www.optalert.com

Sep - Nov 2010:

Fatigue Risk Profiler

Canadian OPTALERT Distributor Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline

More Than Meets the Eye

In the Press

Small Steps Towards Sustainable Practices Restoring Sight One Eye at a Time

BLINKEDin OPTALERT’s newsletter for alert professionals

2 BLINKEDin by OPTALERT

Fatigue Risk Profiler

OPTALERT’s new technology set to help companies change their safety profiles BHP Billiton will be amongst the first companies in the world to implement OPTALERT’s new Fatigue Risk Profiling (FRP) technology adding heightened levels of safety risk management at its Minera Escondida copper mine in Chile. The easy to understand FRP graphic user interface enables managers and control room operators to instantly identify, track and quickly access vital information about one or more drivers whenever an in-cab medium or high risk drowsiness alarm is triggered. OPTALERT-FRP leverages a company’s existing investment in other fatigue monitoring technologies offered by OPTALERT such as the OPTALERT-Driver Safety System and/or the OPTALERT-Mine Operator System. “In the blink of an eye, OPTALERT-FRP allows the Minera Escondida control room to see the drowsiness level of every OPTALERT equipped driver in the mine site ; and (depending upon a company’s fatigue management policy) intervene when any driver reaches dangerous levels of drowsiness,” comments John Prendergast, OPTALERT Chief Executive Officer.

Main pic: OPTALERT Fatigue Risk Profiler graphic user interface. In the blink of an eye see the alertness level of every OPTALERT equipped driver in your fleet; instantly identify, track and access vital information about individual drivers at risk. Cover pic: Like something out of a James Cameron science-fiction movie. Maintenance crews dwarfed by rows of massive haul trucks inside a cavernous maintenance shed on the largest copper mine in the world - Minera Escondida. Located in the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile, Minera Escondida is 57.5% owned by BHP Billiton and employs more than 5,700 people. Source: www.bhpbilliton.com

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“ By assessing real-time data

captured during a driver’s shift, over a

period of weeks and months,

OPTALERT-FRP allows managers to identify trends that reveal the safest,

most alert and best performing drivers ”

“By assessing real-time data captured during a driver’s shift, over a period of weeks and months, OPTALERT-FRP allows managers to identify trends that reveal the safest, most alert and best performing drivers,” adds Prendergast. “Conversely, trend analysis of the same data will also reveal drivers who - based on their fatigue risk profile - stand a high chance of having a fatigue related accident if no change to their driving behaviour is made.” In effect, OPTALERT-FRP helps a company identify whether or not its investment to implement fatigue management policies, shift rostering and education of drivers has been money well spent. “The introduction of OPTALERT-FRP demonstrates again why OPTALERT is a world leader in drowsiness detection technology and how we help our customers reduce the cost of fatigue related accidents, increase workplace productivity, mitigate risk and, ultimately, save lives,” said Prendergast. “The OPTALERT-Fatigue Risk Profiler and the information it makes visible to those responsible for the safety of others is a powerful catalyst for changing the entire safety profile of a company.” For more information contact John Prendergast on +61 (0)3 9425 5000. O

4 BLINKEDin by OPTALERT

Establishing a successful international distribution network has seen OPTALERT partner with Canadian OH&S firm, Integrated Risk Management Inc With the recent appointment of Integrated Risk Management as the Canadian distributor of OPTALERT, the company is working to develop a model that will see local knowledge and clever partnering play an important part in introducing the technology to new international markets. And according to OPTALERT Chief Executive Officer, John Prendergast, there could be few better people to work with at this stage than Rich Robillard and his team at Integrated Risk Management - a company that specialises in offering a suite of safety and risk management services integrated as business solutions. “We couldn’t approach such an important market like Canada without a partner who really understood the complexities of that market,” Prendergast says. “The challenges our customers face in Canada are different to those faced in Australia and Latin America.” “To offer OPTALERT to a company in Canada is not just about the device or the in-cab technology to monitor alertness; the risk profiler and the information made visible to the company will be a catalyst for changing that company’s safety profile.”

Canadian OPTALERT Distributer

“ I believe the technology

OPTALERT has developed will fundamentally change how

employers manage and mitigate the

safety hazards and business liabilities

associated with worker drowsiness ”

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To successfully achieve that, says Prendergast, requires local support and a real awareness of the local market – something Integrated Risk Management has developed over their many years of experience in the Canadian OH&S industry. “The alliance is really about pooling our knowledge, our resources and our strengths so that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” Prendergast said. “Without Integrated Risk Management and Rich’s team we simply couldn’t offer and support OPTALERT in Canada.” “I believe the technology OPTALERT has developed will fundamentally change how employers manage and mitigate the safety hazards and business liabilities associated with worker drowsiness,” says Robillard. “OPTALERT’s technology is the critical element of a comprehensive risk mitigation strategy that has simply been absent until now. Risk and safety managers alike have been limited in their effectiveness to deal with worker fatigue as policy strategies have been based on administrative controls alone. OPTALERT changes that. Their technology and approach aligns to Integrated’s risk mitigation strategies and we are very pleased to be working with John and the entire OPTALERT team”. But while Prendergast says establishing the relationship between the two organisations was fairly straightforward, it’s taken longer to reach a point where OPTALERT could confidently commit to providing the support capacity in Australia to back up the Canadian team. “The formal relationship with Integrated was really the easy part because we agree that the risk profile of a business can change depending on so many factors,” he says. “What’s new is the ability to quantify that risk during a driver’s journey.” The technical complexities of the OPTALERT technology have seen the company use its move into the Canadian market and a partnership agreement of this sort as a catalyst for the development of effective global support systems which can then be employed elsewhere. And Prendergast says while this will evolve into their template for doing business in another region, the company’s focus is very much with the team in Canada at present. “We’re in no rush to get it wrong,” he says. “Once we’re sure we have the support and customer relationship steady we will consider our next move which would most likely be to the US and Europe.” He emphasises that to successfully apply the model elsewhere requires the right organisational fit, in terms of people as well as philosophy. “Just like our guys, the Integrated team are focused, capable and dedicated people who clearly understand the importance of safety and risk,” Prendergast says. “It’s the beliefs of each business being aligned and the great people who work there having the ability to work together that makes this a good fit for us both.” O

Integrated Risk Management is a team of OH&S professionals based in Calgary, Canada, offering a specialised suite of safety and risk management services integrated as business solutions. By employing experienced professionals, they are able to focus on their core competencies, primarily the mitigation of safety hazards and business risks associated with worker "Fitness for Duty". Integrated also partners with industry experts, such as OPTALERT, in specialised OH&S competencies, enabling them to provide integrated solutions without compromising quality when clients require a wider spectrum of solutions. For more information visit www.integratesafety.com or email Rich Robillard on rrobillard@integratesafety.com

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A serious accident on an access road for a major gas pipeline has seen OPTALERT come to the rescue to help with safety As the Asset Owner, Operator and Maintainer for the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline in Western Australia, DBP oversees a pipeline that – at nearly 1600kms – is longer than the entire state of California. Following a serious accident on an access road to the pipeline in November 2007, a series of investigations was unable to conclude the specific cause. Manager of Health, Safety and Environment at DBP, Alyson Vinciguerra was involved in the company’s decision to implement OPTALERT technology in all of its trucks following the accident – a decision where the results speak for themselves. “There were a number of factors identified that could have led to the incident, and although the log book demonstrated and fully documented all appropriate rest periods had been adhered to there was still concern over driver drowsiness as a contributing factor, so we began looking at what tools were available in the market that would assist us in managing fatigue in the future,” Vinciguerra says.

Alyson Vinciguerra, Manager HS&E, DBP Transmission DBP Transmission (DBP) is the owner and operator of the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline (DBNGP), Western Australia’s most important piece of energy infrastructure. The DBNGP is WA’s key gas transmission pipeline stretching almost 1600 km and linking the gas fields located in the Carnarvon Basin off the Pilbra coast with population centres and industry in the south-west of the State. Source: www.dbp.net.au

Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline

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She says the company did a lot of research before selecting OPTALERT, and while the other main option they looked at was significantly less expensive, they felt it was by no means going to be able to satisfy their safety needs. “We first trialled OPTALERT on one of our truck drivers who travels the most kilometres on the pipeline – he gave us extremely positive feedback about the equipment. He felt quite comfortable wearing it and felt that he was experiencing benefit from it immediately.” “When we actually introduced it within the expansion project there were a lot of subcontractor drivers and there was an element of resistance,” she says. “But OPTALERT managed that extremely well.” “They went out, they sat with the guys and they adjusted the glasses so that they fit the way they needed to.” Vinciguerra says that from that experience, a number of those subcontractors now have implemented OPTALERT in their own companies. She believes that experience and the positive feedback they received is indicative of the way in which OPTALERT understands what is required to ensure a successful implementation process.

(Continued on page 8)

e

“ [DBP] did a lot of research before

selecting OPTALERT, and while the other

main option they looked at was

significantly less expensive, [DBP] felt it was by no means going to be able to satisfy their safety

needs ”

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“I’ve been really happy with the level of service that we’ve received, not only in terms of the implementation of the equipment itself, but also the education program that was put in place,” she says. “Without an education program to support an initiative like this, it simply won’t work and OPTALERT has been there for all of that.” OPTALERT Chief Executive Office, John Prendergast has equal praise for DBP. “DBP has reduced the risk profile of their operations by using the world’s leading technology to ensure their people are safe whilst driving in some of the most challenging conditions,” he says. “We are always keen to work with businesses with a mature people-centric view to safety, and we greatly value the leadership of DBP in that area.” According to Vinciguerra, one of the great attributes of the technology is its practicality and ability to be used in a range of conditions. “We drive in varying conditions – it can be sunny, it can be cloudy, it can be night time – so being able to vary the glasses lenses according to the conditions has also been really important,” she says. “We had an instance where, through use of the OPTALERT and analysis of the information fed back to us, we were able to conclude that a particular driver wasn’t suitable for night time driving.” But she says the system also promotes a shared responsibility, with drivers afforded a greater level of self analysis and the ability to actively take decisions that will contribute to their own safety. “Straight away the driver has the ability to get information fed back to them that says ‘you need to rest, you’re getting drowsy’,” she says. She adds that since the implementation of OPTALERT, DBP has not had a single vehicle accident associated with fatigue or drowsiness. “On that fact alone, I would strongly recommend OPTALERT,” she says. “In terms of cost, OPTALERT is a more expensive option but when you look at what you’re weighing it up against, which is a potential fatality, then it’s well worth the money you spend.” For more information about DBP and the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline, please visit www.dbp.net.au. O

(Continued from page 7)

“ Straight away the driver has the ability

to get information fed back to them

that says ‘you need to rest, you’re

getting drowsy’...

On that fact alone, I would strongly

recommend OPTALERT ”

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For OPTALERT Implementation Specialist, Warren Lewis, the last four years have been about far more than just an enjoyable job Joining OPTALERT just a month or so before the product launch, Warren Lewis knew he was involved with something that had a lot of potential. But now, over four years later, the magnitude of change that the technology can make seems to know no bounds, as it seems does the scale of the mines that are implementing it. Warren has recently returned from the BHP Billiton Spence mine in Chile, the largest copper mine in the world, where he and his team fit 40 BHP trucks and 140 drivers with OPTALERT equipment. By comparison, Whaleback in Western Australia – the biggest single-pit open-cut iron ore mine in the world – has around 60 trucks. And while it’s his background in optometry and an intimate understanding of optics and “all things glasses” that lead him to work with OPTALERT, Warren says it’s an adventurous spirit that has made him well suited to the requirements of the role. “My work with OPTALERT has taken me all over the world,” he says, “From the United States and Canada to South America, South Africa and what feels like every mine site in Australia, I reckon.”

(Continued on page 10)

More Than Meets the Eye

Main pic: OPTALERT’s Warren Lewis (2nd from right) and Brad Donnini (far left) take time out to grab a happy snap with new friends in front of a giant water truck on site at the BHP Billiton Spence mine in Chile. BHP Billiton Spence is located in the northern region of Chile near the mining town of Sierra Gorda, 150 km north east of Antofagasta, and was officially opened on 25 March 2007. The mine produces 200,000 tonnes of copper cathode per year. BHP Billiton owns 100% of the Spence operation and employs more than 1100 people. Source: www.bhpbilliton.com

10 BLINKEDin by OPTALERT

“It’s definitely a lot better than sitting in a dark room saying ‘1 or 2’,” he quips. But joking aside, Warren is the first to acknowledge that one of the most satisfying things about his role with OPTALERT is the serious difference the company’s technology is making in the field of fatigue management. His role of Implementation Specialist, which involves liaising initially with the mine site to create a project plan before going on site with a small team of people, is actually one of education as much as implementation. While much of the time spent on site involves one-on-one time with each driver to adjust their glasses for fit and comfort, Warren says the implementation role goes beyond just the equipment. “A significant amount of what we do on site is about education and training for management, and ensuring that people at all levels of the organisation are on board intellectually with the equipment and how it works.” He says as much time would be spent educating the recipients of the glasses and their managers on how the system works and “what to do if…” as on the actual fitting. “Obviously correct adjustment is absolutely critical to the effectiveness of the system and ensuring we reduce the impact of workplace fatigue and drowsiness, but from our customers’ point of view it’s also equally as important to have processes in place for the necessary day-to-day maintenance.” “It’s about ensuring we are providing equipment that can be relied on at all times,” he says. Having come on board as the company made its very first forays into the market in 2006, Warren has seen first hand the evolution of the OPTALERT product and technology. “I’m proud to say I had quite a bit to do with that,” he says, adding that he sees the future applications for the technology stretching right down to light vehicles. But while the job has seen him travel and allowed him to visit mine sites all over the world, Warren says the most rewarding part of the role has been seeing how significant a difference the technology makes to the general level of safety on mines, and the extent to which every person on those mines values and understands that contribution. “For me, that’s the most refreshing thing about being involved with this business,” Warren says, “For these mines, it’s not about the money (that can be saved). They genuinely have the wellbeing of the men at heart, and the men themselves understand that you’re actually doing something that could save their lives.” O

(Continued from page 9)

“ [The mining companies]

genuinely have the wellbeing of the

men at heart, and the men themselves

understand that you’re actually

doing something that could save

their lives ”

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In the Press

Good news travels fast OPTALERT continues to feature in numerous print and electronic publications right around the country. Read these articles and more in the News & Events section at www.optalert.com:

“Keeping track of truckies’ alertness”, Australian IT,

The Australian, 10 Aug, p.25 (press clipping right) & PerthNow.com.au, 9 Aug.

“Waking up to driver fatigue”, Australian Mining, 19 Jul. “Freight company trials anti-fatigue alert device”, Quarry -

Official Journal of the Institute of Quarrying Australia, Jul, p.52-53.

“Drivers say goodbye to land of nod”, Shift Miner - the Queensland mining community’s best source of local news, 21 June, p.12.

“Vision: a wake-up call for drowsy drivers”, The Australian Financial Review, 20 May, p.7

“Fighting Fatigue”, Daily Telegraph, 20 Apr, p.11. “Melbourne sleep expert Murray Johns markets his drowsiness

monitor OPTALERT”, The Australian, 20 Mar. “Sunglasses detect fatigue”, CarsGuide.com.au, 18 Mar. “Taking control of drowsiness before it's too late”,

TWU News - the official journal of the Transport Workers Union of Australia (Vic/Tas Branch), Autumn. O

Source: Foreshew, J 2010, “Keeping track of truckies’ alertness”, Australian IT, The Australian, 10 Aug, p.25.

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OPTALERT signs with Greenfleet Like any journey, the path to environmental sustainability begins by choosing to take a few important first steps. In deciding to do something about climate change and take environmental action, OPTALERT is proud to announce we have signed up with Greenfleet. Greenfleet is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to helping the community reduce the environmental impact of travel, business and lifestyle choices by adopting low-carbon alternatives and biosequestration. Greenhouse gas emissions generated by the electricity used at OPTALERT’s head office building in Melbourne, Australia will now be offset through Greenfleet’s initiatives. Greenfleet offsets greenhouse gas emissions by planting forests that soak up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow. The forests Greenfleet plant are made up of a wide variety of Australian native trees that also help to reduce soil erosion and salinity, improve water quality and provide habitat for native animals.

Pics above: OPTALERT’s new office in Melbourne, Australia. Did you know: Worldwide, 30-40% of all primary energy is used in buildings.* Of this, up to 70% in Australia is used for heating and cooling commercial buildings alone.** And since Australia burns coal to generate electricity, reducing energy consumption is a simple, but effective method to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Australia and do something about climate change. Source: * UNEP 2007, Building and Climate Change. ** Australian Government 2009, ESD Operations Guide.

Small Steps Towards Sustainable Business

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s Practices

Significantly, Greenfleet was the first not-for-profit forestry organisation in Australia to become an Approved Abatement Provider under the Australian Government’s former Greenhouse Friendly™ initiative. “It’s small steps like these that help our business and many others work toward being as sustainable as possible,” says OPTALERT Marketing Manager, Raymond Lee. Unlike the plethora of other Carbon Offset companies out there claiming to plant trees to help the environment, Greenfleet exists to make a difference, not a profit. An important distinction not lost on OPTALERT in deciding who to partner with in taking our first environmental action steps. Since Greenfleet commenced in 1997, they have planted more than 6 million native trees on behalf of individual and business supporters just like OPTALERT. “We’re also partnering where possible with other like minded businesses, including Mystique printing, who also offset their greenhouse emissions,” adds Raymond. “So all of OPTALERT’s printing, business cards, letterhead and the BLINKEDin newsletter are 100% carbon neutral,” he adds. For more information visit to www.greenfleet.com.au. O

Greenfleet was recently recognised as a finalist in the Biodiversity category of the United Nations Association of Australia (UNAA) World Environment Day Awards - demonstrating that action on climate change goes hand in hand with other environmental benefits. Main pic: Compare and contrast - 4½ year old Greenfleet planted forest growing next to a cleared paddock with only one old tree left standing.

14 BLINKEDin by OPTALERT

OPTALERT signs up to support the work of the Fred Hollows Foundation Part of OPTALERT’s business vision is to play a role in supporting like-minded community and environment organisations. The latest community organisation the OPTALERT team have decided to support is The Fred Hollows Foundation, inspired by the work of the late Professor Fred Hollows, whose vision was for a world where no one is needlessly blind. Working to continue Fred's vision, The Fred Hollows Foundation in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, have come together to form a global network to increase their collective impact in eradicating avoidable blindness around the world. With the help of supporters like OPTALERT – who have recently committed to provide monthly donations - the Fred Hollows Foundation works in over twenty countries world-wide with hope to build on their record of restoring sight to well over one million people.

Fred Hollows (1929-1993) was a passionate ophthalmologist who became known for his work helping restore the eyesight of countless thousands of people in developing countries around the world. Fred held a special place in the hearts of many. According to Gabi Hollows, Fred's widow, he meant many things to different people. He was a husband, a father, a friend, a skilled ophthalmologist and, for a few politicians and bureaucrats, an irritating thorn in their side. But above all else he was a humanitarian, which made him a terrific doctor. He truly believed it was the role of the doctor to serve, to help those in need. Today, The Foundation is proud to carry on Fred's legacy, delivering sight-saving care to those most in need. Source: www.hollows.org.au Photo: www.michaelamendolia.com

Restoring Sight One Eye at a Time

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OPTALERT is proud to know that its small regular monthly contribution helps the Fred Hollows Foundation reach out to more people living with avoidable blindness across the world. Did you know:

Sight can be restored for as little as $25 AUD in some developing countries.

3 out of 4 people in the developing world are living with avoidable blindness due to lack of access to simple treatment and routine surgery.

On average, a person living with blindness in the developing world will die within four years of going blind.

There is a 10 year life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Regular monthly gifts, like OPTALERT has committed to, allows the Fred Hollows Foundation to plan their work more effectively and in the long term, reducing their costs even further.

For more information or to make a donation to the Fred Hollows Foundation, please visit www.hollows.org.au. O

BLINKEDin is a newsletter published by OPTALERT Pty Ltd ABN 20 100 362 883. Subscription is free and available directly from OPTALERT. OPTALERT Lvl 3, Bldg 5, 658 Church Street Richmond VIC 3121 Melbourne Australia +61 (0)3 9425 5000 BLINKEDin@optalert.com www.optalert.com ©2010 OPTALERT Pty Ltd. Important Notice: The information contained in this newsletter is given in good faith. To the maximum extent permitted by law, neither OPTALERT, its employees or contractors accept any liability for loss or damage arising as a result of any person acting on information contained in this newsletter. This newsletter should not be used or relied on as a substitute for detailed professional consultation with OPTALERT.

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