Australia’s biggest mining industry safety conference begins on the Gold Coast

THE safety and well-being of Queensland’s 61 thousand resources sector workers is the focus of Australia’s biggest industry safety conference that gets underway on the Gold Coast today.

Around 1100 delegates have registered to attend the 33rd annual Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference (QMIHSC) at The Star Gold Coast over the next four days with the theme ‘Inside Looking Out’.

Queensland Resources Minister, Scott Stewart, will officially open the conference and said it is encouraging to see so many delegates attending.

“Worker safety must be the number one priority of the Queensland’s resources sector and the QMIHSC demonstrates the industry’s commitment to that,” Mr Stewart said. “We all know how important the resources industry is to our great state’s economy, but safety must always be front and centre of everything the industry does.

“I look forward to hearing about new safety innovations and I applaud the organisers for using the conference to look to other industries to see what they can learn to improve safety practises in Queensland’s resources sector.”

Welcoming delates to the conference, chair of the 2023 QMIHSC, Larnie Mackay, said the event continued to grow and it was "great to see a record attendance at this year’s conference".

“The mining industry has been through considerable change over the past three decades in improving safety and health, but there is always more we can do.  We need to think differently, particularly in light of the current labour shortage in Australia as well as globally ,” Ms Mackay said.

“This year’s theme ‘Inside Looking Out’ is about exploring not only the initiatives, programs and innovations coming from within the mining industry (the “inside”), but also looking at outcomes being achieved by other like-minded industries here and around the world where safety is the number one concern.

“Safety is an issue in which the entire Queensland mining industry is on the same page and this week’s conference is a great opportunity for representatives to come together to share experiences and information that benefits the whole resources sector,” Ms Mackay said.

“I’m looking forward to welcoming delegates today and we thank Minister Scott Stewart for opening the conference, who is well-known for his commitment to improving safety of all workers.

“We have two excellent keynote speakers for Day One of the conference.

“James Wood entered the mining industry in New South Wales straight out of school where he worked until a work accident ended his career and completely changed his life. James will talk about the importance of making the right choices at work, even when doing what may seem the simplest of tasks.

“As we look to learn from other industries, delegates will also hear from Neryl Joyce, a single mum who went from working the checkout at a supermarket, to putting her life on the line as a highly trained bodyguard protecting diplomats in the Middle East.”

Monday will feature an impressive list of keynote speakers and plenary sessions as well as the presentation of this year’s Legends Award, which is always a conference highlight.

The QMIHSC concludes on Wednesday evening with the Conference Dinner and industry award presentations.

About the Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference

The Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference is an initiative to promote health and safety in the Queensland mining industry. The four-day conference provides the industry with the opportunity to exchange information, network and foster proactive health and safety management techniques. The in-person and online conference is organised by representatives from the Queensland Resources Council (QRC), Resources Safety and Health Queensland, the Mining and Energy Union Queensland, industry organisations and the Australian Workers’ Union. The conference boasts a full program of topical sessions, workshops, award presentations and a gala dinner and attracts a wide range of presenters willing to share their knowledge, expertise and insights into important health and safety matters in the industry.

 

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