S08 E03: Too much to carry: The case that alters the landscape of mining prosecutions

Season 08 Episode 03: Too much to carry: The case that alters the landscape of mining prosecutions

WARNING: In this episode, the podcasters discuss extreme mental health duress - we advise listener discretion.

Noone died. But two workers were emotionally broken by the weight of their jobs – this time, the system noticed.

In this episode of WhyWork, we explore a landmark $1.2M enforceable undertaking in mining. Not for a collision, Not for a fire. Not for an explosion. And not for a fatality, but for two finance staff affected by their crushing workloads, blurred roles, and the organisational injustice that led to a breach of duty. The WhyWork team discuss a landmark regulatory prosecution in the mining sector for psychosocial harm where no physical injury or fatality occurred - two finance professionals were exposed to serious breaches in duty of care under Section 19 in Australian workplace health and safety law.

“No hazard tape, no broken bones – just people who were no longer coping,” reflects Sara. “This is section 19 – it matters,” Trajce concurs. This is the case that relates mental health harm owing to serious workplace responsibility. “This is a moment of accountability in an industry built on grit,” Alan agrees. It is a reminder that collapse isn’t always accompanied with sirens – it is sometimes like the management of an overflowing, ‘chokka’ inbox at midnight.

Sara urges Trajce and Alan to consider the logic in making sense of ‘psychosocial hazard salad.’ She uses the ‘BLT sandwich’ analogy of Professor Jan Dul and his recent article on the four factors presenting necessary conditions of developing depression: baseline depressive symptoms, self-criticism, rumination, and stressful events.

For more on psychosocial risk management, check out the new Psychosocial Risk Analyser feature - powered by ViVA health at work through a ViVID Design Labs collaboration - in ErgoAnalyst (v3.0). Additionally, ViVA health at work offer the PRAiSE - Psychosocial Risk Analyser and Integrated Solutions for Employers - program.