Why mental health matters in mining

Approximately 49,000 out of 245,000 Australian mining employees will experience a mental health challenge this year.

Martin Vasilescu, Country Manager Explosives, Davey Bickford Enaex

In today’s high-pressure society, mental health is as important as physical health in contributing to our overall wellbeing, and with increasing numbers of people affected by mental health issues, and the competing concepts in the conversation around it, it matters now more than ever.

According to Beyond Blue, three million Australians currently live with anxiety and depression. This, combined with the findings from the Australian Bureau of Statistics National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing around the detrimental effects of substance abuse and poor mental health, means that 12% of the total Australian population report experiencing a mental health challenge in any given 12-month period. When you consider that mining makes up around 2% of the total workforce, it’s fair to assume these figures are reflected in our industry too. This means that approximately 49,000 out of 245,000 Australian mining employees will experience a mental health challenge this year. But what are the biggest struggles? According to research published recently in the Medical Journal of Australia, one of the most common issues within mining is psychological distress. In fact, psychological distress occurs in mining industry workers at a rate of almost three times the national average and is particularly prevalent amongst FIFO workers. And, let’s face it, it’s not hard to see why. The combination of physically taxing work, financial stresses, long shifts and being away from family is enough to take its toll on anyone, if not managed well. But, fortunately, like society as a whole, the industry’s come a long way. Mental health awareness has increased, and employers understand the importance of maintaining it. Subsequently, programs and support have become increasingly accessible over the past decade.

Awareness has also produced charitable organisations such as MATES in Mining. Started in 2012, this organisation offers help to those who are reluctant to seek it, by building communities of people who know what to look out for and help their mates. Supported by both unions and the mining industry, this charity has rolled out its program at multiple mine sites across NSW, Qld, NT and WA, and latest figures show that almost 15,000 people have now been trained in general mental health awareness.

While continued awareness and proactive management of mental health is important, this year’s pandemic has challenged many of us on a whole new level. When COVID-19 swept the globe, it was apparent that life as we knew it would change. Working from home became the norm, social gatherings were limited, and for many, there was no business as usual.

However, given the nature and ongoing demand for resources, this was never going to be the case for mining. Therefore, the industry had to reassess how it worked, and adapt to accommodate a more remote and less accessible workforce while still delivering to customers.

So, what actions were taken?

Johan Hawinkel, Mining Engineer and Key Account Manager at Davey Bickford Enaex, sees the COVID-19 adaptations as an extension of the way customers were supported prior to the pandemic. For example, while phone support has always been part of the service supplied to customers, traditionally it has only been used to troubleshoot. “During COVID, we increased our phone support and committed to a much more proactive approach, reaching out to customers on a systematic basis to understand how they were performing under the new conditions and if we could assist in any way,” Hawinkel explained. He adds that the development of virtual training packages has enabled theory training to be delivered remotely, subsequently cutting down on travel exposure. “The lessened frequency of site visits resulted in people spending more time at home and less bound by rosters. Virtual meetings and check-ins on Zoom have helped people stay connected both professionally and socially,” he said. “While in the pre-COVID world, roles were defined and workload equally distributed, we’ve now joined forces with our customers to accommodate for each team member’s strengths, but also personal and family circumstances,” said Hawinkel. “People with a vulnerable family member wouldn’t travel but take on all office-based equipment logistics. People less at risk would take on the travel and site assistance, but would have no additional responsibilities when back in the office.”

Increasing focus on technologies

“The pandemic has certainly been a trigger to look at different ways to train and support our customers,” says Hawinkel. “Currently we’re exploring the use of Google glasses for remote trouble shooting and the use of learning management systems for more effective remote training.” But, it’s not the same for all technologies. In fact, the capability of some existing technologies has been reinforced during COVID. Just ask engineer Richard Turnbull, an expert in remote digital blasting. “We’ve found that the whole process has been very smooth, and it’s proven that our blast design software with cloud functionality is working well,” he says. “We’ve been able to build a project within the blast software that allows our client engineers on site to open all of the designs directly for review. Being able to make changes and suggestions on the fly with clients has meant we’ve had the highest level of integration with them, without having to physically be there. It’s brought us to the forefront because it proves what we’ve been saying for a number of years now.” Clients have also embraced a new way of learning. With online training available for the digital blasting process systems, there’s no need for them to be on site for weeks at a time, and their practical on-site skills training has become more streamlined. With the restrictions on travel and site access, COVID has also meant that clients are jumping online more regularly, rather than a plane. Connecting online and having the opportunity to liaise with a diverse group of people has further fuelled the capabilities of working remotely. But, aside from the physical advantages of working remotely, what are the mental health ones? “I've only been away three weeks in the last six months, so I’ve really connected with my family and had a lot more downtime to relax,” says Turnbull. “I’ve definitely been less stressed and less tired because I’m not on the road for hours on end and I’ve more flexibility around the hours I work.”

Turnbull notes that, while there are employees who will be missing the consistency of practical work, the likelihood is that they’re feeling mentally better in one way or another. Like him it may be related to more family time, less time spent travelling, the pursuit of a new hobby, more education or just less stress on the whole. “Travelling to and from site and going through medicals and inductions to gain access can be quite involved and stressful,” he says. “There’s no doubt that being able to log in remotely or dial in to a video call is, for more people, mentally easier.” While the future of the pandemic remains uncertain, there’s one thing we do know. The way we work has changed, for now and the foreseeable future, and remote technology and processes will continue to adapt. If early signs are anything to go by, the outcomes are proving healthy for all ... in more ways than one. 