CIM Connect 2026: Psychological Safety Matters in Mining

As Mental Health Week, and Safety & Health Week, coincide with the CIM Connect convention and expo (CIM) this year, the mining sector is once again reminded that safety is more than PPE, protocols, and procedures. It is also the culture workers navigate every day.

In fly‑in/fly‑out (FIFO) camps and remote operations, isolation, fatigue, and power dynamics shape how people show up for one another.

At CIM, Mine Shift is leading an honest conversation about one of the most persistent and least openly discussed factors influencing worker wellbeing: psychological safety. In many camps, “fitting in” still outweighs speaking up. Workers routinely navigate mixed workforces, contractor–employee dynamics, and environments where harassment, bullying, and unsafe behaviours can go unchallenged because people fear retaliation or social fallout.

Our session draws on frontline experiences, anonymized case examples, and lessons from delivering bystander intervention and speak‑up culture training across multiple sites and companies. The goal is simple: create space for a candid, non‑judgmental discussion about what actually helps teams interrupt harmful behaviour and support one another in real time.

Our DIGGER Program equips workers with Bystander intervention strategies that have the power to bring about significant positive changes in the challenging workplace culture of the mining industry. By embracing these strategies, worksites can be transformed into safe, inclusive, and respectful environments for all workers.

Learn more about our DIGGER Program.