Austral coke Industries believes that it affects and is affected by the stakeholders that live in the vicinity of its plants. Hence, it believes that it has a major stake in the development of the area and the people that reside therein.

Safety

Austral coke and projects limited had committed resources in an effort to develop and maintain high standards of health and safety management. The Company is committed to ensuring that safe working conditions are provided and maintained for all employees, including those of contractors and sufficient training and equipment is provided to enable employees to carry out their work safely.

The Company is aware of the Government Initiative 'Revitalizing Health and Safety' and is committed to achieving the targets

The Company has an in-house Safety Department who provide advice and assistance on health and safety matters at all levels in the organisation. The Safety Department also measures safety performance through monitoring accident trends and undertaking regular audits at all locations.

Environmental monitoring

Austral coke is committed to ensuring that the effect of its operations on the environment and local communities is minimised ensuring compliance with legal and statutory requirements at all times.

Environmental monitoring plays an important part in site operations. Site staff are suitably trained and provided with up to date monitoring equipment to ensure that environmental compliance is achieved.

Dust monitoring

Dust monitoring is carried out at sites in accordance with the requirements of local authorities, with monitors being placed at various locations on site boundaries and at sensitive properties.

Dust emissions are controlled and monitored to ensure compliance with planning conditions and recognised air quality standards. Dust samples are analysed by an independent laboratory and results are submitted to local authorities . Dust records are also used as a management tool to assist in the design of site operations and dust suppression processes, which involves regular spraying of roads and other dust sources using mobile bowsers.

The control of dust during the transportation of coal is also addressed by the sheeting of road wagons and the provision of wheel wash arrangements to ensure all vehicles leaving site do not spread dust or mud on to public highways.

Noise monitoring

Noise monitoring is carried out on sites to ensure that noise levels emanating from site do not exceed those permitted by local authority planning conditions. Monitoring is carried out in agreement with local authorities at sensitive locations and properties around the sites using modern instrumentation and computer software.

Site restoration

Austral coke understands the importance of restoring its sites to the highest standards. We work closely with all interested parties, including Landowners, Local Authorities and other agencies, to ensure a highly effective restoration scheme. Careful consideration is given to the design of every restoration scheme to ensure we enhance the landscape or improve local amenities.

Coal transportation

Austral coke sales, whenever possible, are distributed via the rail network to our customers. The benefits of rail are in the volumes of coal that can be carried, the ease of loading, as well as the impact on the public and on the environment being kept to a minimum. An efficient rail network is therefore vital to our business.

Some coal nevertheless, must be transported by road. Austral coke takes its responsibilities here very seriously. All vehicles, whilst on site come under the Site Managers' vehicle rules.

Incoming coal and dispatches from railheads can only take place during the hours detailed within the railheads planning consent. Road borne dispatches must adhere to stipulated routes.

All Railheads are equipped with facilities like , dust suppression and road washing and brushing vehicles.

Once excavated, opencast coal is transferred to our coal processing facilities for preparation and onward sale to market. Frequently, the market cannot be met by the working of individual sites on a stand-alone basis and coals from a number of sites may be blended through our coal preparation plants to satisfy specific customer demands.