Embracing equity, diversity and inclusion

Coal Services is a Specialised Health & Safety Scheme, providing an integrated suite of services in the areas of workplace health and safety, workers compensation, emergency response and training help to deliver on their purpose, ‘to protect’.

The range of services provided by the organisation requires diverse skillsets, experience and perspectives that are delivered by more than 450 employees across the coal mining communities of NSW.

Lucy Flemming, Coal Services Managing Director/CEO explains.

“Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is aligned to our company values of ‘we care, we work together, we make a difference.’ We aim to attract and retain the right person for the right role regardless of gender or any other factor that does not impact their ability to perform the role.”

Just over 60 per cent of Coal Services’ workforce are women who are working in roles such as administration and nursing, IT, mines rescue, occupational hygiene and technical laboratories as well as Executive Management.

Ms Flemming said that equity in the workplace is more than just breaking into in non-traditional work roles.

“Fulfilling roles based on merit and capability has seen women being offered new opportunities to challenge themselves and the status quo, to develop their leadership skills and encourage and drive robust conversations,” she said.

Wayne Green, Coal Services Chief Operating Officer, agreed and added there is a definite shift happening in the mining industry.

“I am a keen advocate for encouraging diversity and the contribution that different skills and thoughts can bring to the workplace,” he said. “We are seeing a growing number of women in various roles in mining. This leads to diversity in leadership, which is more inclusive and provides positive outcomes to the mining operations.

“It’s also important that we focus on embracing our differences and supporting each other to achieve because that is the foundation for our success,” he concluded.