Know your risks: Leadership in exploration health and safety

The field-oriented health and safety (H&S) course is designed to provide participants of all experience levels with a strong understanding of the typical H&S risks in mineral exploration. Twelve years running, the course has recently been redesigned to emphasize the real-life applications of H&S tools like risk assessment and root cause analysis, with particular emphasis on high-risk activities including drilling and helicopter use. Through a series of comprehensive presentations and engaging breakout sessions, participants will draw links between the many aspects of H&S, including psychological health and safety, to develop a profound understanding of why accidents happen and how they can be prevented. The course content is sufficient to start a simple H&S program, or, given an existing one, will enhance a participants understanding of the goals and priorities of a successful H&S program. The course is suitable for all, from new hires wanting to ask the right questions about safety on the job to experienced H&S leaders wishing to refresh their field safety know-how or to dive deeper into psychological H&S. This courses diversity of content and attendees, from geologists to drillers, students and managers, provides a unique setting for participants to enhance their own understanding of safety culture and the role they play in keeping their workplaces safe.

Top takeaways:

• Reinforced belief that safety is key to field work for all involved, from the individual to their team to the company or companies responsible, and understanding why
• Ability to identify, evaluate, and address hazards, to discuss the safety measures a company should have in place, and to effectively ask questions and speak up about unsafe protocols
• Recognition of the impact of psychological safety in the workplace and the links between physical and mental wellbeing, particularly in remote workplaces
• Acknowledgment of the impacts of human factors and mental health on safety protocols and ability to initiate conversations on these topics to support teams and build safety culture
• Confidence to strengthen or build safety culture and to demonstrate H&S leadership in the workplace