PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Western Australian government has announced the appointment of an independent expert to review the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety's (DMIRS's) protocols for responding to incidents of sexual harassment and sexual assault in the mining industry.

Workplace culture expert at advisory firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, Elizabeth Shaw, will review DMIRS's enforcement model, organisational capabilities and regulatory responses to these incidents on mine sites. Review findings are expected to be delivered in late 2022.

“I'm pleased to appoint Shaw to review the DMIRS’s processes for dealing with sexual harassment and sexual assault in Western Australia's mining industry,” said Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston.

"Shaw is a well-respected advocate for gender equality and has extensive experience in improving workplace culture and working with senior leaders across a range of industries to drive change.”

Women’s Interest Minister Simone McGurg said on Wednesday that sexual violence is not something anyone should be exposed to, let alone in the workplace. However, she noted that it was a harsh reality that it is a problem across many industries.

“As Minister for Women's Interests, I've had the opportunity to work with Shaw on a number of occasions and have great confidence in her credentials on gender equality.

“The appointment of an independent expert to examine the DMIRS’s processes for handling these incidents will be invaluable and help drive the change that is required.

“It is vital that mine sites are places women want to work and where they will feel safe, but it is also worth noting that companies with greater diversity are more profitable and productive.”

Reports surfaced earlier this year of persistent sexual harassment in the mining industry, echoing findings of an external review of diversified miner Rio Tinto’s workplace culture, which found that bullying and sexism are systemic across Rio Tinto worksites, with almost half of the people experiencing bullying; 28.2% of women and 6.7% of men have experienced sexual harassment at work; while 21 women reported actual or attempted rape or sexual assault.

The Western Australian government last year launched a Parliamentary Inquiry into sexual harassment against women in the fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) industry, which would inquire into the prevalence of sexual harassment in the FIFO mining industry, and would look at whether appropriate measures exist to combat the occurrence of sexual harassment, as well as the extent of current legislation, regulations, policies and practices for the FIFO workplace in Western Australia.