to come.

Oyu Tolgoi’s core commitment is to a safe work place and setting a new standard in environmental care.

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