A range of studies have long confirmed that remote mining, resources and
construction workers are more susceptible to the stressors that risk an
individual’s mental health and wellbeing.
With fly-in fly-out (FIFO) or drive-in drive-out (DIDO) employment arrangements
becoming ever more common in these sectors, workers are increasingly exposed to
social isolation and compressed working arrangements which can disturb sleeping
patterns and put strains on relationships and family units.
Physical safety is a top priority for miners for good reason, as they are working with
extremely large mechanised industrial processes that can easily cause harm if
someone doesn’t know what they’re doing.
Because of this, mental health challenges receive far less attention, leading to a lack
of clarity around the responsibilities of employers regarding the mental health of their
workers.
People with mental health issues often hide their emotions – especially in working
environments, for fear of reprisal or embarrassment – meaning these issues often fly
under the radar or don’t get addressed until it’s maybe too late.
That’s why it’s important for employers to make their employees feel safe and secure
while on-site – not just physically, but mentally as well. While this is not new news – as a WA Government audit about the gaps in mental health services showed as far back as 2019 – that employers are still finding it difficult to implement workplace structures to address mental health issues.
In this article, we take a look at how security services in the mining industry are
perfectly positioned to provide not just physical security, but also an avenue of
support for the mental health of your workforce.
Security for mind and body
When we think of what security service does for a mine site, often the first thing that
comes to mind is that it provides security from theft of company property and the
security of the workforce on-site.
Security services are designed and implemented to have a solid presence at a
worksite.
So, with that in mind, we believe an ‘ever present’ security service has the ability to
also come trained with crucial skillsets that can assess and help the mental health
and wellbeing of your workforce.
Training such as:
Mental Health First Aid
Welfare Assessments
De-escalation Tactics
Employing security personnel that are trained in mental health adds another layer of
support to your workplace. Their job is to be an eagle-eye presence around site, so
they are arguably the best-positioned individuals to observe a worker’s state of mind
and assist them, if necessary, using their mental health training skills.
What security means to us, and to your business
Our team at Goldfields Security Services believe that your personnel are just as
important to be looked after as your tools and equipment on site. Protection is also
not only about physical safety but making sure your staff are looked after emotionally
too.
There are often external situations of stress workers are susceptible to on-site, such
as relationship issues, loved ones that have passed away etc. Our services act as an
extra support network for your staff in these times of crisis.
This innovative approach to security in the mining sector is what we believe sets us
apart from our peers in our efforts to provide your worksite and your workforce with
the best security services possible.
Would you like some further information on our WA Mining Security Services?
We’d love to hear from you. Give our team a call today on 0404 449 326 to see how
we can help or email us at info@goldfieldssecurityservices.com.au
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