In October, Health for Work attended the Western Australia Mining Exhibition, a collective showcase of the most innovative and forward thinking products and solutions available to the mining industry in 2025.
The 2 day event, held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, attracted more than 5,500 people from across the world of mining, with a variety of professionals from across the sector. In attendance were mine owners and operators, experts from tech, government and service providers who brush up against the industry to deliver solutions to fix some of the biggest challenges in mining.
On the second day of the event, our BDM - Joe Saunderson, had the opportunity to address a collective of industry professionals from the main stage. The topic was centered around building safer, smarter mines, how we can look to prioritise people, utilise new technology and ensure productivity is not compromised.
You can find some of the stage outcomes of the discussion below, from our perspective as a healthcare provider to the industry.
Q: How can mining companies benefit from providing telehealth as a benefit to their staff?
Mining is a difficult job. Employees are under physical and psychological stress as they are underground, in remote locations and working rosters that require living on site for prolonged periods of time.
There is an overwhelming need to provide healthcare access to the people on the ground as they work in sites that often have very limited connection to the usual amenities you would expect in a city or town. How do people engage with a professional healthcare provider when they are Fly In Fly Out, Drive In/Out or living in a camp setting, consistently surrounded by colleagues and coworkers?
Giving people round the clock access to medical professionals allows them to connect when they need to, ensuring they deal with health concerns quickly and preventatively - before they become serious.
Q: How can telehealth break down traditional barriers within mining?
Mining carries a heavy stigma associated with the outwardly hard mindset and image portrayal of being in a difficult role, working in demanding environments. People within mining, construction and utilities are statistically less likely to seek help when they need it. There is an attitude amongst some of just pushing through and putting it to the back of mind.
Providing access to accredited medical specialists provides a confidential way for people to seek help - knowing that we are bound by the strictest standards of privacy protection. Giving people options in their care allows them to choose their preferred path and provides connection with a specialist of their choice.
Making the solution quick, easy, affordable and placing a timely healthcare plan is in place, ensures there is no delay to care or barrier to access.
Q: Why does a custom telehealth solution make sense?
When we talk about a custom telehealth option, we talk about a solution that has been built around your organisation and people.
It is not an off the shelf option, which simply allows booking of a general appointment. With a custom solution you can do the following:
Authenticate - We ensure only your employees are authorised to access the services and allow them to authenticate other users (if the company approves), allowing them confidentiality in using the service
Segment - group your teams by job description, role, geographical location and however else you wish to! Set different usage allowances, rules of use, payment options based on the needs of the people within your business.
Report - Accurately report on the way your employees are using the service, without breaching confidentiality. Flag health risks before they become a serious issue and identify risks early, ensuring preventative measures can be taken.
Q: How can healthcare access build resilience across teams?
Life is tough. There are plenty of challenges, ups and downs and difficulties chipping away at people's resilience on a daily basis. When you are not feeling your best, physically or mentally, resilience can be depleted at an alarming rate.
Resilience can be like a fuel tank, sometimes people need to take from it and other times it can be topped up. One thing is for sure and that is you can't consistently take and struggle through without repercussions. Taking from the resilience tank depletes the ability to bounce back as easily and when people feel they are running on empty, can have disastrous consequences.
Dealing with health needs early and preventatively ensures energy and focus isn't taken up by feeling unwell and can be directed elsewhere.
Q: How can leadership encourage people to prioritise their health?
Simply by living the values themselves and ensuring they are doing the right thing for their own wellbeing.
Accessible healthcare is a powerful tool that not only provides a space for people to turn to when they need it, but also ensures people know where to go immediately.
When an employee needs assistance or care and they turn to leadership for help, there needs to be a clear direction on where to go. Many companies turn to generic EAP solutions, but providing talk therapy without a structured plan in place does little to fix the issues. Without an end goal in place, talk therapy provides a band aid approach and is the most common frustration with traditional EAP.
The solution? Physical and mental healthcare in one easy to use platform, providing guaranteed confidentiality, assured professionalism and planned progression towards a successful outcome.
True preventative healthcare addresses issues early and quickly, with the end user in mind, right from the start.
