ICMM on Thursday published tools to support mining and metals companies to embed strong psychological health and safety practices into daily operations, and organisational culture. The tools aim to reduce risk and help companies strengthen safety cultures to ultimately prevent harm. 

Across the sector, the focus on safety has led to major advances in how physical risks are managed. But as operational environments become more complex — and as expectations around workplace culture and care continue to evolve — psychological health and safety has emerged as a critical, underdeveloped, frontier.  

Fatigue, isolation, job strain, bullying, and trauma exposure continue to affect workers at rates that outpace other sectors. If left unaddressed, these issues can impact the health and safety of workers, in addition to wider impacts on workforce stability, operational performance, and the industry’s ability to attract and retain talent. 

ICMM’s Tools for Psychological Health and Safety provide a practical foundation for corporate leadership in psychological health and safety in the mining and metals industry, spanning the full mental health continuum. Aligned with ISO 45003 and national health and safety legislation, it builds on ICMM’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Tools published last year, supporting companies to:  

• Prevent harm by embedding psychosocial risk management into business systems and designing mentally healthy work;
• Intervene early to identify issues before they escalate, through leadership training, safe reporting pathways, and integrated monitoring;
• Respond to injury or illness using trauma-informed approaches, workplace adjustments, and return-to-work plans, and  
• Promote positive work experiences that foster connection, meaning, and engagement. 

 “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,” said ICMM CEO Rohitesh Dhawan.  

“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 Tools for Psychological Health and Safety can be found here.