Conference Proceedings
International Mine Health & Safety Conference Proceeding 2026
Conference Proceedings
International Mine Health & Safety Conference Proceeding 2026
Psychosocial safety and the development of a diverse workforce in the Western Australian mining industry
This paper builds on consultation findings from the 2023 workshops on gendered violence in the Western Australian mining industry and presents insights from a subsequent series of workshops conducted in May 2025 on psychosocial safety through a diversity-sensitive lens. The observations presented are drawn from facilitated industry consultation and are intended to highlight emerging themes, practical challenges and opportunities for further consideration rather than provide a measure of prevalence across the sector. The 2025 workshops engaged mining industry participants in structured discussion about groups whose experiences are often under-recognised in mainstream psychosocial risk approaches, including men experiencing sexual harassment, LGBTQI+ workers, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers. The discussions demonstrated both a willingness to engage with complex and sensitive issues and the persistence of significant barriers, including resistance to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, uncertainty about appropriate language and practice, and the prevalence of symbolic rather than substantive inclusion measures. This paper summarises the principal themes arising from the workshops, including gendered harassment affecting male workers, the discriminatory and exclusionary experiences reported by LGBTQI+ workers, and the psychosocial risks associated with racism, cultural load and cultural unsafety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers. Drawing on these findings, the paper argues that psychosocial safety in mining cannot be effectively advanced through generic or one-size-fits-all interventions. It calls for deeper research, stronger organisational capability, and evidence-based strategies that embed cultural safety, inclusion and accountability into everyday work practices in order to create safer and more equitable workplaces for all workers.
Contributor(s):
N McMahon and J Jackson
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- Published: 2026
- Pages: 6
- PDF Size: 0.133 Mb.
- Unique ID: P-05533-F4M9L1