• INSIGHT
MENTAL HEALTH IN MINING : THE LINK BETWEEN PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS AND SAFETY
By Arjen de Bruin , Group CEO at OIM Consulting
As a country , South Africa struggles with its collective mental health . Zoom in on the mining sector , and you will see South Africa ’ s mental health ‘ pandemic ’ play out in real time .
According to the Annual Mental State of the World Report from Sapien Labs , published in 2022 , SA ranks as one of the worst countries when it comes to mental health , scoring the lowest average score on the mental health wellbeing scale . Put in the starkest terms : more than a quarter ( 25.7 %) of South Africans are depressed while every year the country loses up to 14 000 people to suicide .
Zooming in on the mining sector : High-intensity , long-shift work in challenging conditions – especially underground operations – demands constant alertness . Many workers are also migrants who are separated from their families , contributing to loneliness , stress and depression . South African mining communities are often wracked by violence , which further harms workers ’ state of mind . Compounding this is the fact that mining organisations are notoriously hierarchal with an aggressive leadership style defined by yelling , with workforces that are predominantly male . In a patriarchal society such as ours , men are often discouraged from expressing vulnerability because it appears " weak ", leading to a bottleneck of emotions that presents as severe psychological stress .
This dangerous context has far-reaching effects , posing a risk to the lives of others . Psychological stress can lead to disengagement , presenteeism , alcohol and substance abuse and burnout . In one report , depression was revealed to interfere with a person ’ s ability to complete physical tasks at work around 20 % of the time while reducing cognitive performance 35 % of the time .
In turn , a fall-down in one ’ s mental condition impacts one ’ s safety mindset , leading to an increase in injuries or even fatalities . Data shows that up to 80 % of injuries and fatalities in mines are due to an inadequate safety mindset among the workforce , and are therefore avoidable . Combine severe psychological stress and a poor safety mindset with a work environment that is high-risk in nature , and you have a volatile cocktail for disaster .
For this reason , OIM Consulting – which specialises in mining organisational improvement with a focus on super-led intervention – believes that entrenching a safety mindset within the mining workforce is paramount , and will circumvent many of the physical safety risks presented by mental illness or psychological stress , which are compounded by the high-risk nature of the work environment . These mental health conditions still need to be dealt with , but through learning and coaching , we can at least mitigate many of the physical risks they present .
What is a safety mindset ? We see this as a mentality focused on protecting oneself and others , managing risks , and promoting shared safety values . It is built on core assumptions , beliefs and attitudes that balance care with control in approaching safety . This mindset shapes our choices , actions and responses to challenges , changes and compliance with rules and regulations .
To this end , one of the first things we do when we enter a mine is conduct a safety assessment . By assessing individual risk patterns , we are able to understand the workforce ’ s general risk-taking tendency , which we categorise according to a Risk Propensity Matrix with four main risk profiles :
Arjen de Bruin , Group CEO at OIM Consulting .
Consistent Risk Adverse ( cautious and predictable ); Consistent Risk Taking ( predictable in taking risks ); Erratic Risk Adverse ( cautious and unpredictable ); and Erratic Risk Taking ( takes risks but is unpredictable ) – with Consistent Risk Adverse being the least concerning from a safety perspective , and Erratic Risk Taking being the most concerning . Why ? Because the latter takes risks – but you cannot anticipate when or why they take them .
Once we understand the organisation ’ s overall risk propensity , we teach the workforce to apply situational awareness in their daily work by helping them identify potential risks , understand these risks and consider appropriate responses . Together , we create action plans to address specific behaviours , which are reinforced through ongoing , on-the-floor coaching .
We view the supervisor as the safety leader of the team . In the mines we enter , the worst recorded competency is always planning and organising . We know that planned work is , however , safe work . And so , we prevent knee-jerk reactions that can lead to injury through a series of tools and processes that bring structure and order to the shift , creating routine and consistency .
Through tools such as the daily meeting – and by showing people how to engage with each other respectfully – we also focus on psychological safety , which contributes to physical safety . When people feel safe and empowered to speak up when they see something is wrong , we can avoid a whole host of risky behaviours .
Tackling the issue of poor mental health in mines requires action , collaboration and commitment from multiple stakeholders . While many initiatives are underway to address this , it is not a problem that will be solved overnight .
However , what we can do right now is remove the likelihood of the physical risks that these conditions can contribute to , through targeted , effective intervention . •
Supplied by OIM Consulting
38 • African Mining • February 2025 www . africanmining . co . za