Mining & resources

Death is not a risk in this industry.
It's a reality.

Mining workers face fatalities, serious injuries, and the grief of losing colleagues on site. Many are FIFO workers who are far from home when family members become ill or die. Yet death remains one of the least spoken-about topics in the industry. Taboo Education is here to change that - directly, practically, and without the corporate wellness language.

Key statistic

More than 1 in 3 FIFO miners meet the clinical threshold for psychological distress - with death anxiety, anticipatory grief and unresolved loss among the leading contributors. Standard EAP programmes are not built to address this. Taboo Education is.

Why this matters

The gap that EAPs can't fill.

Standard Employee Assistance programmes are designed for individual, one-on-one support. They are not built to address death literacy, group grief, or the practical and emotional realities workers face when confronted with mortality at scale.

When a colleague dies on site, a team needs more than a hotline number. They need language. They need frameworks. They need a space where the reality of what they're experiencing can be named and dealt with - not managed around.

There is another reason group sessions work better than individual support in this industry. Research shows that workers who fear disclosure are up to 20 times more likely to already be experiencing high distress - meaning the people who need help most are the least likely to walk through the door of an EAP office. A group session removes that barrier entirely. Nobody is singled out. Nobody has to admit they are struggling. The conversation happens in the room, and everyone benefits.

"The word 'taboo' is not a weakness in this context. It's a strength. Naming the thing that nobody talks about commands attention and builds trust with audiences who have little patience for corporate wellness language."

Wellbeing programmes succeed in mining when they are direct, practical, and respectful of workers' resilience. Sam's approach is all three. She doesn't come in with a clipboard and a box of tissues. She comes prepared to have an honest conversation with people who deserve one.

Sam works primarily with mining organisations proactively - building death literacy and equipping teams before something happens. This is where the greatest impact lies. She also provides post-incident support for teams navigating grief after a fatality, but this is not a crisis response service. For immediate psychological first aid following a critical incident, please contact your EAP provider.

She understands the culture: the dark humour, the mateship, the stoicism. She works with it, not against it.

Presentation themes

What we cover

Sessions are customised to reflect your site's specific workforce and incident history. All themes can be delivered as standalone presentations or combined into a broader programme.

Death literacy

Understanding death as a normal part of life. Reducing death anxiety and building the confidence to engage with end-of-life topics at work and at home.

Grief at work

How grief affects performance, relationships and team culture - and what managers and colleagues can do to genuinely support someone who is grieving.

FIFO-specific loss

Coping with grief while working remotely and away from family. The particular mental load of FIFO life and how to carry it without it becoming a crisis.

Colleague loss

How to support a team after a workplace fatality or serious incident - including what to say, what not to say, and how to help people return to work.

Practical planning

Wills, advance care directives, and the end-of-life conversations workers avoid having - but that their families will thank them for.

Cultural safety

Respectful approaches to death for First Nations and CALD workers - acknowledging the diversity of practice, belief, and experience within your workforce.

Format & delivery

Built for the way your industry works.

Sam delivers sessions in a format that fits your operations - from site-wide toolbox sessions and team days to supervisor training and boardroom briefings. Sessions run from 45 minutes to half a day depending on scope and can be customised to your specific context.

In-person delivery is strongly recommended for these conversations - there is no substitute for being in the room with your workforce. Sam is based in Perth, WA, and travels to mine sites across WA and nationally. Online delivery is also available for remote and FIFO teams where in-person is not feasible.

programmes can be integrated alongside existing initiatives such as MATES in Mining or your current EAP provider - as a complement, not a replacement.

Delivery options

Group presentations for toolbox sessions, team days or all-staff events
Supervisor and leadership training - equipping managers to lead through grief
Site visits across WA and nationally
In-person delivery strongly recommended - online available where in-person is not feasible
Sessions from 45 minutes to half a day
Customised to your workforce and incident history
No-cost demonstration presentation for decision-makers - in person at your offices, or via video link for interstate and remote teams
Integration with existing EAP and MATES in Mining programmes

Regulatory context

This isn't just good culture. It's good compliance.

Australian Work Health and Safety legislation now requires employers to actively manage psychosocial hazards in the workplace. Death-related distress, traumatic grief, and anticipatory loss are recognised psychosocial risks.

Commissioning group education programmes to address these hazards is a defensible and proactive compliance measure - and one that can form part of a documented psychosocial hazard management framework alongside supervisor training and EAP access.

WHS psychosocial requirements

Australian WHS legislation requires active management of psychosocial hazards. Death literacy programmes directly address recognised risks including traumatic grief and death anxiety.

Documented compliance measure

Taboo Education's programmes can form part of a formal psychosocial hazard management framework - defensible, proactive, and aligned with regulatory expectations.

Complements existing programmes

Works alongside MATES in Mining, EAP providers, and existing mental health initiatives - filling the gap that one-on-one support services cannot.

What people say

★★★★★

"Fantastic session, very engaging, enjoyed every minute of it. Would love to do more PD with Taboo Education. Very informative."

Workshop Participant · Professional Development Session

★★★★★

"True to its name, this introductory session had front and centre 'the real taboo'. Informative and accessible."

Workshop Attendee · Professional Development Session

Ready to bring this conversation to your site?

Get in touch to discuss your site's specific needs, request a no-cost demonstration presentation - in person at your offices or via video link - or develop a customised proposal for a pilot programme.

Get in touch About Sam →

"Death is not a topic that disappears when people come to work. Taboo Education helps your workforce carry it better."

Death is not a risk in this industry.It's a reality.