Australia’s mining employers are being urged to sharpen their heat-risk strategies as summer begins and climate-driven hazards escalate across operations.
The Australian Institute of Health and Safety (AIHS) said that extreme heat remains the country’s most frequent cause of weather-related hospitalisations and deaths, and that many workplaces are not equipped for the growing impacts of climate change. For mining, where outdoor, remote and high-intensity environments amplify exposure, preparedness must keep pace with rising risk.
AIHS chair Celia Antonovsky said there is increasing urgency for organisations to strengthen wellbeing strategies, risk management processes and safety policies to prevent escalating harm and disruption.
“Many sectors are already facing climate-linked impacts such as heat stress, poor air quality and psychosocial strain, and these growing risks reveal where WHS systems and workplace preparedness can continue to evolve,” she said. With Australians spending a third of their lives at work, she added, the workplace is a critical setting for mitigating climate-related risks.
The institute’s 2024 member survey underscored a capability gap, with fewer than 25 per cent of respondents reporting they have the tools, resources and training needed to manage climate-related WHS risks. AIHS has now identified climate readiness as a whole-of-profession priority, accelerating efforts to strengthen guidance and build capability.
Antonovsky said the Policy and Advocacy Committee is advancing significant work to ensure WHS professionals have the knowledge, tools and practical guidance required to respond to emerging challenges.
“The start of summer is a timely reminder for employers to review heat-management plans and ensure controls are in place to keep workers safe, particularly as younger workers increasingly view climate change as a significant threat,” she said.
The AIHS recommends embedding climate-related risks into WHS systems, adjusting shifts and workloads during high-heat periods, ensuring access to shade, cooling and climate-appropriate PPE, monitoring daily heat and air-quality alerts, and training leaders to recognise early signs of heat-related psychosocial strain.
It will take businesses, regulators, policymakers and WHS professionals working together Antonovsky said.
“The AIHS is committed to helping lead the national response,” she said. “Our … committee is driving education, guidance, and advocacy to support safe, climate-resilient workplaces, because everyone has the right to go to work and return home safely.”
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