Rio Tinto upgrades village after mould outbreak
- Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) is upgrading its West Pilbara village following worker complaints regarding a mould infestation.
- The mining giant withdrew five rooms from service at the 1,500-room facility while the state safety regulator reviews the site.
- The upgrades are part of a broader company strategy to maintain Pilbara accommodation standards and improve operational efficiencies.
Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) has commenced immediate upgrades at its 1,500-room West Pilbara accommodation village after workers reported a mould infestation in some living quarters.
The company removed five contaminated rooms from service at the 18-year-old facility, which services the Brockman iron ore mining hub, while WorkSafe assigned the matter for official review.
“West Pilbara Village specifically, we recognise it needs upgrading,” said Rio Tinto spokeswoman.
The company stated it is investing approximately $200 million annually across its Pilbara facilities and has already refurbished more than 100 rooms at the site over the past 12 months.
Following the announcement, the Rio Tinto share price was unchanged at $115.50.
The accommodation issues follow the company's May renewal of its catering and cleaning contract with Sodexo, which manages more than 19,000 rooms across 25 regional villages.
The maintenance push aligns with broader efforts by Rio Tinto to increase efficiencies across its Pilbara iron ore operations, which generated about $8.5 billion in free cash flow last year.
