Question 1

What is the aim of the research?

Accepted Answer

The Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety in the Future Mine (MARS) Landmark Study is a large-scale research and evaluation project focused on the future of safety, wellbeing and work in the mining industry, led independently by the Centre for Transformative Work Design at Curtin University.The study focuses on three key areas:creating mentally healthy workplaces, by managing psychosocial hazards and promoting positive workplace practices that support mental health and wellbeingbuilding a culture of safety and respect, by supporting safe, gender-equitable, respectful and inclusive workplacespreparing for safety in the future mine, by addressing emerging risks and fostering innovation in safety by design, automation and artificial intelligence

Question 2

Why are you doing the study again?

Accepted Answer

The first survey, run in 2023, gathered input from over 2,500 WA mining workers and provided a national baseline. The Time 2 survey builds on this by measuring what has changed since then, showing where progress has been made and where more work is still needed.The MARS Landmark Study is the first study of its scale conducted anywhere in Australia, giving the WA mining industry a comprehensive, evidence-based picture of mental health, safety, respect and inclusion at work, and the ability to track how these issues change over time.Findings from the study directly inform evidence-based recommendations to the WA State Government to help create and sustain positive, safe and respectful workplaces across the industry.

Question 3

Who is doing the research?

Accepted Answer

The study is led independently by the Centre for Transformative Work Design at Curtin University.All responses are collected and managed independently by Curtin University's Centre for Transformative Work Design, not by employers, unions or the MARS Program/LGIRS.

Question 4

Why does this research matter?

Accepted Answer

The MARS Landmark Study is the first study of its scale conducted anywhere in Australia, giving the WA mining industry a comprehensive, evidence based picture of mental health, safety, respect and inclusion at work, and the ability to track how these issues change over time. The first survey, run in 2023, gathered input from over 2,500 WA mining workers and provided a national baseline. The Time 2 survey builds on this by measuring what has changed since then, showing where progress has been made and where more work is still needed. Findings from the study directly inform evidence-based recommendations to the WA State Government to help create and sustain positive, safe and respectful workplaces across the industry. The study only works if enough workers take part, so every response genuinely matters. Importantly, this study is not about calling out what the mining industry is doing wrong. It reflects the leadership, resources and commitment already shown by the WA mining industry in understanding these challenges and working to be at the forefront of safer, healthier and more inclusive workplaces. Taking part is an opportunity for your organisation, and the industry as a whole, to lead the way and generate insights that can help shape the future of work more broadly.

Question 5

Who can take part?

Accepted Answer

All workers in the WA mining industry are invited to take part, including: Direct employees Contract workers Labour hire Professional staff Site-based or office workers Managers

Question 6

Why am I being asked to take part? What will I have to do?

Accepted Answer

We  would like to understand worker perceptions of and experience in  working in the Western Australian mining industry.The Time 2 study revisits the same three focus areas covered in 2023 so we can track how experiences have changed over time to understand where progress has been made and where more support is still needed.Workers who took part in the first MARS Landmark Study in 2023 are invited to participate again. Participating will  involve completing questions about your experiences with mental  awareness, respect and emerging mine safety issues within the mining  industry. There will be no costs to you for taking part in this research  and you will not be paid for taking part in this research.Workers can take part in two ways, and are welcome to do both:Online survey: a 30-minute confidential questionnaire covering the three focus areasInterview: a 60-minute interview that can be conducted by telephone, online, or face-to-face, depending on the worker's preference. Participants can elect to take part in interviews that cover either mental health and safety or respect at work.

Question 7

Are there any benefits to being in the research project?

Accepted Answer

The  key benefit to taking part in this project is the opportunity to  contribute to the evaluation and understanding of the Western Australian  mining industry, and to provide information that will help shape  recommendations for positive change.Findings from the study directly inform evidence-based recommendations to the WA State Government to help create and sustain positive, safe and respectful workplaces across the industry.
Participation also offers benefits to both individuals and organisations.What does my organisation receive? Organisations where at least 20 staff complete the survey will receive a free organisational report, showing high level, aggregated scores of wellbeing, respect, and safety, and work design for their workforce. This gives organisations a view of their own strengths and the areas where targeted action could have the most impact, and demonstrates a tangible commitment to staff wellbeing. Organisational reports contain aggregated scores only when at least 20 responses have been collected from an organisation. No individual can be identified in a company report, and a company will never see how any single employee responded.  What do individual workers receive? Every worker who completes the survey receives an automated report summarising their own work design, giving them personal insight into their experience of work at no cost to them. Individual responses are kept confidential and are only ever viewed by the Curtin research team. They are de-identified before any reporting, meaning no individual worker's answers are shared with their employer, union, or the MARS program/LGIRS.

Question 8

Are there any risks, side-effects, discomforts or inconveniences from being in the research project?

Accepted Answer

Apart  from your time, we do not expect that there will be any inconveniences  associated with taking part in this study. There may be some risks in  the sense that you may feel some anxiety in completing the survey. You  may also feel some discomfort in answering some questions, particularly  if you have experienced or witnessed such behaviours in the past. If  this is the case, please contact your organisation's Employee Assistance  Program (EAP), Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636 - 24/7 support), Lifeline (13  11 14 - 24/7 support), or your GP for support.

Question 9

Who will have access to my information?

Accepted Answer

Any  information we collect will be treated as confidential and used only in  this project. The following people will have access to the raw  information we collect in this research: the research team at the Centre  for Transformative Work Design (Future of Work Institute, Curtin  University) and, in the event of an audit or investigation, staff from  the Curtin University Office of Research and Development.No one from the research team will identify you or contact you regarding your responses. We will never report individual responses to anyone, including WorkSafe Mines Safety, the MARS Program or your company.All  electronic data will be stored on a secure data repository owned and  managed by Curtin University and will be password-protected. The  information we collect in this study will be kept under secure  conditions at Curtin University for 7 years after the research is  published and then it will be destroyed.

Question 10

What happens to the data collected?

Accepted Answer

The  data you provide will be used for research purposes (e.g., presented at  conferences). You or your organisation will not be personally  identifiable in any results that are presented or published. If you  organisation is eligible (that is, we know at least 20 people from your  organisation completed the survey) and opts in, a summary of the survey  findings may be created for your organisation. A summary of the survey  findings will also be reported back to LGIRS, and summary findings may  be presented at conferences, published in academic journals, and on the  Centre for Transformative Work Design’s website.

Question 11

Do I have to take part in the research project?

Accepted Answer

Taking  part in a research project is voluntary. It is your choice to take part  or not. You do not have to agree if you do not want to. If you decide  to take part and then change your mind, that is also okay, you can  withdraw from the project by simply closing the browser. If you choose  not to take part or start and then stop the study, it will not affect  your relationship with your organisation, LGIRS, or the research team.

Question 12

Who can I contact about the research?

Accepted Answer

If  there are any issues regarding this research, you need help or advice  after completing the questionnaire, or you have any questions about the  research, please contact Lead Research Fellow, Dr Lucinda Iles at MARSlandmarkstudy@curtin.edu.au.

MARS Landmark Study Worker Survey

Have your say and help shape the health, safety and wellbeing of workers across Western Australia’s mining industry.

MARS Landmark Study: Have your say and help shape the future of WA's mining industry

How can I take part?

Complete an online survey

Register your interest for an interview

Frequently asked questions