Liontown Resources has partnered with Edith Cowan University on critical research into the wellbeing of fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workers.
The research was undertaken between March and April this year as part of the university’s Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety (MARS) centre and supported by the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety.
Researchers explored how team belongingness can influence the wellbeing of workers on remote mine sites, including those at Liontown’s Kathleen Valley lithium operation.
The researchers collected survey data from 72 Liontown employees and contractors and provided valuable insights into their overall wellbeing and team dynamics.
Key findings revealed that the Kathleen Valley community reported psychological distress levels consistent with the mining industry but higher than the general Australian population, reinforcing the need to be proactive in supporting the mental health of FIFO workers.
Positively, 72 per cent of respondents reported feeling moderate to high belongingness at Kathleen Valley and was correlated to better wellbeing.
Liontown work health and safety manager Hayden Spencer said the results demonstrated the impact of prioritising supportive team environments.
“It was great to get involved in research that concentrated on the positives to working away,” Spencer said.
“For some people, their team is the reason they go to work, and they get to build friendships that outlast the mine life.
“However, we still have a lot of work to do in this space and will ensure that we include our contract partners in this as much as possible.”
Liontown is now working to enhance the wellbeing of its community using evidence-based recommendations tailored to its operation.
The miner is engaging with its contractors to address their unique needs, and is providing training for leaders to support their teams.
The MARS Centre is also working to create a standardised survey tool for the mining industry to measure psycho-social safety, providing recommended actions based on the scores.
The tool is expected to be rolled out across the mining sector next year.
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