Liontown is proud to have partnered with Edith Cowan University’s Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety (MARS) Centre on an important research project aimed at enhancing the mental health and wellbeing of fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) workers.

Last week, Liontown Work Health and Safety Manager Hayden Spencer attended the research showcase alongside government representatives, prominent researchers, industry peers and the academic community to discuss our participation in the initiative.
Supported by the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS) and conducted between March and April 2024, the study explored how team belongingness can influence the wellbeing of workers on remote mine sites, including those at Liontown’s Kathleen Valley Lithium Operation.

The researchers collected survey data from 72 Liontown employees and contractors and provided valuable insights into our overall wellbeing and team dynamics. Key findings revealed that the Kathleen Valley community reported psychological distress levels consistent with the mining industry but higher than the general Australian population, reinforcing the need to be proactive in supporting the mental health of FIFO workers.

Positively, 72% of respondents reported feeling moderate to high belongingness at Kathleen Valley, outperforming industry averages. This was positively correlated to better wellbeing. The results demonstrated the impact of prioritising supportive team environments.
“It was great to get involved in research that concentrated on the positives to working away. For some people, their team is the reason they go to work, and they get to build friendships that outlast the mine life. However, we still have a lot of work to do in this space and will ensure that we include our contract partners in this as much as possible.” said Hayden.

Liontown Training Superintendent Michelle Stubbs also attended the research showcase and was blown away by the support from DEMIRS and regulators for the initiative and by the insights that the university academics and researchers presented.

Thanks to research by the ECU MARS Centre, Liontown is working to enhance our community’s wellbeing using evidence-based recommendations tailored to our operation. We’re engaging with our contractors to address their unique needs, have enhanced 24/7 communal recreational areas at our state-of-the-art village, launched a vibrant program of social and sport classes and events, and are providing psychological assistance to all and training for leaders to support their teams.

The ECU MARS Centre will now work to create a standardised survey tool for the industry to measure psycho-social safety, providing recommended actions based on the scores. Thanks to DEMIRS, this tool will be rolled out across the mining sector next year, with Liontown privileged to pilot the tool ahead of its launch.

Liontown is committed to creating a safe, respectful, and supportive workplace for all. By partnering with the ECU MARS Centre and DEMIRS on this crucial work, we’re helping to improve the mental health and wellbeing of FIFO workers, not only at Kathleen Valley but everywhere. Thank you to the ECU MARS Centre and DEMIRS for inviting us to participate in the initiative and supporting us to support our community.