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OPERATIONAL REVIEW
DIGGeRs & DeALeRs PReVIeW MACA.NET.AU

oPInIon

The starting point for any mining

and resources operation in Western Australia

is the safety of its people…

he aim is for each and every worker to tional help if needed.
Tcomplete their shift or swing with zero Another development in this space you
harm. We want to see all of them return might have heard or read about over the
to their loved ones in the best possible past month or so is the new Industry Al-
shape. cohol Guideline being introduced by CME
From a physical perspective this is both for company-owned and operated accom-
a simple and complex situation. The poten- modation facilities.
tial physical risks on a mine site are pretty Alcohol has long been recognised as an
easily understood but it still takes count- operational risk factor – which is reflected
less hours dedicated to risk controls and in the fact that workers in our industry must
rigorous safety training to ensure they are “blow zeros” before starting their shifts.
minimised as far as possible. In the event Yet it’s also become very clear that there
of a worst case scenario, on-site emergen- are psychological risks associated with
cy teams will likewise have invested huge alcohol consumption in work-adjacent
chunks of their time preparing for how they settings. It was identified as an area of
might respond. concern in the 2015 FIFO Mental Health
In recent years it’s become increasingly Inquiry, and more recently has been cited
apparent that there is another key element in relation to inappropriate behaviour to-
to this equation and that’s the psychologi- wards women in our sector.
cal safety of our people. The Industry Alcohol Guideline is a
Just as our workers operate in physical product of the work being undertaken by
environments that are very different to an CME’s Safe and Respectful Behaviours
office in the city, so too can the psycho- Working Group, which involves a wide Limiting alcohol
logical factors be fairly unique – often on range of our member companies. It has consumption isn’t
remote sites, away from family and friends been informed by research from leading
and sharing accommodation facilities with independent Australian alcohol and drug a silver bullet that can
a diverse group of colleagues. specialists 360Edge. “matically eliminate
auto
There are a wide range of ways in which With its four-drinks-per-day limit, the every instance of
mining and resources operations respond Guideline reflects both best-practice ad-
to these challenges, from increasing vice from 360Edge and our sector’s very inappropriate behaviour
bandwidth and data allowances on site strong desire to foster a culture of modera- in and around WA mining
to facilitate better connection to home, to tion.
providing confidential access to online or Limiting alcohol consumption isn’t a sil- and resources operations,
over-the-phone support, community build- ver bullet that can automatically eliminate but it has been identified
ing initiatives such as movie nights or fit- every instance of inappropriate behaviour as one of the risk factors
ness classes, and ensuring appropriately in and around WA mining and resources
trained people are available on site. These operations, but it has been identified as we must address.
could be health and wellbeing advisers, one of the risk factors we must address.
psychologists or mental health first aiders. Numerous CME member companies
Resourceful Mind, a partnership be- were already “ahead of the curve” when it
tween Lifeline WA and the Chamber of comes to alcohol and will already be meet- Guideline or key aspects of it being adopt-
Minerals and Energy of WA, was the sub- ing the requirements of the Guideline. ed across our whole sector, regardless of
ject of a successful pilot program last year However, we recognise full implementa- whether or not operations fall under the
and is now ready to be rolled out more tion will be a logistical challenge for some CME umbrella.
widely. It is built around a peer support members and our task over the next few
framework and aims to equip go-to people months is to help them introduce as many Laila Nowell is CME’s Manager of Health,
in on-site communities – Minders as they parts of the Guideline as they possibly can Safety and People.
are known – with the training they need to while seeking out alternative ways to miti-
navigate challenging conversations with gate risk if needed.
colleagues and guide them towards addi- Our hope is that we eventually see the

aUSTRaLIa’S PaYDIRT JULY 2022 Page 39