The challenges for health and safety in the post-pandemic era

The minerals industry has seen the impacts of Covid and the need to manage safety and wellbeing during the grips of the pandemic. As the potential solutions to the pandemic start to roll out during 2021, the industry will be at the forefront of the economic recovery. With a predicted increase in demand over the next few years, the industry will need to balance the drive for production with maintaining a safe and healthy workforce. The session will discuss some of the challenges, the support available and the skills required to deliver a safe and sustainable industry.

The pandemic has created a huge change to the way we work over the last year. As we begin the recovery process, the quarrying sector will play a vital role in supporting the economy with our materials and products. With the potential increase in demand comes the potential for higher risks for our people. QNJAC continues to be critical in supporting the sector in managing the core risks through its guidance and tools, which have been developed through cross-industry collaboration.

In what is designed to be a thought-provoking and discussion-facilitating presentation, Alan will introduce some of the health and safety matters to which the coronavirus pandemic has drawn renewed focus. These include that: not every workplace needs to have people in it all the time; the word 'health' is every bit as important as the word 'safety' in the phrase, 'health and safety'; that you can’t deny the possible causal link between work and mental health; and that technology and technological advances impact not only on the way in which work can be done but how it can be done with much less risk. 

Cath Pickett will comment on how the past 12 months has changed how we go about our working lives, briefly giving examples of good and bad Covid-19 control measures. She will focus on taking time and managing behaviours across the spectrum of quarry-related risk. As an industry we are not inventing new ways of hurting people, and with the additional effort required to think about Covid-19 controls, it is more important than ever to spend time on the basics, consider behavioural challenges and lead by example.

What makes a good leader – beyond technical competence

Leadership across all sectors has been a hot topic for many organizations, and there are wide-ranging views and theories around what represents good leadership, with no absolute definition. There are some key principles that help all leaders in delivering successful outcomes. The session will explore examples of how some have approached leadership and their key learning points. It will also discuss the wider skills needed in becoming a leader.

This contribution will explore the behaviours, attitudes, attributes and skills that characterise effective leadership, and the value of training, mentoring and CPD in the development of effective leaders.

Existing trends and current events mean that the skills required to lead well have changed or need an altered emphasis. This presentation prompts consideration of changes in skills needed to respond to environmental demands.

This presentation explores the benefits of developing a culture of mentoring for future leaders within an organisation. It will also explain the differences, similarities and the all-important links between the two disciplines.

The minerals professional of tomorrow

The world is undergoing fast-paced change and the minerals industry and its professionals will need to develop knowledge and skills to support that transition. The drive towards sustainability, coupled with new technology and the changing needs of the workforce will require new approaches by those working in the sector. Maximizing the potential of the resources produced and the people employed will be critical for the sustainable success of the sector.

For many the pandemic has accelerated the pace of change that was already happening in the workplace. These changes have brought fresh challenges for employers in understanding how to build and develop the skills that businesses need whilst supporting employees to learn and progress. This session will consider the factors that employers face in building resilient workforces and how the impact of the pandemic is likely to impact on future training and development programmes.

Finding the next generation of quarry professionals is a pressing issue for the whole industry. It starts early by sparking the interest of young people through STEM initiatives. But what new challenges has Covid posed when it comes to engaging schools and colleges? And for those who join the industry this year, how can employers deliver an effective onboarding programme?

More generally, what challenges is Covid bringing to effective people management, from training and development to resilience and flexible working? Lisa Saunders draws on her extensive experience to address these questions and more in an engaging, interactive workshop.

As one of the governments largest infrastructure projects, the HS2 project aims to deliver improved transport links across the country as well as support regional economic regeneration. The project also provides a once in a lifetime opportunity to upskill the nation and to build a workforce that is more diverse and resilient. At peak, it is thought that HS2’s construction will support 30,000 jobs and 2,000 apprenticeships so this presentation will look at the work being done now to reach primary and secondary students to help build their future employable skills.