Improve worker wellbeing with a new toolkit from Edith Cowan University
In a significant stride toward a safer and healthier mining workforce, Edith Cowan University’s (ECU’s) Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety (MARS) Centre has unveiled a free, practical toolkit designed to help mining companies measure and improve psychosocial safety on site.
Developed in close collaboration with industry stakeholders, the Better Together Platform offers a simple yet powerful solution to assessing team and site-level psychosocial risks. Through a short, anonymous survey mining companies can gather real-time data on key psychosocial indicators such as work demands, team belongingness, bullying and supervisor support.
ECU researcher Dr Aglae Hernandez Grande says the Better Together Platform is not just a barometer.
“It goes one step further by providing tailored, evidence-based recommendations and access to tools that mine sites can download and implement across their sites,” she said.
Importantly, the platform’s design reflects real-world conditions. Researchers from ECU have conducted extensive onsite visits, working closely with mining teams to ensure the tool captures the full scope of psychosocial risks as outlined in current codes of practice.
ECU researcher Dr Fleur Sharafizad says mining is a high-pressure industry.
“Prioritising psychosocial wellbeing is essential for long-term safety and performance,” she said.
“This platform gives companies a clear, practical and evidence-based way to understand and improve the wellbeing of their workforce.”
With live benchmarking against WA’s mining industry, the tool allows sites to not only see how they’re performing, but also how they compare to others and where improvements can be made.
Designed for flexibility, companies can add additional survey topics and, with only a small number of responses required to generate preliminary data, the platform is suited to operations of all sizes.
Piloted at Liontown Resources (ASX: LTR) Kathleen Valley lithium operation, the Better Together Platform benchmarks WA’s mining industry. While its foundation is WA-focused, the platform is available nationwide — giving the broader Australian mining sector the opportunity to strengthen its approach to psychosocial safety.
In an industry where people are the most valuable resource, the Better Together Platform provides the tools to create more respectful, mentally healthy and high-performing workplaces — because a better mining industry starts with better wellbeing.
The MARS Centre is funded by the WA Government’s MARS program.
To learn more about the Better Together platform, visit bettertogetherplatform.com.au
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