ICMM has released a set of tools designed to help mining and metals companies actively embed robust psychological health and safety practices into their daily routines and workplace culture. These resources empower companies to strengthen their safety culture and proactively reduce risk, all with the ultimate goal of preventing harm.
The industry has already made significant strides in managing physical risks by prioritizing safety. However, as operational demands become more intricate and workplace expectations shift, addressing psychological health and safety has become a vital, though still developing, focus. Mining and metals workers continue to face challenges such as fatigue, isolation, workplace stress, bullying, and trauma—often more frequently than in other industries.
When companies overlook these issues, workers' health and safety can suffer, and negative effects may extend to workforce retention, operational efficiency, and the industry’s ability to attract new talent.
With its Tools for Psychological Health and Safety, ICMM offers companies a hands-on framework for leadership in mental health. The guidance spans the full spectrum of mental wellbeing, aligns with ISO 45003 and national safety regulations, and builds on the DEI Tools ICMM published last year. These new tools help companies to:
Rohitesh Dhawan, president and CEO of ICMM, said: “There is no higher priority for ICMM members than keeping people safe and healthy at work. These new tools will accelerate critically needed progress on strengthening safety cultures and supporting workers’ psychological health and safety that will help to reduce harm and fatalities which are unfortunately still far too common in the industry.
Dhawan added: “Better psychological safety leads to better physical safety. When people feel able to speak up, take responsibility, and bring their whole selves to work, they help to prevent the kinds of incidents that lead to serious harm, and they contribute to a culture that attracts and retains the skilled people we need. ICMM’s new tools support progress at both local and organisational levels to build workplaces where people are not only protected but supported to do their best work – in environments that are safer and more sustainable.”
Jonathan Price, president and CEO of Teck Resources, said: “Teck supported and contributed to the development of the Tools for Psychological Health and Safety because a psychologically safe workplace leads to better safety outcomes, and also helps to improve performance, innovation and inclusivity across companies. Teck has made psychological safety a priority for a number of years, fostering a culture of continuous learning, high performance and workforce engagement.”
Based on a modular and scalable model, ICMM’s tools enable companies to adapt their implementation based on operational maturity, site context and culture. It also supports the integration of psychological health and safety across multiple internal functions, including within existing risk management systems, and linked to the same processes and accountabilities that underpin physical health and safety.
ICMM members are committed to continual improvement in health and safety, as they work to eliminate fatalities towards a goal of zero harm.
ICMM’s Tools for Psychological Health and Safety can be found here
ICMM’s annual safety performance reports can be found here.
More information is posted on www.icmm.com.
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