Health

As we do across our global operations, we focus on the health of our people across our Canadian business whether they work at industrial sites or in office environments. We support their long-term well-being because we understand that a fit, healthy workforce is one that will support our ambition to become a health and safety leader in our industry.

We use a variety of on-site programs to manage occupational diseases and exposure to health hazards and extend many of these programs to our host communities. No better example demonstrates this approach than our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. At Sudbury INO, the team adapted their leading health and wellness programs for their employees to a new reality while our various sites across the country stepped up to protect the health and well-being of the communities that host their operations.

The pandemic showcased how we respond to communities in times of health crises, but caring for the health and well-being of the communities where we operate has always been the way we do business. Over the last few years, CCR has funded several innovative health projects in the Montreal East area. One such project was the donation to the Fondation du CSSS de la Pointe-de-Île, which went toward the purchase of bilirubinometers (tools to monitor jaundice in newborns) to facilitate home care.

Other health-related initiatives target our employees and contractors, but bring benefits to the entire industry in which we operate. Beginning in 2012, the Sudbury Smelter, part of Sudbury INO, implemented a urinary nickel biological monitoring program with the aim of using good science to counter misinformation about the health effects of nickel. The Sudbury Smelter initiated the program to track nickel exposures of smelter workers over time and provides a solid understanding of exposures within the smelter.

When compared to the administrative control group (comprised of individuals who live in the same community and who have similar nickel exposure outside of work), smelter workers had similar urinary nickel levels. Beyond documenting urinary nickel levels in smelter workers, the program was implemented as a means through which we could advance our zero harm goal and promote science-based approaches to ensure that nickel is produced safely and sustainably.

Regardless of what lies ahead, we are prepared and willing to continually adapt our initiatives in order to uphold our commitment to the health and wellbeing of our people be they employees, contractors or community members.