December 19, 2025
As we reach the end of the year, a time that some call the silly season, I wanted to take the opportunity to reflect on workplace safety and remind everyone in mining that workplace fatalities and injuries are preventable – but it takes all of us.
Unfortunately, 2025 was a sober reminder of the ever-present dangers in our industry. In October we lost Ambrose McMullen and Holly Clarke in an explosion at the Endeavor Underground Silver Zinc Mine in Cobar. Heading into the holidays, the thoughts are with their families, friends and colleagues.
Safety is in the DNA of the Mining and Energy Union. We remember the tragedies of the past and commit ourselves every day to ensuring they don’t happen again.
This year we’ve taken an important step forward in our safety work with the launch of the MEU Safety Hub – your new home for everything to do with staying safe and healthy in the industry.
The Safety Hub pulls together what our union has been fighting for over decades: practical information, clear rights, and real stories about hazards that kill and injure mine and energy workers. It focuses on some of the big risks our delegates and checkies keep raising – fatigue, vehicle interactions, psychosocial risks, respiratory disease, alcohol and other drugs, and noise and hearing. And there’s more to come.
Each of these hazards can change or end a life in an instant, or slowly over years underground or on the plant. Whether it’s mine dust lung disease, a near miss with a haul truck, bullying or sexual harassment on site, or the slow creep of fatigue after too many long shifts, none of it is “part of the job” and none of it is inevitable.
What makes the difference is workers being organised and backed by a strong union. The Safety Hub is there to support that, with resources, podcasts, safety legislation and MEU policy you can use in safety meetings, investigations and negotiations with management.
As we head into the end of the year, many of you will be working through holidays, long hot shifts and time away from family. Please remain mindful of your psychosocial safety while at work, particularly if you are working over Christmas. In our industry distraction can be deadly, so try to remain focused while you’re on the job or speak out if it’s getting too much.
Likewise, fatigue multiplies your chances of being involved in an accident, both on-site and driving to and from work. While I encourage you to enjoy the Christmas season to the fullest, please ensure you are rested and refreshed before you return to work, particularly if you drive in, or operate heavy machinery.
Finally, please use the Safety Hub, talk to your delegate or safety rep if something doesn’t look right, and keep looking out for your mates. If you see a hazard – speak up. If you’re not sure of your rights – check the Hub or call the union.
In 2026 we’ll keep building on this work, pushing employers and regulators to lift their game, and making sure every worker goes home safe and well. That’s the standard we demand, and together, we can make it reality.
From the MEU to you and your loved ones, please have a joyous, refreshing, and most importantly safe Christmas season.
Stephen Smyth
General Vice President, Mining and Energy Union