Improving Mining Safety Through Leadership, Engagement, and Psychological Safety
The mining industry is globally recognized as one of the most hazardous industries, where safety performance is a key determinant of operational sustainability. Despite technological advancements that reduce hazard exposure and strict regulatory instruments governing safety, the sector continues to face significant safety challenges. In particular, mining accident incidents are more frequently experienced by contract workers employed by mining service providers than by permanent employees. This difference in accident statistics exists because most high-risk mining activities are carried out by contract workers, and they operate on a much larger scale than operations managed directly by the company owner.
PT Freeport Indonesia, a mineral mining company affiliated with Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) and Mining Industry Indonesia (MIND ID), employs a total of 33,486 workers across all operational areas, from the Papua jobsite to the Gresik Manyar Smelter, with contractor employees accounting for approximately 80% of the workforce. With such a large number and composition of workers, preventing workplace accidents to protect employee safety, ensuring compliance with government regulations, and maintaining the continuity and stability of mining operations are critically important.
An empirical study conducted by Quansah, P. E., Zhu, Y., and Guo, M. (2023) involving 539 mining contract workers analyzed the integrated impact of safety leadership, employee engagement, and psychological safety on safety performance in high-risk industries. The study results confirm that safety leadership characterized by management commitment, communication, and support directly improves safety performance (measured through compliance, participation, and reduced incident rates).
Furthermore, the study revealed a significant serial mediation effect: effective safety leadership fosters a psychologically safe climate in the workplace. Employees feel safe to voice concerns without fear, which in turn increases employee engagement in safety activities and ultimately leads to superior safety outcomes.
The Pre-BK3N 2026 activities carried out in December 2025, through a series of initiatives such as simultaneous Management Inspections in both highland and lowland areas (December 8, 2025), Quarterly PJO Meetings in highland and lowland areas (December 10 and 12, 2025), and a Management Lunch in the highland area (December 18, 2025), aimed to cultivate safety leadership, psychological safety, and worker engagement through interactions between PTFI management, contractors, and their employees.
These activities served as productive communication and collaboration platforms through discussions on key issues such as safe work practices, safety performance, recently occurring Potential Fatal Events (PFE), and contractor training and competency development. In addition, PTFI management received feedback, suggestions, and complaints from contractor and employee representatives, helping to establish positive psychological safety behaviors among employees.
Through this series of Pre-BK3N 2026 programs, it is expected that a strong safety culture will be built by promoting safety leadership, psychological safety, and worker engagement, while enhancing communication and collaboration among management, contractors, and employees.(Maychel Gino Simanjuntak)
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