BHP has launched an in-house innovator program where frontline employees turn practical workplace ideas into tested, high-tech solutions.
The company’s new Breakthrough Open House initiative received nearly 1,000 submissions from workers across global operations, with four winning projects selected to undergo proof-of-concept development.
Designed to remove personnel from high-risk operating environments, the featured innovations include robotic maintenance, underwater cleaning technology, and automated furnace casting.
Among the winners is Lucy Williams, a casting technician at the Olympic Dam smelter in South Australia. Operating in high-temperature environments, Williams’ daily role involves burning a hole into the side of a furnace using a 3,000-degree spark prior to every cast. Drawing on her firsthand experience, she pitched an automated burnout arm using robotics to eliminate human exposure to extreme hazards.
“I really want to see this robot in the smelter at Olympic Dam, taking away risks, taking operators out of risky environments,” Williams said, highlighting her excitement for the proof-of-concept phase.
The program adapts BHP’s external Open House framework for its internal workforce, offering funding, technical expertise, and support to turn operational concepts into reality. Beyond individual sites, the innovations are designed to scale across different commodities and facilities.
Demonstrating this cross-operational collaboration, the Western Australian Iron Ore team is already adapting a custom-designed lancing rod from copper smelter operations for use in their mining equipment workshops.
BHP Acting President South America Jess Farrell praised the frontline-led approach to workplace safety.
“It is the people who are closest to the work who can see the challenges, risks and opportunities to do things differently,” Farrell said.
“When our teams step forward – not only to identify risks, but to help design solutions, we build a stronger safety culture.”
The 2026 winning teams include representatives from BHP’s operations across Australia and Chile, marking a significant step forward in employee-led industrial innovation.
