Pilbara Health

Each apprentice is assigned a mentor to guide them through both job-specific and employee processes such as health and safety.

Kristen, pictured above with apprentice Simon Eames, is one of the many mentors taking on this important role. Guiding her apprentices through the sea of policies and procedures is integral to a safe and secure working environment.

Apprentices from a range of disciplines spend six months a year putting their studies into practice, gaining invaluable on-the-job training and development.

“My job is to make sure our apprentices are ready for the workforce but safety always comes before production."

“You have to know what the processes are before you can integrate them into your working day. I take them through the process step-by-step making sure each policy is understood and then carried out properly. I love my job because it’s so varied and getting to work with young people is a real highlight,” she said.

Young people are often unaware of the hazards in workplaces such as workshops. The challenge for mentors like Kristen is to teach apprentices to be aware of their environment at all times and to always put their own safety and wellbeing ahead of everything else.

Pilbara Iron’s occupational health and safety standards mirror those of Rio Tinto globally, and can be found at The Standards.