From the Pilbara in West Australia to the coastline of North Queensland, Rio Tinto is encouraging employees to check in and connect with the people around them for RU OK day.

Rio Tinto Australia managing director Joanne Farrell said 'Our people at site are often isolated from family and friends and it's really important we recognise our employee's safety extends beyond physical safety to include mental health and wellbeing too.

'As an employer we cannot prevent life's curve balls coming, what we can do is provide our people with the resources, tools and skills to help them deal with these curveballs.

'Our peer support programmes focus on building positive mental health and resilience including how we can integrate health into leadership training and how we set up our camps and offices to maximise health outcomes by design.'

Today employees across Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland at sites including Dampier Salt, Wickham, Gove, Weipa, Kestrel, Hail Creek and the Brisbane and Perth offices marked the occasion with breakfasts, afternoon tea and BBQ events.

Last month RU OK CEO Brendan Maher visited Dampier Salt and Wickham operations in WA as a conversation convoy for employees to check in with each other and support anyone who may be struggling.

Rio Tinto is also working with Medibank to develop a series of short videos on mental health, fatigue management and wellbeing in mining. These videos are intended to be used as tool box talks and safety shares to promote mental resilience and to provide information on the support available.

For more information visit on the RU OK? Initiative visit www.ruok.org.au

Notes to editor

RU OK is a suicide prevention charity aimed at inspiring Australian's to have regular, meaningful conversations every day of the year to help anyone struggling with life.

Rio Tinto Ltd. published this content on 14 September 2017 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein.
Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 14 September 2017 06:43:01 UTC.

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