THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS INSPIRING · MATT HOWELL – CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER THE PAST THREE MONTHS HAVE BEEN EXCEPTIONAL IN MANY WAYS FOR TOMAGO ALUMINIUM. We recently received approval

SUMMER EDITION 2016

TAC MATESHIP WINS SAFETY AWARD

SUPPLIER AWARDS 2016

INSPIRING INNOVATION CELEBRATED IN STYLE

MINDSET AND CULTURE THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS

CEO message 3

FEATURE STORY 4-7


Clever ideas lead to fun in the sun 8Supplier Awards 2016 another triumph 9TAC Mateship wins Safety Award 10A 360° view of Tomago Aluminium 11The sky’s the limit 12Celebrating years of service 13Historic EA in play 13Tablets – just what the doctor ordered 14Working smarter not harder to increase production 15Tapping in to greater efficiency and safety 16Mindset and culture the key to success 17Lessons from a hero 17Starting the conversation on R U OK Day 18Wellbeing – help is always at hand 19Is bigger better? 20Amping up the power savings 21Continuing to give back 22Barking mad bakers 22Did you know? 2360 seconds with... Jade Maddigan 23Tomago’s key performance indicators 24

CONTENTS

2 SUMMER EDITION 2016

MATT HOWELL – CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

THE PAST THREE MONTHS HAVE BEEN EXCEPTIONAL IN MANY WAYS FOR TOMAGO ALUMINIUM.

We recently received approval from the NSW Department of Planning to increase our saleable aluminium output to 600,000 tonnes, which in combination with a secure energy contract to 2028, locks in a long term future for our business. The increase was required due to this year’s

excellent results, which saw annual production exceed our previous licence cap. These results were possible because of collective achievements and efforts right across the site. To recognise these outstanding efforts, we recently held our third Tomago Innovation Awards, with 246 nominations! Every single one of these people have contributed innovations that make our business safer, cleaner and more efficient – ensuring a long term future.

Congratulations to Andrew Withers who was the winner of our overall Excellence in Innovation award. Andrew challenges the way we do things and uses technology to develop simple, innovative improvements to our systems. The changes that have resulted from Andrew’s dedication impact the entire plant and are greatly appreciated.

At the recent Hunter Manufacturing Awards our ‘Mates Looking After Mates’ program was named winner of the Excellence in Safety Award. This program is at the heart of what we do at Tomago – we look after each other. Our combined commitment to the safety of our mates, and to sharing

personal stories and experiences to improve safety, is one of our greatest achievements. The resulting outstanding safety record is testament to the success of this program.

While it is encouraging to receive awards, it is also important for us to recognise the suppliers who are a vital part of our business and who collaborate with us daily to help us get our job done. Our annual Supplier Awards evenings have such a great reputation that Morten Simonsen from Simonsen Denmark made the international trek to join us again and this year went home with the award for the major Raw Materials category. We also had representatives from most Australian states at the awards, reflecting the extent to which our business supports other businesses throughout Australia.

In the past few months we have also implemented some incredible new initiatives using the latest technology. We are now using a drone for auditing our infrastructure, saving time and money, and improving safety. We also have a 360fly, which is a panoramic 360 degree video camera

that combines with a virtual reality headset which allows us to provide training and familiarisation that seems real, without having to be on-site. By challenging the way we have always done things and exploring the application of new technology, our operation will continue to grow and thrive.

On behalf of the Management Team, my thanks to everyone for another milestone year in which we have achieved beyond expectations. Please enjoy some well deserved time with family and friends over the festive season and particularly to those who keep our business running around the clock on shiftwork, we say ‘Thank You’. I have no doubt that by working together we will continue to kick goals that may not even seem possible yet.

I wish you and your families a safe and relaxing festive season.

Best regards, Matt

Do you have an interesting story to tell? If you have a suggestion for TAC News please contact Toni Lawson at [email protected]

BY CHALLENGING THE WAY WE HAVE ALWAYS DONE THINGS AND EXPLORING THE APPLICATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGY, OUR OPERATION WILL CONTINUE TO GROW AND THRIVE.

SUMMER EDITION 2016 3


Innovation in Cost & Waste Reduction– LIQUID METAL TEAM: MICHAEL JACKSON, LEE CRICK

The team has successfully devised an innovative, homegrown and simple solution to the big, long-term (30-year) problem of PTAs overfilling our pots. Lee and Michael’s solution means less spillage, less cleaning and a saving of almost $2 million, compared with buying-in a solution.

Innovation in Health, Safety and Environment– TROY GORTON, CARBON OPERATIONS

Troy has completely transformed and simplified the way maintenance down-days are planned and executed in the Rodding Shop. He has brought the whole team along on the journey to a point where the planning of jobs and isolations is light-years quicker, easier and more accurate. Everyone is safer, less frustrated, and getting the job done quicker. More jobs are being done, housekeeping is scheduled better and we’re saving $200k every year. The whole team is engaged and proud of the results.

Innovation in Health, Safety and Environment Individual Winner Troy Gorton, Carbon Operations, with TAC CEO Matt Howell.

Innovation in Cost and Waste Reduction team winners Liquid Metal Team Michael Jackson, TAC CEO Matt Howell and Lee Crick.

Overall Excellence in Innovation Winner 2016 Andrew Withers with TAC CEO Matt Howell.

Overall Excellence in Innovation Winner 2016 – ANDREW WITHERS

Proving that age isn’t a prerequisite for wisdom, Andrew, who is in his 30s, won this award for consistently identifying new opportunities for improvement. Andrew challenged old ways and adopted new technology and methods. Part of the Emission Control team, Andrew is a results-driven, team player who consistently finds ways to simplify, innovate and get things done at the coal face.

Andrew has been involved in many improvements across a number of departments within the business, such as:

§ Being part of the Uber team which developed new methods and technology at the north gate so our 30,000 truckloads of alumina per year go to the right place at the right time, saving tens of thousands of dollars annually in truck delays and process disturbance;

§ Re-organising the Emission Control workshop, even sourcing new ideas and equipment from the internet to allow in-sourcing of filter bag maintenance which will save hundreds of thousands of dollars per year;

§ Modifying and incorporating the hornet bag and filter maintenance so we can take on the work in an efficient manner; and

§ Simplifying and implementing methods to in-source small filter maintenance, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars and giving the business better control of emissions.



Employees who have delivered innovations that have improved Tomago’s business operations were rewarded at the third annual Tomago Aluminium Innovation Awards recently.Andrew Withers received the overall Excellence in Innovation award, taking home an overseas trip for two to the value of $21,000. A total of 246 employees were nominated for awards, with individual category winners receiving a domestic trip for two to the value of $2,500 and category team winners receiving a team-building event.

CEO Matt Howell with the Casthouse Remote CHFTA Team, Cast Products.

Innovation in Cost and Waste Reduction – Individual– MALCOLM FISHER, CAST PRODUCTS

Mal continues to develop new ways to reduce losses and improve production. He contributes greatly to lowering our billet cost and getting us closer to 100kT per annum – demonstrating it is the small improvements done on shift by our people who operate the processes that make a big difference and help secure our place in the international billet market.

Innovation in Cost and Waste Reduction Individual Winner Mal Fisher, Cast Products, with TAC CEO Matt Howell.

Innovation in Health, Safety & Environment– THE CASTHOUSE REMOTE CHFTA TEAM, CAST PRODUCTS

Cheyne Davies, Jerry Tawalo, Mitchell Harding, Kade Hardy, Chase Bennett, Scott Bubb, Brent Dunn, Nick Luckner, Dallas Edwards, Michael Cikan, Gerry Sissingh, Rob Cox, Bradley Hickey

For the last 30 years all ladles with hot metal have been poured by an operator at the end of a crane pendant in close proximity to the ladles and trucks. Casthouse operations came up with the idea that we needed to convert from pendant to remote operation for step-change in operator-safety for the next 30 years. Tests and trials were done, including hi-tech ‘printing’ of test remotes for trial.

Engineering design was completed and the local maintenance team took on and completed the installation and start-up. This was a fantastic example of innovation from the seed of an idea to implementation and operation. It was also a great example of the ability of this team to take things out of a 30-year ‘too-hard’ basket, being inventive and getting the job done.


Innovation in Process Stability and Quality– LMO POTMICRO TEAM

Katherine Russell, Daryl Frew, Tom Sharples, Ian Mossop, Mick Medcalf, Ben Blyth, Brian Crossingham, Anthony Stevens, Charlie Sanders

Replacement of our Potline Micros has been prohibitively expensive for many years but thanks to the LMO Potmicro Team, Potlines 2 and 3 will be completely upgraded for half the cost and time-frame of a similar upgrade on Potline 1 by the end of 2016. This team represents the cooperative strength of Operations, Automation/Maintenance and Engineering to look at things differently and devise a completely new concept and method for production and delivery as well as faster installation and commissioning methods. The team has saved more than $10million in project costs, enabling Tomago Aluminium to move quickly to more stable operations and better control of our pots.

CEO Matt Howell with the LMO Potmicro Team.


Innovation in Process Stability and Quality– NICOLE ARMITSTEAD CARBON OPERATIONS

Nicole’s leadership and motivation to improve and innovate inspires the whole Carbon team to recognise new possibilities and new ways to implement improvements. The improvements in Carbon have ramped up to a new level of excellence this year, and the performance of the anodes at the higher amperage is phenomenal. Additionally, anode variability has been reduced by 30%.

Innovations include:

§ Auto control of anode height and weight;

§ Paste Plant 1 fines control; and

§ Parameter drift control.


CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS

Blue Bus Award– FACILITIES MAINTENANCE TEAM

Tom Lampe, Daryl Stirrat, Abe Humphreys, Dean Pond, Todd Lilley, Tim Beasley, Peter Sharkey, Jade Maddigan, Nick Landrigan, Roy McFarlane, Paul Davis, Andrew Darr, Alex Deacon

A shining example of a team taking on change in the ‘Can-Do’ and ‘Leadership’ zones, the Facilities Maintenance Team has advanced from one which focused on fire systems, communications and air compressors to plumbing, building maintenance, road maintenance, air conditioning and boilermaking, significantly reducing cost and time for repairs across the spectrum.

The team demonstrates a shared sense of pride in their achievements and a passion to keep looking for new and innovative ways to work even more effectively together to improve the business. This team has shown how to ‘give things a go’ and has come up trumps, simplifying air conditioner maintenance, implementing card reader systems and working tirelessly to reach new levels of cooperation and performance.

CEO Matt Howell with the Blue Bus Award winners – the Facilities Maintenance Team.

Team of the Year Award– PP1 DENSITY IMPROVEMENT TEAM

Nicole Armitstead, Francois Ordronneau, Craig Beneke, Tegan Drage, Grant Blake, Geoff McCredie, Grant Harrison, Ian Bradbury, Matt Hayes, Lance Skinner

While many of us just see anodes as black blocks, in the Carbon world they represent much more. Thanks to PP1 Density Improvement Team, Tomago Aluminium has never seen such a fantastic density increase in anodes as we’ve seen in Paste Plant 1 this year. The result underpins the dramatic uplift in pot performance and metal production since May, which will see the business deliver up to 5000 extra tonnes this year. Key innovations include Pitch Optimisation systems and Fines Control improvements. This is a tight, energetic, inventive team that never says die, and is always looking for the next improvement.


Liquid Metal Maintenance Electrician Mick Jackson describes winning last year’s Overall Innovation Award as his

‘deer-in-the-headlights’ moment.“I had absolutely no idea I was even in the mix for the award, so I was completely overwhelmed when I won,” he said.

Thankfully, the holiday in the sun with his family he received as his prize gave him plenty of time to relax and take in his good fortune.

As the winner, Mick and his family – wife Neridah, 10-year-old daughter Grace and 18-year-old son Morgan – enjoyed four days at the sunny Gold Coast and 10 days at the Musket Cove Resort in Fiji.

“We absolutely loved it,” he said.

“It was Grace’s first holiday and it was magic – Fiji was so relaxing and the water sports were great.”

Part of the PTA Maintenance team, Mick won his award for his huge contribution to the way he works with others to innovate on a daily basis. His particular achievements were his involvement with the Potline team in modifying the PTA crane fleet with new compressors, improving the safety and cost of visual circuit breakers by installing new protective film, continuously upgrading and re-engineering outdated and expensive spares, PTA joystick improvements and PTA filling head spillage reduction work.

Mick, who has worked at Tomago Aluminium since 1988, said winning the award was an honour.

“I work within a fantastic team – everyone is great to work with, so it’s not a chore coming to work,” he said.

“I think it’s easy to be productive if you enjoy what you do.”

CLEVER IDEAS LEAD TO FUN IN THE SUN

I WORK WITHIN A FANTASTIC TEAM – EVERYONE IS GREAT TO WORK WITH, SO IT’S NOT A CHORE COMING TO WORK.

It was a tough gig, but someone had to do it.Safety – Fiji style!


CLEVER IDEAS LEAD TO FUN IN THE SUN

SUPPLIER AWARDS 2016 ANOTHER TRIUMPH!

RECOGNISING THE GREAT INPUT FROM TOMAGO’S SUPPLY BASE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF WORKING IN COLLABORATION WAS THE FOCUS OF THE 11TH ANNUAL TOMAGO ALUMINIUM SUPPLIER AWARD EVENING.Suppliers travelled from afar to celebrate with us, with international awards regular Morten Simonsen from Simonsen Denmark joining us again. Other guests travelled from QLD, VIC, TAS, SA and WA.

“Music was provided by The Splinter Band with our own Tony Camps opening the night with a performance channelling Jim Morrison,” Procurement Manager Gordon Wilson said.

“We were also treated to entertainment by Kiwi comedian Cal Wilson.

“During the welcome, CEO Matt Howell, who is a strong supporter of this event, took time to reinforce the importance of recognising the great input from our supply base and the importance of working together in collaboration – especially as we focus on the transformation of Tomago Aluminium.”

Gordon said it had been wonderful to recognise our first-time winners Instant Access, which picked up two awards, and raw materials supplier Simonsen Denmark.

“The ‘jewel in the crown’ is still our coveted Environment Health and Safety Award which was won by Instant Access for their diligence in a number of high-risk scaffolding projects and their overall safety focus,” Gordon said.

This year there was also a Special Project award that was won by UXC Oxygen for their work on our SAP re-platforming project.

“Anyone who has been through an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) upgrade can vouch for the challenges that can be encountered. Our SAP re-platforming project has been one the most seamless anyone can recall and was a great credit to UXC Oxygen for their efforts. What’s more, it showed clear evidence of Courage, Trust and Pride.”

Our 2016 Supplier Award winners.

Award winners

On-site Services (Tier 1, 2, 3)Downer Group (1) Instant Access (2) Bureau Veritas (3)

Off-site ServicesAll Engineering Services

Materials (Tier 1, 2, 3)Statewide Bearings (1) Barden (2) D&N Engineering (3)

Raw MaterialsSimonsen

CI/Value AddStatewide

Special ProjectUXC Oxygen

Environment Health and SafetyInstant Access


Tomago Aluminium’s ‘Mates Looking After Mates’ program recently saw the company take home the gong for Excellence in Safety at this year’s prestigious Hunter Manufacturing Awards.

Held at Wests City on 21 October, the evening showcased the region’s manufacturing sector and recognised excellence across the board.

People, Safety and Environment Manager Simon Mitchell accepted the award on behalf of Tomago Aluminium.

The company was recognised for the power of the Mates Looking After Mates program, particularly the innovative use of personal stories to reach the ‘hearts and minds’ of the workforce, as well as the ownership and participation of employees in the initiative.

Additionally, we were congratulated for our hazard identification programs, including

‘Fresh Eyes’ and ‘Chronic Unease’.

Simon said Tomago Aluminium’s success was due to the passion and commitment of everyone on-site.

“It isn’t just those from the Health, Safety and Training team who designed the programs but also those employees who participated in the ‘Mates Looking after Mates’ video, and those who gave their time to support and lead these sessions,” he said.

“I was extremely proud to accept the award on behalf of everyone who has contributed to our safety successes, especially every individual who embraces safety by motivating and looking after their mates.

“I want to thank all of our employees and contractors who continue to live the

“mates looking after mates” culture by acting when they see others at risk, by thanking those who care enough to ask questions of others, and for continuing to look out for weak signals and hazards in the workplace.”


(L-R) Scott Fauchon, Simon Treyvaud, Kate Brown, Matt Howell, Simon Mitchell, Steve MacNamara, Trish Rapley, Luke Battle, Charmain Underwood.



Called the 360fly, it has eyes in the back of its head, letting the operator catch everything that’s going on around them. Capturing video footage 360° horizontally and 240° vertically around itself, the 360fly combines with our virtual reality headset to give us the perfect training and familiarisation device.

Maintenance Superintendent Mal Muddle said the unit had been trialled in many areas of the site and had the potential to improve:

§ Operator training videos;

§ Process induction videos;

§ Machine performance optimisation; and

§ Equipment area familiarity videos.

A 360° VIEWOF TOMAGO ALUMINIUMA new panoramic video camera doing the rounds at TAC is raising eyebrows and letting people think about everyday tasks very differently.

“The advantage a 360° camera gives us is the ability to see what is happening around the camera, providing the perfect tool for training and familiarisation,” Mal said.

“It means we can see a machine actually operating as well as what the operator is doing on the controls.”

A successful trial was undertaken recently that saw footage taken of an operator using the controls of the new anode haulers. The footage captured a simultaneous, 360° view of what was outside of the cabin.

“Because the footage allows scrolling and zooming, all aspects of operations can be viewed, stopped, and revised to improve training,” Mal said.

“The camera is not limited to internal operations – it is waterproof and can be mounted in many areas.”

Its uses include:

§ Process Induction Videos: The camera allows for the creation of process induction videos in situations in confined spaces in which there is only the capacity for one person to be present. In the past, instructions had to be issued via radio to the operator in training. Now a 360° video can be used to introduce the operator to the process in a safe environment, allowing them to

‘look around’ as if they were really there.

§ Machine Performance Optimisation: The 360° camera is small and can be mounted to machine components in

confined spaces. For example, we mounted it inside a milling machine to take footage of what was happening in an area where no person can go. This allowed adjustments to be made accurately the first time and it’s not critical to point the camera in the right direction because it just films the full 360° view.

§ Equipment area familiarity videos: The camera has been used to make a ‘street view’ of the plant. This has been useful in providing familiarity to the area and job requirements before the area has to be accessed for work to be completed. One example is providing scaffolders a view of an area to allow for precise pre-planning of the components required to build the scaffold, minimising interruption to the work in order to acquire parts that may have been missed in the initial scoping.

Another advantage of the camera is the presentation of the videos, which can be done via a device, computer, YouTube and with the VR Goggles. When using a device, the video can be scrolled or zoomed. Links can be emailed to contractors or external people to give them familiarity with the site before they arrive.

Using the VR Goggles, the user looks in the direction of interest, which can be around or up and down. The Goggles immerse the user in the footage and makes it appear that they are riding, walking or looking at the area like they are actually there.

Video playback via VR Goggles.

The 360fly in action.

The 360fly camera.


Tomago Aluminium’s maiden flight using new drone technology passed the test with flying colours recently when it took to the skies for an audit of the Rod Shop roof.

The bird’s eye view not only provided big improvements in safety, it also saved the company thousands of dollars by eliminating the need for an external contractor to perform the inspection.

The DJI Phantom 4 Drone was purchased a few months ago and the Rod Shop audit provided the perfect exercise to test its capability.

Graduate mechanical engineer Marshal Holden, who flew the drone for the audit, said the flight had been a success with almost two-thirds of the expansive roof being inspected in 15 minutes. Rod Shop Production Scheduler Troy Gorton, who organised the audit, was also very pleased with the results and is already planning to use the drone to finish the audit in the next few weeks.

“This was the second time we have given drone technology a go to see how it could be useful for routine maintenance inspections,” Marshal said.

“The first time was about six years ago, but we found the magnetic fields around the plant interfered with how it worked. Six years on the technology has improved to such an extent we thought we’d give it another go and it’s really paid off.”

The drone was able to capture footage of the roof, with the inspection checking the condition of the capping on the central ridges of the building to see if there was anything missing or posing a risk.

Marshal said the footage the drone captured was sharp and useful, providing clear enough vision to spot problems like damage, corrosion or missing bolts that could lead to leaks and other hazards for the Rod Shop. It could also assess the quality of any recent repairs.

“Our aim is to extend it to other departments. We’ll show them how to fly it so they are able to use it for their own routine maintenance,” he said.

“Another advantage is it allows us to scope up work very easily and accurately without having to hire a crane or use extensive manual labour. It also means we can very quickly assess any structural concerns with ease.”

“Next up is an inspection of the lightning protection system on the Casthouse.”

Prior to the purchase of the drone, inspections such as this of the Casthouse, would cost thousands of dollars to complete, with crane hire costing around $1,000 an hour and may be necessary for a few days. Physical inspections also often posed safety risks, due to the requirement for inspectors to be in man boxes on a crane or harnessed to the roof.

“The drone is going to simplify this job considerably. In addition to saving time and money, it also means if anything is missed, it’s a much easier task to go back and have another look.”

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT

The drone was able to capture footage to check the capping on the central ridges of the building to see

if there was anything missing or posing a risk.

The drone in action.


CELEBRATING

YEARS OF SERVICE

Congratulations to our employees celebrating milestone years of services from September to the end of December 2016.

10 yearsJohn Yule Carbon

Phil Carpenter Carbon

David Boyes Cast Products

John Turner Cast Products

Paul Marquet Cast Products

Shannon Wither Cast Products

Robert Riddel Liquid Metals

Ryan Mackaway Liquid Metals

20 yearsAlex Lampe Carbon

Paul Saville Carbon

Bradley Lamb Maintenance

Timothy Bolam Maintenance

25 yearsJeffrey Lewis Carbon

Michael Whiteley Carbon

Steven Passlow HSEC

Bill McLaren Liquid Metals

Mark Greenwood Liquid Metals

30 yearsRobert Manners Carbon

Victor Cochrane Cast Products

Paul Davis Maintenance

So for those on deck on Christmas Day, a special festive lunch and dinner will be served in the Food Pad.

Hams and puddings were handed out to everyone recently to wish them a Merry Christmas and thank them for their hard work throughout the year. We hope everyone enjoys them and has a safe and relaxing festive season with their family and friends.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!Aluminium production doesn’t stop for anyone – not even Santa Claus.

HISTORIC

EA IN PLAYA new Enterprise Agreement has been approved by the Operators at Tomago and is in the implementation process, with benefits expected to take effect in January.For the first time in TAC history our operators, leaders and technical staff are part of a common incentive program in which everyone shares identical performance targets.

Human Resources Superintendent Ben Cook said the main features of the new EA were fixed pay rises and annual incentive or bonus payments that rewarded the achievement of TAC’s most important business goals – safety, productivity and cost control.

“Working as one team to achieve these business targets will improve our business, create secure employment and provide financial rewards far in excess of the aluminium/manufacturing industry averages,” Ben said.

“The agreement is one-year long rather than the typical three-year term and this is designed to be an annual invitation to continue with the incentive arrangement year-on-year.”

SUMMER EDITION 2016 13SUMMER EDITION 2016 13

Mobile tablets have been rolled out across the carbon shift, with the devices already saving up to half an hour in paperwork for users, More importantly, they provide crucial information and remove ‘road blocks’ throughout the shift for the team.Mechanical Fitter Liam Sims said the tablets could “effectively do everything the standard desktop computer can, just without the desk and chair”. He said they were proving to be reliable and useful.

“We are using them for everything we can now, but the possibilities really are endless,” Liam said.

“We’ve just started to use One Note, which also lets us hand scribble notes that everyone can access. It’s great for those of us who aren’t so handy with the keyboards and by quickly taking

a photo and drawing on it before sending an email, detailed information can flow so easily between the team and leaders.”

Liam said the tablets were particularly practical in the field because users had access to the SAP system for things like checking the availability of parts as well as connection to the internet. They also provided the capability to look up drawings and other information without having to be back at their desks.

“Another great feature is the facial recognition that lets you log on without a password. It looks for your face, recognises you, and unlocks the screen.

“We are aiming to remove frustrations with our daily job, not increase them.” He said it was expected the tablets would be used across the site by mid-2017.

New consent sees production on the riseIn the light of this year’s solid production performance, Tomago Aluminium is set to increase saleable aluminium output to 600,000 tonnes over the next five years – an overall 2.5% growth in output.

The plant was recently given approval by the NSW Department of Planning for the increase, a milestone we expected to reach by the end of 2021.

While previously limited to a production capacity to 585,000 tonnes, this year’s excellent results necessitated our request to modify that consent.

Following the AP2X project approval in 2009, the three potlines had the capacity to operate at an amperage of 245kA. With the inception of the next generation of upgraded cell technology reducing cell resistance and improving heat dissipation, the amperage through the three potlines can be incrementally increased, resulting in the overall

operating capacity for a production increase of 2.5%, with no capital work required.

These plant efficiency improvements in cell design and potline operation mean electricity consumption is expected to continue to decrease per tonne of aluminium produced.

Environment Superintendent Neil Roser said based on the plant’s fluoride emission results and management of sulphur dioxide emissions, Tomago Aluminium could deliver the increased capacity while maintaining current EPA load limits.

“From an air quality perspective, the production increase is not expected to result in any additional impact,” Neil said.

“In the case of the key emissions of fluorides and sulphur dioxide, existing load limits of 298 tonnes for fluoride and 11,900 tonnes for sulphur dioxide established during the 2009 approval process will be respected and no increase in the load limit will be required.

“Improved emission performance has been achieved by improvements such as upgrading pot fume extraction systems and focusing on work practices.

“Fluoride emission performance is a key performance indicator for the site, and our fluoride emission performance has continued to improve over the past eight years, despite a production increased during that time of 54kT.”

Neil also said the incremental growth opportunities would help maintain the internationally competitive position of the aluminium smelter and underpin employment security of existing staff, contractors and service providers.

TABLETSJUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED

The tablet in action.


WORKING SMARTERNOT HARDER TO INCREASE PRODUCTION

Tomago Aluminium is answering the call to expand annual billet production in the Casthouse from 80,000 tonnes to 110,000.There have been a number of significant capital projects initiated to support this change and accommodate this volume of metal.

The most obvious of these projects is the removal of Furnace 12 and the recommissioning of Furnace 13, which will enable scrap to be remelted offline and significantly reduce furnace turnaround times. This project will be no mean feat and is being tackled head on by casthouse fitter Peter Fishburn.

Peter will be drawing on his 20 years of experience in the casthouse and said he felt ‘invigorated by the challenge ahead’.

“This is the greatest challenge I have taken on in my career at Tomago and I have never felt so supported by all levels of the business as I do now,” he said.

It took only four weeks from Peter’s first day on the project to have Furnace 12 stripped and ready for disposal.

In addition to the demolition work, the recommissioning of Furnace 13 has seen the Electrical Wiring Study kicked off as well as conceptual drawings for metal pouring completed.

Casthouse Project Leader Phil Brown said it was expected the project would be commissioned at the end of March, unlocking 30,000 tonnes of capacity through the billet stream when coming online.

Other improvement projects are also in the pipeline, and the VAP operations teams are working through a self-guided approach to supporting the billet pit operation towards 110kt.

Phil said they were working to a ‘very simple scope’ by arranging their resources to ensure that when they were not casting, they were ‘all hands on deck to turn the pit around and get casting again’.

“This requires some creative thinking from a resourcing perspective and after one week of delivering the scope of work, the teams have reduced pit turnaround times by 25 minutes on average per cast – well on the way to the run-rate required,” he said.

“It’s clear that with the right investment in our people and equipment, 110kt per annum is very achievable, and we will arrive there before we know it!”

Furnace 12 being lifted out of position.

Furnace 12 being transported out of Casthouse by Reline.


Initial investigation and engineering studies will begin soon for the use of a tapping truck on the plant to increase safety and efficiency in transporting liquid metal to the Casthouse.

The current process involves three people, two cranes and one truck while the new process will streamline it to just one person and one vehicle, meaning less exposure for our operators to heat and molten metal, less congestion in the hot metal aisle and a reduced need for cranes.

At the moment, a ladle is delivered to the potlines on a trailer; a potline operator uses a PTA crane to pick it up, tap liquid metal from the pots and put the ladle back on the trailer. A Casthouse truck driver then picks up the trailer, transports it to the Casthouse via the TAC station and drops the trailer off in the Hot Metal Aisle. A Casthouse furnaceman then uses a CHFTA crane to pick up the ladle and pour it into the holding furnace.

A tapping truck will reduce the process to a single truck driver at the potline, tapping the metal using the compressor and syphoning system on the truck, driving to the Casthouse and using the same on-board system to pressurise the ladle and push the metal out into the holding furnace.

Maintenance Manager Maurice Schneider said the truck would greatly simplify the process, with most of the metal not even needing to go through the TAC Station.

“We have funding approved to complete the initial investigation and engineering studies,” Maurice said.

“A project room has been set up in the demountable building outside of the LMO offices where Warren Dixon, Simon Gayner and Stuart Henderson are working with Liquid Metal and Casthouse representatives on the project.

“This is proven technology and is used in many smelters across the world. There are at least four suppliers of tapping trucks so we get to choose the best one for us.”

Maurice said a critical issue would be the truck axle loading on the potroom floor slabs and any impact that might have on the ladle size.

“But as we discover more about the tapping tucks, operators and trades will become involved in the project to help find ways to make it work for us at Tomago Aluminium.”

THIS IS PROVEN TECHNOLOGY AND IS USED IN MANY SMELTERS ACROSS THE WORLD. THERE ARE AT LEAST FOUR SUPPLIERS OF TAPPING TRUCKS SO WE GET TO CHOOSE THE BEST ONE FOR US.

TAPPING IN TO GREATER EFFICIENCY AND SAFETY


A recent presentation at Tomago Aluminium by the explosives expert who worked his magic to release Beaconsfield miners Todd Russell and Brant Webb touched the hearts and minds of everyone who attended.

Darren Flanagan received the call that would change his life forever late on a Sunday night in April, 2006, when it was discovered the two miners, who had been trapped underground after a small earthquake triggered a mine collapse in Beaconsfield in Tasmania, were still alive. Working at cavernous depths, Darren systematically detonated the 70 explosives that would eventually free Brant and Todd. It was an incredibly risky endeavour that had never before been attempted. Showing incredible fortitude under pressure, Darren successfully completed the process, communicating with the two trapped men via a phone system and becoming a true hero in the process.

Recently presented with a National Bravery Awards medal, Darren remains candid about the impact of the Beaconsfield mine disaster on his life. He talks about how he and the others involved in the rescue were significantly and eternally affected by their role in the rescue mission.

In his presentation, Darren spoke about the very real issues of mental health that can follow such a traumatic ordeal. By addressing these issues, he hopes to spark a broader conversation, encouraging those who’ve suffered to reach out to others. In particular, Darren emphasises the importance of genuine and open camaraderie between men, intimating that the typical ‘tough guy’ approach can be isolating.

People, Safety and Environment Manager Simon Mitchell said Darren’s presentation was a ‘highly emotional and thought-provoking’ account of his involvement in the Beaconsfield mine rescue.

“His attention to detail took the audience through the rescue and included important messages for us all such as trusting yourself amidst fear and the human instinct of avoidance,” Simon said.

“He also made people reflect on the value of family and friends, what is important, and the impact of mental health illness in our society.”

Tomago Aluminium’s highly skilled and experienced workforce provides the bedrock on which this company’s success is built. But with market conditions challenging the status quo for the aluminium sector, effective leadership to unlock the full potential of our workforce is vital in transitioning Tomago Aluminium into a benchmark smelter.

Over the past two years, TAC’s leaders have been working to develop their leadership and organisation practices with business transformation specialist Brent Sheridan. The purpose of this work is to help TAC’s leaders enable our staff to become more involved in making positive changes to the way we approach our work.

The business transformation is about everyone creating:

§ A shared sense of purpose and direction;

§ Alignment on how we work together, what our critical processes are and how we want to treat each other; and

§ An honest commitment to acting on what we say we are going to do; to contribute and to show up even when that might be confronting or challenging.

Carbon Plant Manager Andy Robbins said the program provided tools and knowledge for leaders to help them achieve significantly improved involvement from all levels.

“Managers and superintendents don’t have a monopoly on decisions, ideas and initiatives. Real value and improvement comes from the involvement of all employees,” he said.

“If we are going to be able to benefit from the intelligence and energy of our people, we have to be able to listen to each other and to share those ideas. Brent’s work at this stage has been around our mindsets and attitudes as well as our social processes, culture and relationships.

“The two areas of mindsets and culture must be functioning seamlessly for us to grow and reap constructive input and ownership at all levels. Without that, we won’t be able to get the most out of our skills, knowledge, technology, process and innovation – and TAC’s true potential will never be reached.”

MINDSET AND CULTURE THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS

LESSONS FROM

A HERO


Starting the conversation on R U OK Day

Suicide prevention is an enormously complex and sensitive challenge the world over. But it is also an area where a huge amount of research is being done and as a result, some credible theories have been developed that suggest there’s power in the simplest of questions – “are you okay?”

In the workplace, asking “are you okay?” can really make a difference.

As employers or employees, we can all create a culture where people feel confident asking and answering this most important question. Besides our responsibility of providing a safe and healthy workplace, these conversations can make a real difference to staff going through a tough time.

To help start the conversation at Tomago Aluminium, the company participated in National R U OK Day on 8 September.

Occupational Health and Hygiene officer Anthony Cook said the day began with a launch at the front gate to prompt everyone to ask ‘are you okay?’ of someone they may have been concerned about or even just to confirm someone was actually okay.

“Health, Hygiene and Safety staff, with help from the Occupational Health and Safety Committee, were also on hand to help promote and encourage us all to take the time to care,” Cookie said.

“We also ran a competition to win a dinner voucher for two people who asked each other if they were okay. The winners of this competition were Alyssa Pont and Sam Wood. Alyssa and Sam are actually partners so it was great to see them ask the question and win the prize.”

He said the day was a huge success.

“Hopefully it was beneficial in encouraging people to be a little bit thoughtful, to keep an eye out for the people they work with and to ask the question if they are not sure how someone is going.

“We don’t have to be mental health professionals – just people who are part of a group that cares about each other.”

(L–R) Nat Godwin, Neil Morgan, Neil Lindus, Greg McLoughney, Ben Henshaw.

(L–R) Geoff Smith, Anthony Cook, Leigh Anne Ruch.

The R U OK organisation’s vision is “a world where we’re all connected and are protected from suicide”. The organisation wants to inspire and empower everyone to meaningfully connect with people around them and support anyone struggling with life by:

1. Boosting our confidence to meaningfully connect and ask about life’s ups and downs;

2. Nurturing our sense of responsibility to regularly connect and support others;

3. Strengthening our sense of belonging because we know people are there for us; and

4. Being relevant, strong and dynamic.

Staying connected and having meaningful conversations is something we can all do. You don’t need to be an expert – just a great mate and a good listener. So, if you notice someone who might be struggling – start a conversation.


WELLBEING HELP IS ALWAYS AT HAND

Tomago Aluminium values its employees and their wellbeing remains at the forefront of everything we do. We recognise that at any given time, a number of employees and their families may be experiencing personal or work-related issues that could impact their wellbeing and performance at work and home. Mental illness is very common. One in five (20%) Australians aged 16-85 experience a mental illness in any year. The most common mental illnesses are depressive, anxiety and substance use disorder. These three types of mental illnesses often occur in combination. Of the 20% of Australians with a mental illness in any one year, 11.5% have one disorder and 8.5% have two or more disorders. Almost half (45%) will experience a mental illness in their lifetime.

Further to this, 65% of people with mental illness do not access any treatment. This is worsened by delayed treatment due to serious problems in detection and accurate diagnosis.

As a way of addressing this, we have been working with our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) partner Converge International to ensure support is readily available to all of our employees and their immediate family members, particularly with the Christmas period approaching.

We want to ensure everyone is aware of:

§ The range of issues that can be discussed with a counsellor;

§ The confidential aspect of the service;

§ That to seek help is an opportunity to take control; and

§ That to seek help is a sign of strength.

The TAC EAP is available to help you with a range of concerns, including:

§ Interpersonal conflict and tension;

§ Work-related stress;

§ Changes in your work-related environment;

§ Harassment and grievances;

§ Relationship or family matters;

§ Personal and emotional stress;

§ Grief and bereavement;

§ Alcohol and drug-related problems; and

§ Crisis intervention and trauma counselling.

When you contact the EAP, you can arrange to speak with a consultant over the phone, or if you prefer, face-to-face. Confidentiality is assured at all times and details are not be passed on to anyone at Tomago Aluminium. The App provides 24/7 support and allows access to Converge’s holistic six-stream EAP model.

Converge International can be contacted on 1300 687 327. Office hours are 8.00am – 6.00pm Monday to Friday.


A milestone was reached at Tomago Aluminium recently when we launched a trial designed to assess the effectiveness of a longer anode with a different slot design against aluminium production and power consumption.

The larger anodes are a stepping stone to future amperage creep and increased metal production. The optimised slot design is expected to improve pot stability and minimise anode effects enabling us to reduce power consumption significantly, an extremely important focus as we face increasing electricity prices.

After extensive planning, coordination and hard work from the Paste Plant, Bake Ovens, Rod Shop, Liquid Metals and Engineering departments, we put our first 1600mm trial anodes into a small group of pots in October.

The trial anodes were produced in late August with a temporary mould installed by Engineering to allow us to produce two small 200mm slots into the anodes before they were baked and sent to concrete-cutters Robert Guy & Sons to have the moulded slots cut up to 400mm deep.

Carbon Improvement Project Superintendent Andrew Thurlow said that while the anodes were being cut off-site, the Rod Shop was busily completing a variety of upgrades to cater for the bigger anodes.

“I don’t think we realised 20mm could make such a difference,” he said.

A huge effort was required to manage the logistics of this site-wide trial but the early signs are encouraging with good baked-anode quality and improved pot performance. The trial will be completed over the next six weeks and steps are already underway to have the longer anodes in full production by early next year. The deeper slots will have a longer timeline for implementation due to more extensive engineering studies required.

Andrew said even though there was still plenty of work to come over the next few months, everyone involved deserved a huge ‘well done!’.

IS BIGGER BETTER?

ANODE ON THE TURNTABLE.

ANODES LOADING IN THE TRAY AT F1 UNLOAD STATION.

ANODES AT MARRYING.


A new power efficiency project could see Tomago Aluminium saving more than $3 million in power by 2017, without the need for more people or additional capital expense.Over the past three years TAC has undergone transformational change that has seen us set new benchmarks for AP18 technology and become leaders in amperage, current efficiency and metal production. But there is one metric that remains challenging for us, and that’s power efficiency.

At the moment, we have several major power saving projects in progress, most of which require new technology and major capital expense. But one exciting project achieving impressive results with no additional resources is the Low ACD (anode cathode distance) project in the Potline Three Boosted Section. One simple way to save power is to operate the pots at lower voltage by reducing the ACD. Unfortunately this comes with a price – when ACD is reduced there is an unavoidable current efficiency penalty. The key piece of work in the PL3 boosted section has been to minimise this penalty so the value of the power saving is not eroded by lost metal production.

The key strategies for success are:

§ Operator training and engagement – a strong focus on ‘why’;

§ Area ownership and accountability; and

§ Regular detailed feedback on performance.

Two operators from each crew were nominated to work in the Low ACD area and attended an off-site training session in July.

Booster Engineer Darryl Frew said the enthusiasm and level of engagement exceeded expectations.

“The operators came out of the day with a good understanding of ACD, the importance of their work on low ACD operation and made a strong commitment to improved work quality, particularly around anode setting and cavity cleaning,” he said.

“So far the results have outstripped what we expected. Improvements are being seen in pot stability, anode effect rate, metal production and iron.”

Darryl said the most significant improvement was in pot stability.

“An improvement of this magnitude is usually associated with a major capital project such as the introduction of anode slots. All the operators working in the area are showing strong attention to detail and pride in their results.”

The next off-site training session has been organised ahead of extending the Low ACD project to the rest of E Room and the Potline One Boosted Section.

This philosophy will reach all Potlines by the end of 2017, which will potentially deliver a power saving of more than $3 million without the need for additional people or capital expense.

AMPING UPTHE POWER SAVINGS

SO FAR THE RESULTS HAVE OUTSTRIPPED WHAT WE EXPECTED. IMPROVEMENTS ARE BEING SEEN IN POT STABILITY, ANODE EFFECT RATE, METAL PRODUCTION AND IRON.

TIM WALTERS CALLAHAN CHANGING ANODES IN THE LOW ACD SECTION.


Tomago has continued to give back to our local community through another $5,000 donations since July this year. The donations take our yearly tally to over $20,000 supporting worthwhile organisations in our local community.

If you have a worthwhile charity that needs support, please contact Keiran Turner on 4966 9293.

City2Surf

Cancer Council’s

Fire Fighters Walk

Worimi Dolphins

Rugby League Club

Charlie’s Run for Kids

Tomago Bowling Club

Cancer Council – Seven Bridges Walk

The Rotary Club

CONTINUING TO GivE BackSeven Bridges Walk – Kieren, Martin, Nathan and Lesley Anne Clifton after completing the walk in Sydney. Lesley Anne’s son Kieren has just been through 12 months of cancer treatment and is currently in remission.

Charlie’s Run For Kids

Barking Mad Bakers

(L–R) Ash Cunningham, Nicki Harvey, Anthony Cook, Michelle Arnouth, Amanda Gill, Gordon Wilson (with Luci & Demon), Megan Scollay and Kristy Baldwin.WE HAD TWO VERY SPECIAL

GUESTS ON THE DAY – DOGGIES LUCI AND DEMON – WHO STOLE THE SPOTLIGHT ON MONDAY MORNING.

A number of keen bakers had taken to the kitchen over the weekend, cooking up a storm of home-made delights from puppy and piggy-face cupcakes to doggy do-do’s as contenders in the TAC Bake-Off.

A perfect dozen pitted their baking skills against each other to see who could win the hearts of hungry employees. Entrants and voting was anonymous and the winner of the Bake Off was Keiran Turner from HR. Well done Keiran! Entrants included Nicki Harvey, Janelle Daly, Michelle Arnouth, Nicole Armitstead, Magali Gendre, Megan Scollay, Kristy Baldwin, Anthony Cook, Ash Cunningham and Amanda Gill.

The sweet smell of cupcakes wafted through the plant on 15 August when Tomago Aluminium hosted a special cupcake day to raise funds for the RSPCA to help support sick, injured and abandoned animals.

Organiser Kristy Baldwin said the time and effort everyone put in helped make charity days at TAC so successful.

“We had two very special guests on the day – doggies Luci and Demon – who stole the spotlight on Monday morning. Thank you to Gordon Wilson for bringing them in.”

In all, the morning raised $308. Tomago Aluminium also made a company donation of $250, making a total of $558.


Tomago Aluminium contributes up to $50 of the registration fee when you join Caretrac, Australia’s largest health and fitness network. One low price covers unlimited access to hundreds of outlets Australia-wide and a huge range of activities.

Members can attend as many outlets as they like, as often as they like, with facilities not just limited to gyms, but swimming pools, squash courts and rock climbing walls etc.

The offer is available to all TAC employees and their spouses, as well as their dependents under the age of 18. Agreements are signed with Caretrac, not with Tomago Aluminium, and employees are responsible for ongoing membership fees.

For a complete listing go to caretrac.com.au and click on the ‘Outlet’ list icon.

To join go to caretrac.com.au/toma and access the membership page for TAC employees, or call 1300 422 738.

If would like more information, contact Health Services on-site on 9095/9368/7604.

DID YOU KNOW?

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ROLE?Utilities Maintenance Electrician

FINISH THIS LINE: WHEN I’M NOT AT WORK... I’m usually out and about with the family or at home, doing things around the house or in the garden.

IF YOU HAD $100 TO SPEND ON YOURSELF WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH IT? I’d probably spend it at Kmart – I love Kmart.

BIGGEST REGRET?Not travelling enough.

FAVOURITE FOOD?Lasagne and the occasional custard tart from the kiosk at work.

WHAT WERE YOUR FIRST THOUGHTS OF TAC?I really liked the environment here, especially in a team where everyone gets along and has a laugh, which is what I like to do – it makes it easy to come to work.

WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN?Life moves pretty fast so if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

Aluminium FactIn the last five years we have improved our energy usage by nearly 200kW/hr for every tonne. Doesn’t seem like much? That’s enough power to continuously supply 17,000 Australian homes each year!

JADE MADDIGAN


Tomago’s Key Performance Indicators

41,000

40,000

42,000

43,000

44,000

45,000

46,000

47,000

48,000

49,000

50,000

51,000

52,000

Ton

nes

per

Mo

nth

2014 2015 Jan-16 Feb-16 Mar-16 Apr-16 May-16 Jun-16 Oct-16 Nov-16 Dec-16 2016YTD

Jul-16 Aug-16 Sep-16

Yearly ActualEffective Metal Production (Tonnes/Mth) Monthly Actual 2016 Budget

47,002

48,376

49,08649,329

49,639

48,137

50,130

48,567

50,139 50,126

48,761

49,951

48,688

46,482

The Effective Metal Production is the total amount of hot metal tapped from the pots. It includes both hot metal tonnes delivered to Cast Products plus any reclaimed cold metal.

Energy Consumption measures how much power we use to make one tonne of aluminium. The lower this number the better!

13,250

13,300

13,350

13,400

13,450

13,500

13,550

13,600

13,650

13,700D

C k

Wh

/t A

l

13,750

2014 2015 Jan-16 Feb-16 Mar-16 Apr-16 May-16 Jun-16 Jul-16 Nov-16 Dec-16Aug-16 Sep-16 Oct-16 2016YTD

13,800

13,850

DC Energy Consumption (kWh / tAl)13,900

Yearly Actual Monthly Actual 2016 Budget

13,600

13,54413,55313,565

13,610

13,525 13,528

13,494

13,523

13,490

13,574

13,52213,535

13,522

17

15

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

DC

kW

h/t

Al

20

22

24

26

28

30

32

2014 2015 Jan-16 Feb-16 Mar-16 Apr-16 May-16 Jun-16 Jul-16 Nov-16 Dec-16Aug-16 Sep-16 Oct-16 2016YTD

34

Hazard Event Ratio Yearly Actual Monthly Actual

19 19 19

24 24

32.2

1717.4

12.6

19 19

16

The Hazard Event Ratio measures the number of injuries in proportion to the number of safety related events.

Documents

THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS INSPIRING · MATT HOWELL – CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER THE PAST THREE MONTHS HAVE BEEN EXCEPTIONAL IN MANY WAYS FOR TOMAGO ALUMINIUM. We recently received approval