Robust conversations for improving psychosocial safety in the mining industry
The workshop series will provide participants with opportunities to explore some nuances of psychosocial safety in the mining industry. It has now been more than three years since the promulgation of the Western Australia’s Work Health and Safety Act 2020 (WHS Act) and associated regulations which gave psychosocial hazards and physical safety hazards in the workplace equal weight.
Throughout the mining industry in WA today, there is improved knowledge of the legislative requirements. Mining companies and supporting external stakeholders have taken steps to develop knowledge, systems, and skills to meet these requirements. Along the way, we have become more aware of how psychosocial hazards impact workers in the industry. We have better knowledge about the root causes of poor mental health for workers in the industry. We have also started to realise that psychosocial safety means different things to different people.
Hosted by Dr Dean Laplonge, the workshops will explore some of these differences. It will include presentations and participant activities covering men’s experiences of sexual harassment, the psychosocial safety of LGBTQI+ workers and the importance of cultural safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island workers.
