25 June 2021

[...]

Managers from BHP, Rio Tinto, Fortescue Metals Group (FMG), Woodside and Newmont said they had a "zero tolerance policy" on assault and harassment and were committed to ensuring their workplaces were safe for female employees.

[...]

It comes after two BHP workers were charged with sexual penetration over separate incidents, and FMG revealed it was assisting police investigating an incident of alleged indecent assault.

[...]

FMG director of people Linda O'Farrell said her company's most important values were family and safety.

"Any kind of harassment, any kind of victimisation is completely at odds with those values," she said.

"[It] has no place in our company, in our sector, in our society.

"We welcome this opportunity to collaborate together as an industry."

She said the task was not over until the sector was "completely" inclusive and everyone felt safe.

BHP head of WA iron ore Brandon Craig said it was "critical" to take positive steps to prevent incidents of sexual assault.

"We're going to work incredibly hard over these coming months and into the future at making sure that this type of issue is eradicated from our industry and our workplace," he said.

The views were echoed by Woodside executive vice-president Fiona Hick, Newmont regional chief financial officer Felicity Hughes, Rio Tinto's iron ore chief executive Simon Trott, and BHP general manager integrated production Jessica Farrell.