Category: Mining
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‘Mothering from Miles Away: Mining, Motherhood, and the Art of Staying Closeâ
âI didnât take time off because Iâm soft. I took time off because Iâm a mum. And thatâs not negotiable.â In mining, time off can feel like a weakness. But when your child needs you, itâs not a breakâitâs a boundary. We need a culture where caring isnât punished. Where showing up for your family… Read more
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âNot Yours to Define: Body Policing and the Cost to Inclusionâ
âIn the cribhut, I heard it: âSheâs probably cheatingâOzempic or surgery. No one loses weight that fast.â But I knew better. Iâd seen her walking after dark for years. Quiet effort. No applause. Just grit. When I spoke up, the woman who made the comment went cold. Thatâs the cost of being the changeânot the… Read more
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đ§ Scanned and Scored: When QR Codes Undermine Confidence in Mining
This powerful blog explores the emotional and safety impacts of QR code-based operator scoring systems in mining environments. Through a lens of neuroscience, storytelling, and advocacy, it reveals how performance metrics like spot times can foster fear, compromise safety, and diminish the true value of women on site. It challenges fear-run team dynamics and offers… Read more
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đ Emotions Arenât the EnemyâBut Theyâre Not the Map Either
In mining, weâre trained to respond with logicâchecklists, procedures, hazard reports. But before logic kicks in, thereâs often a flicker: a gut feeling, a subtle shift in tone, a tightening in the chest. These emotional flags arenât weaknessesâtheyâre early warning systems. The body knows before the brain can articulate. The key is learning to trust… Read more
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đFinding Glimmers In Mining: A Neuroscience Approach To Wellbeing At Workâ
In the dust and diesel of Australiaâs mining sites, resilience isnât just a buzzwordâitâs a lifeline. But what if strength didnât have to mean pushing through pain alone? What if it could start with something as small as a glimmerâa fleeting moment of joy, safety, or connection that lights up the brainâs pathways for healing?… Read more
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đĽMud, Metal and Mood Swings. Mining Life beyond the Machinery
We donât just carry rocksâwe carry rage, resilience, and stories buried deeper than any drill rig has ever reached. Out here, mood swings arenât just hormonal or seasonal. Theyâre seismic. Each shift tells a tale of a woman who chose to stay, speak up, or walk out, despite everything stacked against her. This isnât just… Read more
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đŹ The Quiet Cost of Looking the Other Way: What Safety Culture Really Means
âIn mining, danger doesnât always roarâit whispers. A skipped step. A silent nod. A fleeting hesitation to speak. In those quiet moments, safety is compromised, and lives are altered forever. Breaking the silent culture isnât about shoutingâitâs about finding the courage to say, âThis isnât right,â even when no one else does.â Read more
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đ Dust, Discontent, and the Missed Moments: A Womanâs Perspective on Mining Work
We all forget. We all count down. But this jobâthis lifeâis more than knock-off. Itâs safety. Itâs legacy. Itâs showing up. One thought at a time. Mining started as an opportunityâa dream for many Australians. But over time, the dust settled not just on our boots, but on our mindset. The grind became the focus,… Read more
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đź The Truth about Shift work and Mental Health
“She didnât feel tired enough to stop. But fatigue doesnât wait for permission.” The mine hummed in the background, a constant reminder of the shift still ahead. Her hands gripped the wheel of the haul truck, calloused and steadyâuntil they werenât. The yawns came silently at first, but soon they echoed into the emptiness of… Read more
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đ ď¸ The Hidden Toll of Isolation for Women in Mining.
Mental Health in Mining: The Isolation Faced by Heavy Equipment Operators In the stillness of a remote mine, inside the cab of a massive haul truck, one voice echoes louder than the two-way: your own. Thoughts cycle endlesslyâam I good enough, did I mess up, will anyone take me seriously? Long shifts and long silences… Read more