Report Profile

For this report, data are generated by senior managers and approved by Borax's Executive Team. These data are also subject to the following audit procedures:

Social
Health and safety programs and practices are audited by regional and national regulatory agencies. For example, in the United States, the federal Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) inspects Borax's primary mine and refinery twice annually, and the California Office of Safety and Health Administration (Cal-OSHA) performs safety audits in response to company and employee requests. Borax and Rio Tinto safety professionals also conduct internal audits of operational sites’ safety programs.

Environmental
Borax maintains external certification of its environmental management systems through ISO 14001 registration at each of its operations. Borax's environmental programs and practices are also audited by regional and national government agencies at each facility.

Economic
Borax's financial records are subject to annual external audit by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Ernst & Young are engaged to conduct a program of internal audits on an ongoing basis to ensure that the company's policies and procedures meet high standards.Borax has also completed documentation and testing for Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, passed by the United States Congress in 2002 to add rigor to corporate reporting practices. The Act requires management to assess internal control over financial reporting, report on the assessment, and subject that assessment to external audit.

Borax did not subject its 2004 Sustainable Development Report to independent auditing.
More information on internal policies and external auditing practices to guarantee the accuracy, completeness and reliability of these data are presented in the Rio Tinto 2004 Sustainable Development Review, available on www.riotinto.com.