BHP South Flank: Using Science to Drive Meaningful Change to Behaviours

This project emerged from discussions between BHP’s global Health, Safety, and Environment team and Monash University about the mining industry’s need for effective and scientifically validated methods that can be used to identify, measure, and control behaviours which are social risk factors for psychological and physical injury and harm.These behaviours include negative language about women, race/ethnicity, and LGBTQ+ people; incivility/bullying; and sexual harassment. BHP is unique because the company has formally classified these behaviours as health and safety risks which need to be measured and controlled in the same way as physical risk factors for injury and harm.

BHP’s newest mine, South Flank, was identified as an ideal partner for this pioneering R&D project. Leaders at the mine, and BHP’s Western Australia Iron Ore division, have implemented a range of innovations designed to foster a safe and inclusive workplace, particularly for women.

During this co-designed project, existing interventions (“controls”) which have been deployed at South Flank to prevent or mitigate social risk factors for harm will be evaluated, and new interventions will be co-developed and evaluated. In addition, methods to measure these social risk factors will be piloted or co-developed. A key objective for BHP and Monash is to widely share the results of this work to support positive change across the mining and resource sector and other traditionally male dominated industries.