Analogy of Life The Sausage Machine - · PDF fileAnalogy of Life – The Sausage ... WASM, Kalgoorlie 1986 –1st year Uni (women 1st permitted to work UG in WA) Gee I’m short!

Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum

IPAA “Women in Leadership”

Analogy of Life –

The Sausage Machine

Alex Atkins

Senior Mining Engineer/ Special Inspector of Mines (Mining)


Who am I?

• Mother of two

• Senior Mining Engineer/ Special Inspector

of Mines at the Department of Mines &

Petroleum

• 20+ years experience (15 years working at

remote mining operations, mainly UG)

• Mining Engineer, Geotechnical Engineer &

Geologist with 1st Class Mine Manager’s

Certificates in WA & Qld


Expectations – rose tinted glasses

• 1980s high school: “Girls can do what the

boys can do!”, “Go girls!”

• In the mines: “Girls can’t do that”, “Women

don’t belong here”. Women not permitted

to work underground in WA until 1986 & in

PNG in 1990s (Ministerial clearance

required)

• resilience, determination, stubborn

rebellion against the norm!


20 years in the Sausage Machine

(1986 – 2006)

Raw materials

Quality produce

Underground metalliferous

mining industry

Bad marriage

Kids & Autism

Naive, innocent & clueless

What doesn’t kill you makes you

stronger

Increasing resilience


Journey begins age 17

Fresh from high school - rose tinted glasses on


WASM, Kalgoorlie 1986 – 1st year Uni

(women 1st permitted to work UG in WA)

Gee I’m short!


WASM Kalgoorlie

Fun, carefree uni

days…

but it was still a

boys’ club


1980s Uni Vac Work

Worked every vacation on

mine sites to pay for uni


1980s Mine work hurdles

• Accommodation (single men’s quarters)

– When turned up for work was told they

couldn’t employ me - camp was for men only

– Found family to put me up (shed in Laverton)

• Bathrooms (men only)

– Had to wait till the miners all went home at

end of shift then shower in the men’s

– 1990s PNG filthy toilets

– Just starting to accommodate women’s needs

in UG toilets today


After 4 years at WASM

BEng Hon (Eng. Geology)

Why are you

kneeling?

Get up woman!


Early 1990s - 2 years as a geologist in

N Qld (pit & exploration) – not for me


2.5 years at UQ, Brisbane studying for

second BEng degree (Mining Engineering)

Go girls!


1 yr at a coal mine – definitely not for me


Mid 1990s –

3 years, Porgera UG Mine, PNG

Women not permitted by

law to work underground

Required Ministerial

clearance

1st female UG mine

engineer


PNG – learnt Pidgin, Porgeran & made

friends (wantoks). Loved the helicopters.


PNG – Interesting & exciting!

Blissfully ignorant UG while riots on surface (villagers vsarmy/police). Had to drive through it on way home!


Back to Oz for “UG Time” - Osborne Mine, NQ


UG time - Osborne Mine, Qld

(mechanised mining – not challenging!)

Trucks Boggers Service Crew

Charge up


UG time - Mt Morgans Mine, WA

(1 year at “hand-held” mine – challenging!)

Airleg mining for 3 months

(I worship airleg miners now)


1998 - 1st Class Mine Managers’ Certificate

of Competency after UG time & Law exams.

My response to being told by a mining engineer in PNG “You’ll never be a mine

manager” was to get my ticket in 1998!


Long story short…

now I’m a Mines Inspector

Use my technical qualifications and experience and life experience to

help industry keep the miners safe (a core value and passion)


Inspecting & auditing mines

working pro-actively with industry

Sources of power: legitimate (position of

authority), coercive (power to punish), expert

(knowledge & experience), information


DMP-RSD Group Photo 2010

Recruiting inspectors, we need diversity!First & the only female mining engineer WA mines inspector

The only female mining engineer inspector in Qld = close friendFirst part-time mines inspector (4 days per week)


Family & friends are #1 priority


Single mum to gorgeous 4 & 7yo kids


Autism therapy made me a better person

Teaches patience, kindness & understanding


AusIMM WIMnet National Committee

WIMNet offers support & encouragement for

women in mining. Access to peers for

moral support.

Pressure group to bring about cultural change in mining – equality &

respect for women.


Main life learnings

• “Design your life”, follow your passions

• Positive self talk only

• Work hard, be persistent & reliable

• Keep fit & healthy

• Stay connected - network, friends & family

• Stay true to yourself (core values)

• Learn from mistakes & bad experiences

make yourself better over time


Leading as women

(from any level in organisation)

• You will flourish if you:

– Follow your passion & vision for yourself

– Work in environment congruent with your values

• Then you will be inspirational

• Then you will influence people by “lighting

their fire” & they will flourish, and so on...

• We all have sources of power:

– Knowledge and expertise

– Experience (work and life)


Leadership skills I learnt from

parenthood & autism therapy!

• Influencing behaviour– Positive reinforcement

– Be assertive (not aggressive)

– Be consistent, understanding, patient & honest

– Set a good example (have to earn respect)

– Surround with great people and role models

• Time management, prioritise

• Pace yourself so sustainable

• Keep it short & use visual aids

• Don’t take yourself too seriously!

Documents

Analogy of Life The Sausage Machine - · PDF fileAnalogy of Life – The Sausage ... WASM, Kalgoorlie 1986 –1st year Uni (women 1st permitted to work UG in WA) Gee I’m short!