High costs smashed BHP's profit margins in the full-year. Not that the mining giant would want it put quite like that.
The latest “inclusive language” missive affecting Australian mine sites to land in our inbox indicates BHP’s strong preference for less vivid words, such as “challenging”. “Torture” is frowned upon in favour of “really difficult”. The non-pejorative version of smashed (as in, "you smashed it") is better replaced with "you did amazing". And you better believe workers shouldn’t say they “almost died” accomplishing something, though we hadn’t thought the dead could be offended.
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Myriam Robin is a senior writer based in the Melbourne newsroom. She has previously been a Rear Window columnist and editor, and before that reported on financial markets and media. Connect with Myriam on Twitter. Email Myriam at myriam.robin@afr.com
