This is the final episode of the season, and I’m joined by my friend and former colleague, Caitlin Hobbs; a safety and risk professional who is leading the way in how our industry approaches psychosocial safety on site.
Caitlin and I started our mining careers together as graduates in Mount Isa — me in geology, her as a safety advisor — and it’s been amazing to watch her continue to level up and now be nationally recognised for her work in mental health and safety. She’s even been invited to speak at a major psychosocial risk management conference later this year, which is such a huge milestone and so well deserved.
I wanted to have Caitlin on the podcast because she brings the safety perspective on how psychosocial risk is actually managed on site- something I was still curious about after last week’s episode with Erica, our HR rep. If you haven’t listened to that one yet, I really recommend starting there, this episode is a perfect follow-up to that conversation.
In this episode, we talk about:
🔹 What’s changing now that psychosocial risk is part of safety legislation
🔹 Why burnout isn’t just “stress” - and how to call it what it is
🔹 What you can actually do - practically and personally, if you or someone you work with is struggling
🔹 How safety and HR can work together and what’s still missing
These last two episodes have felt like I’ve been mining a real knowledge gap. In mining, so much information doesn’t get shared between departments or across site, and that disconnect can leave people unsure, unsupported, or feeling like they’re the only one going through something.
I wanted these episodes to be something you could come back to, or something you could share with someone who might need it, just as much for you as they are for me. It’s hard watching friends or colleagues go through something tough and not knowing what advice or information might actually help.
🛑 Content note:
We do talk about suicide in this episode in the context of workplace mental health. Please take care while listening, and if you or someone you know needs support, here are some places you can reach out to:
EAP (Employee Assistance Program): Employees often receive information about the EAP during onboarding or through their company's intranet. Alternatively, they can contact HR directly or find EAP details on internal portals.
Department of Mines:
Free Legal Advice:
WA
QLD
SA
NSW
VIC
Victoria Legal Aid
Victorian Mining Warden
NT
Thanks so much for listening to this season of Mining the Gap. I’ve absolutely loved having these conversations, and I want to say a big thank you to all of my amazing guests — Louise, Richard, Hayley, Tegan, Kym, Brooke, Erica, and Caitlin. You’ve each brought so much insight, honesty, and heart to this season, and I’m really proud of what we’ve created together.
I’m not quite sure what’s next, but I’m excited to find out. So for now, this is bye from me, and I’ll see you soon.
