Safe & Respectful Behaviours
The WA resources sector is committed to ensuring our workplaces are safe – both physically and psychologically – for all our employees.
Workplace sexual harassment has been brought into sharper focus following the release of the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Respect@Work: Sexual Harassment National Inquiry Report (the Respect@Work report) in March 2020. In late June 2021, extremely concerning reports of instances of sexual assault and harassment were the focus of sustained media coverage, leading to a WA Parliamentary Inquiry into sexual harassment against women in the FIFO mining industry.
The resources sector is taking active steps to address this issue and is committed to eliminating any instance of workplace sexual harassment from our workplaces. CME’s Advisory Board has supported the adoption of Minerals Council of Australia’s (MCA) Industry Code on Eliminating Sexual Harassment in WA and CME is working to further assist our members in operationalising the MCA Code in WA. Through its WHS Committee and Diversity and Inclusion Reference Group, CME’s cross-portfolio Safe and Respectful Behaviours Working Group has been tasked with informing the industry-level response regarding workplace sexual harassment and assault, before widening to consider safe and respectful behaviours more broadly.
Safe and Respectful Behaviours Working Group
Further to discussions with the WHS Committee in early 2021, in June 2021, CME’s Advisory Board and Executive Council endorsed the formation of the cross-portfolio Safe and Respectful Behaviours working group (SARB working group). The SARB working group is tasked with leading policy development on a number of high-priority projects in addressing this issue.
External Groups
The Safe and Respectful Behaviours Working Group provides guidance on CME’s participation on a number of external groups:
- Minerals Council of Australia’s Respect@Work Taskforce
- Commission for Occupational Safety and Health
- Mining Industry Advisory Committee
Supporting Information & Resources
Safe and Respectful Behaviours and Work-Adjacent Settings – Industry Expectations
Respectful Behaviours Campaign – Compass Group
Safe and Respectful Behaviours – Industry Activities – CME
Alcohol policy in the resources sector – Edge360
Industry Alcohol Guideline – CME
2022 Industry Submission to the Inquiry – CME
2021 Industry Submission to the Inquiry – CME
Elimination Sexual Harassment in the WA Resources Sector (Implementation Framework) – CME
Respect@Work: Sexual Harassment National Inquiry Report – Australian Human Rights Commission
Respect@Work Industry Toolkit – Minerals Council of Australia
Industry Code on Eliminating Sexual Harassment – Minerals Council of Australia
Workplace Behaviour (Code of Practice) – DMIRS
Psychosocial Hazards in the Workplace (Code of Practice) – DMIRS