Hi Mate! Third of gay engineers hide sexuality from colleagues.

Hi Mate! Third of gay engineers hide sexuality from colleagues.

One in three gay, lesbian, bisexual and 

transgender 

(LGBT) engineers hide their orientation from their 

colleagues, new research suggests.

THE SURVEY by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) found around 34 per cent of the 356 respondents had not come out at work compared to 45 per cent who had, but that 46 per cent wanted to be more open about who they were. 

While less than eight per cent of respondents reported DISCRIMINATION by colleagues because of their sexuality, almost 18 per cent felt it had created barriers to career progression.

Reasons for keeping their sexuality secret included the fear of backlash from colleagues: 

‘I have tried hinting to colleagues about my orientation, but this has only resulted in me becoming a laughing stock,’ said one respondent.

Others felt that senior management would not approve of their sexuality:

‘You do sometimes hear homophobic remarks by senior managers. This does not send a reassuring message.’

However, some felt that being open about who they were was not relevant to their JOB role and they did not want to make others feel uncomfortable.

The new SURVEY paints a mixed picture for sexual minority engineers that differs somewhat from other professions. 

For example, a survey by the Architects’ Journal found far more respondents (74 per cent) were comfortable being out at work but 20 per cent reported experiencing offensive comments.

IET president Barry Brooks told The Engineer that THE SURVEY was an early snapshot of life for LGBT engineers. 

‘One could conclude there isn't a big problem but I suspect when the debate becomes more open then people will hear more about it,’ he said.

He added that examining the issue would be important to employers who wanted to address recruitment issues. 

‘This is just one of the symptoms our profession. We’re not pulling in youngsters of today … We need good publicity across the board,’ he said. ‘There’s a realisation they’re going to need to find people of all sorts to fill the JOBS.’

The experience of LGBT engineers has come into focus recently following activities by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the release of a book by former Academy president Lord Browne, who argues that a culture where LGBT people don’t feel they can come out at work can hamper productivity.

Academy diversity manager Jenny Young said: 

“[These] findings show that engineering still has a long way to travel but greater acknowledgement and discussion of the issues and barriers can only be a good thing…

’Earlier this year, the Academy held an event on LGBT in engineering as part of our STEM diversity programme. 

As stated by one of our speakers at the event, there is a big difference between tolerance and acceptance. 

Acceptance must become engineering’s aim.’

Individual difficulties:

Although the survey’s figures don’t suggest the engineering profession has an endemic problem when it comes to LGBT employees, and some respondents happily reported no negative experiences at work, other individual comments did reveal examples of difficulties people can face.

Some noted a clear decrease in casual conversations when their managers discovered their orientation, which led to less professional interaction. 

‘I was overlooked for promotions, hence my departure to another company,’ said one respondent.

Several engineers felt their careers had been hindered due to the public perception of the traditional engineer, saying the main barrier to promotion was that they didn't fit the archetypal engineering manager mould: ‘A straight man, married to a wife who is happy to look after the children while you travel,’ said one respondent.

Another, working in the defence industry, was told during an appraisal that he needed to be ‘more alpha-male to succeed in the UK defence industry’. 

Some even felt they have lost their JOBS due to DISCRIMINATION at managerial level.

Other people highlighted the difficulties of being LGBT in an industry that often required WORK ABROAD. 

‘My company has a lot of overseas opportunities; some of these are in countries where I wouldn't be comfortable being a gay person,’ said one respondent. 

‘This barrier to taking opportunities could potentially hinder my career progression.’

Some of the 34 lesbian respondents still experience gender DISCRIMINATION at work, with one participant saying: ‘I don’t necessarily feel there is any explicit discrimination in terms of being lesbian,’ said one. ‘I think there are far more issues/discrimination purely related to being a woman.’

Of the 17 transgender participants in the SURVEY, many felt it was ‘not appropriate to be out’, regarding their transsexuality.

Many had experienced discrimination at work, with one citing archaic mindsets of senior management as the reason for hiding their transsexuality: ‘If I come out at work, what will that do to my prospects? I hear the sexist remarks from senior management. 

How much more will that affect a transgendered person who they have seen as male but wants to identify as female?’

Hi Mining It! The Three Pillars of Productivity? Automation, Equipment and Data.

Hi Mining It! The Three Pillars of Productivity? Automation, Equipment and Data.

On site at Mining IQ and The ASIA Miner’s AusAsia MinTech 2014 conference in Perth, the audience gathered for one breakout interactive session to debate the issue of productivity across three business critical areas: automation, equipment and data analytic s.

After time to discuss, share and benchmark, the PARTICIPANTS shared their insights back with the audience and we've summarised them here for you:

Is big data analytic s the latest disruptive technology/TREND for mining? To what extent is data analytic s being actively embraced by mining to lift productivity rates?

A lot of the systems in the mines are historical and built autonomously and designed to run in a soiled manner. We’re now in the age when ideally we need to bring those different formats of data together and start looking at the analytic s around it, look at what’s happening in the business and make important decisions based on these findings.

The biggest challenge with this integration is the very fact that these systems were built to run autonomously. Therefore any communication between those systems requires first the ability or technology to match up the disparate data sets and develop the BUSINESS CASE for this overarching system.

Finance and operations teams will have a different approach to how this should be done of COURSE, weighing up short term cost against long term operational and financial benefits. Therefore it’s important to decide what your business case is, based on a DRIVER tree and by analysing your business and then developing a strategy based on this. A warning from our attendees though: too much analysis can result in “analysis paralysis”!

Culture is the last piece in the puzzle for the growth of big data analytic s in this sector. The MINING INDUSTRY is built on intuitive people; just a couple of years ago we were driven by volumes, suddenly we've become cost driven and about margins. When this change has occurred in the sector, then inevitably some of the ways the teams have been operating has to change, but this is counter-intuitive to how they've been working for years and can be a challenge to implement.

How important is automation to mining being able to increase productivity? Is automation alone enough to improve this?

One of the key benefits of automation in mining operations is reduced variability. This is not just the case in fully automated sites (as there are still only a handful of these around the world), but also on sites where automated dispatch has been integrated and production goes up.

Productivity is of COURSE not the only benefit of automation, another significant benefit is that of improvements in safety and moving people out from the pit. When focusing on people, it is right to think about hiring the right people, and training is crucial to making sure the systems are fully utilised.

Again, a warning from our attendees: an initial green light for an automation project doesn't mean it will go ahead!

Equipment availability and utilisation: what are the best ways of increasing these in order to drive productivity? What are the biggest hindrances?

This group kicked off noting the importance of consideration for both equipment utilisation and then productivity – there can be a difference! They considered productivity as the key driver that will MAKE THE MONEY, prioritised over utilisation.

What is a realistic rate of utilisation of equipment? The agreed benchmark was around 80% availability, but then a very good rate of utilisation on that 80% availability would be 95%. 

It is also important of course with major pieces of equipment to consider reliability and availability of all components to work out the overall availability of these pieces.

Using modern technology and GPS based systems can be critical to successful improvement of equipment utilisation. 

When you’re talking about your mobile fleet, what is also an absolute fundamental requirement is a good root cause analysis process to identify problems, prevent re occurrence and improve the business that way.

Other tips from the group included that one of the most valuable information tools out there is real-time health monitoring (a Rio Tinto press release last October noted they were saving approximately $53,000 per month using this). 

In terms of best value for money, identifying where bottlenecks are came out top. 

The consensus was the bottlenecks are quite easy to spot in a refinery, but across an entire mining operation this can be harder. However, it was agreed roughly 70% in a mining operations is loading and hauling, but the first critical point is drilling and blasting. 

That might only be 30%, but it’s early on in the production timeline, so any delays here have a massive impact overall.

Hi THANK YOU! 

Hi Mining Week'1! Hi On Hi Mining IQ’s Top Tips for New Technology Adoption!.

Hi Mining Week'1! Hi On Hi Mining IQ’s Top Tips for New Technology Adoption!.

A Hit Mining imagine we run around 20 different mining technology events a year, all around the globe. 

Technology in mining is one of my personal favourite interest areas in the sector, as it’s always changing and evolving!

Whether you work in mobile maintenance in the workshop, operating a haulage truck, overseeing PLC systems in the plant or monitoring security on site – there’s always a new and shiny technology being lauded as the new best thing to happen to mining.

Technology is absolutely a fundamental enabler for the future of the sector, and must be embraced in order for the industry to claw back productivity levels and try to reduce cost levels across the board. 

However, poor technology (whether we’re talking software, hardware or equipment) purchases can be devastating to an operation. It can have negative effects on productivity, FINANCES or the safety of your workers.

Over the past 12 months attending numerous conferences around Australia hearing senior leaders from BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Glencore, Newcrest, Newmont, Anglo American and many, many more, discussing successes and failures in NEW TECHNOLOGY adoption at their sites. 

Here are the highlights of their key takeaways and 

lessons learned:

• Ease of integration and legacy issues: this is now a fairly obvious statement to make, and yet still purchases are made every year in the sector without full consideration given to how much data can be moved over from past systems and how much the new one will “talk” to those it directly needs to interact with.
• You must consider the impact on all other systems further down the value chain. If you’re upgrading scanners on the CONVEYOR SYSTEM within the processing plant, you cannot ignore any impact that may have on the PLC system, or the SCADA system. Mapping out the knock on effect of upgrades on all inter-related systems is critical to ensure there are no failures or glitches when the implementation occurs.

• Beware of the vendor lock in! Open source is the way forward, and should absolutely be considered when creating supplier short lists and selections. It may whittle out the majority of the vendors, but will give you a far greater freedom to select add on products from the best providers, rather than being forced to purchase an overarching solution from one provider.
• Don’t be afraid to source from overseas, but make sure you run the trials before you commit! More advanced mining nations such as Australia, Canada, Sweden, the USA and South Africa can sometimes be averse to purchasing from overseas regions that have historically been viewed as providing low-cost and low-quality equipment. However, procuring from overseas can sometimes supply significant pay off s, provided the equipment is tested early on and clear specifications provided.
• Collect as much data early on as possible – it becomes harder further down the track to make changes, when more data becomes available, so you must be proactive in DATA COLLECTION early in the project, otherwise you risk making costly mistakes.
• Involve operational staff early (if this is a decision being pushed by senior management), to help test products/systems. Feedback from them earlier on should be critical to help tweak errors, flaws or design issues. This will also help hugely with user engagement and adoption further down the track.
• Always ensure you weight the upfront cost vs. life cycle cost and bear that in mind making any decisions based largely on cost. Whilst some products will inevitably be more expensive up front, that can also mean they come with better after-care from the supplier, longer warranties, higher quality parts or lower maintenance requirements (amongst other things).
• Align any technology purchase or upgrade with the wider BUSINESS STRATEGIES and goals. If it is not in line with the wider business goals it will be harder to demonstrate ROI and value to the business when you are building the business case to purchase it, but also if you go ahead and implement it and then inevitably have to conduct a review.
• Evaluate the interface design and usability: the technology is only as good as the people using it and if the NEW TECHNOLOGY is difficult to use, or it isn't clear how it can benefit the user to utilise it, then your operations staff are unlikely to fully engage with it.
• Training for all staff that will be using the technology so they properly understand how to use it and what the full potential of the system is for improving both their JOB and the wider company results.

Hi THANK YOU!. 

Hi Mine Guru's! On Thiess Interview Transcript: How to drive excellence in mine haulage and fleet management.

Hi Mine Guru's! On Thiess Interview Transcript: How to drive excellence in mine haulage and fleet management.

Hi Mining IQ's Jared Haube recently interviewed Robert Moore, Estimating and Engineering Manager at Thiess to discuss how Thiess is achieving massive productivity gains across its mine haulage and fleet management operations. Read the full transcript of the interview here.

Click The Following Link Here Or Image Above 

To Download Transcript, Or View & Save 

The Transcript Below.

Hi Special Report on Mining Innovation!

Hi Special Report on Mining Innovation!

The MINING INDUSTRY is Changing: Hear What Industry Experts Have to Say;

To address economic and productivity challenges, the MINING INDUSTRY is undergoing fundamental changes. 

Do you know how it will change – and are you ready for it? 

Read the Special Report on Mining Innovation to hear about the state of the mining industry and the role new and innovative software technologies will play to help it meet its challenges.

Download this FREE Report to learn:

• What you can do now to affect positive change.
• How technology will transform operational productivity.
• How one company doubled production and reduced costs 44%.

Click Link Here Or Image Above, Or View & Save Below;

Hi THANK YOU!!!

U.S Green Building Council. "Green Building Summits..., Are Sure To Inspire You..., 2014!!!!"

U.S Green Building Council.

"Green Building Summits..., Are Sure To Inspire You..., 2014!!!!"

This year, Green build will feature three unique summits.

"Green build summits bring together sectors of the green building industry for a day of focused networking, education and inspiration."

Affordable Homes and Sustainable Communities Summit;

Tuesday, Oct. 21, 9 am-5:30 pm;

The Summit will educate, advance, challenge and inspire those who already are involved in providing green affordable housing and community development, as well as engage those who are just being introduced to this exciting and active development sector.

Materials and Human Health Summit;

Tuesday, Oct. 21, 9 am-5:30 pm;

Join architects, engineers, designers, and product manufacturers to discuss and critique the progress made thus far toward better information, the challenges we still face and how we can overcome them together.

Vision 2020 Sustainability Summit;

Tuesday, Oct. 21, 7:45 am-4:30 pm;

Find out what needs to happen between now and the year 2020, in order to achieve critical sustainability goals for 2020 and beyond. Plus, uncover opportunities for innovation, leadership, and sustainability that will help separate you from your competitors.

Hi Nation Egypt! The Political Revolutionary Gains! Implications & Implementations!

Hi Nation Egypt! The Political Revolutionary Gains! Implications & Implementations!

Our Nations Courage Of Foe's & Woe's

"FILE - In this Saturday, April 26, 2014 file photo, ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak attends a hearing in his retrial over charges of failing to stop killings of protesters during the 2011 uprising that led to his downfall, in the Police Academy-turned-court in the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. Mubarak has denied Wednesday that he ordered killing of protesters during his first lengthy speech in court as his retrial in failing to stop deaths of protesters is drawing to an end. (AP Photo/Tarek el Gabbas, File)."

Egypt's Mubarak defends his rule in courtroom cage:

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's deposed President Hosni Mubarak on Wednesday denied that he ordered protesters killed during an uprising in 2011, in his first lengthy speech to a court as his year-old retrial draws to an end.

The 86-year-old Mubarak was speaking from a gurney inside a cage that holds defendants, listing the achievements of his 29-year rule. 

He said he was not forced from power in 2011 but gave it up voluntarily so that Egypt would avert an "abyss."

"Mohammed Hosni Mubarak would never order the killing of protesters ... or SHEDDING the blood of Egyptians," 

he said in an emotional plea from the cage, wearing a blue suit and with reddened eyes.

Mubarak is serving a three-year sentence in a separate corruption case. He was found guilty in June 2012 for failing to stop the killings of protesters and sentenced to life imprisonment but won a retrial, which began in April 2013.

The final verdict will be issued on Sept 27, the judge said.

Echoing a narrative adopted by many of the men from his regime, Mubarak said that the 2011 protests had been taken over by 

"exploiters of religion inside and outside the country" who steered the demonstrations to violence.

Such language is frequently used by Mubarak-era media men and officials to refer to the Muslim Brotherhood group, whose leader Mohammed Morsi became Mubarak's successor in the country's first free elections in 2012.

A year later, the military overthrew Morsi after millions staged demonstrations against him demanding him to resign for what they called abuse of power.

"The wheel of history doesn't go backward," 

said the ageing Mubarak, who said this would likely be his last speech before his death. "No one can fabricate history," 

he added.

Hi News; Egypt to expand Suez Canal amidst internal and regional tensions.

Hi News; Egypt to expand Suez Canal amidst internal and regional tensions.

The Egyptian government announces a plan to build a new Suez Canal, parallel to the existing 145-year-old passage connecting the Mediterranean and Red Seas.

With the cost of the project estimated at $4 billion, the 72km stretch is intended to extend the congested Suez port, in a bid to raise Egypt’s international profile as a major TRADE hub.

Considering Egypt’s tourist industry is still recovering from the hit it faced following the overthrow of President Mubarak in 2011, and the decline in Western aid as a result of the political turmoil thereafter, the $5 billion in annual revenue from Suez has become a vast source of capital for Egypt’s economy.

The canal has also been achieving record-growth throughout 2014, with an increase in profits in H1 by 5.5 per cent and its highest revenue since 1869.

Regional instabilities across the Mena region have underlined Egypt’s need to further cement its grip on the Suez Canal. 

Having already faced invasion by Israel in 1973 throughout the Yom Kippur War, the authorities are well aware that Suez is an invaluable asset which ought to be utilised and protected to its full potential. 

Moreover, any disruptions to the waterway can, as they have in the past, cause profound effects on GLOBAL TRADE and oil prices.

Speaking from the port town of Ismailia, President Sisi confronted these security fears to say that the Egyptian army would oversee the project, considering 

“Sinai to a large degree has a sensitive status”

Aside from modernising and expanding Egypt’s battered infrastructure, the new canal will establish new tourist and agricultural opportunities, whilst creating 2 million JOBS.

HI ADDITION:

Suez Canal records highest revenues since 1869

Mohab Memish, head of Egypt’s Suez Canal, has said the country’s vital waterway saw the highest annual revenue in its history in the fiscal year 2013/14, Ahram has reported. 

The Egyptian canal brought in $5.3bn during the period, the highest revenues since its opening in 1869, and representing a 5.5% increase from the last fiscal year, Memish said.

Hi Big 5 Show Dubai! Hi International Building & Construction Show! Hi 17 - 20 November 2014!.

Hi Big 5 Show Dubai! Hi International Building & Construction Show! Hi 17 - 20 November 2014!. 

-"The Big 5 is the largest construction exhibition in the Middle East, serving as a networking platform for construction product suppliers and buyers since 1979." 

Visit The Official Show Homepage Click The Link Here Or Image Above. 

"Download The Big 5 2013 Post Show Report Click The Following Link Here Or Image Below."

The Big 5 Press Releases:

View the press release in English; Click here.

View press release in Arabic; Click here.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates:

View downloadable press release in Arabic below;

Hi HEALTH INDUSTRY FOCUS' Being Mindful of Mental Health.

Hi HEALTH INDUSTRY FOCUS' Being Mindful of Mental Health.

Australia, Mental Health Issues & The Mining Business. 

The Mining Health Risk To Be Informed!

It’s generally accepted that improving the general wellness of a workforce leads to HEALTHY morale, reduced absenteeism, lower attrition and improved productivity.

However, the health and general wellness to which we refer here is generally understood in terms of physical health and much less so in terms of mental health. 

Psychological health is just as important as physical health, and yet in many companies it is misunderstood, poorly supported and lacking a clear strategy.

The reality is that an estimated 45% of Australians will experience some form of MENTAL ILLNESS at some point during their life. 

If we are being mindful of mental health then we can’t ignore a clear correlation; 

"nearly half of any workforce in any industry is currently experiencing a mental health issue."

One of the challenges that many MINING COMPANIES may face is the lack of evidence-based data to help them clearly define a strategy or make decisions around the reality of what’s happening on their mine sites and amongst their workforce.

Just how prevalent is it?

Two significant research projects have started to grapple with the prevalence and challenges of mental health issues within the mining industry. 

The first of these is research from Lifeline WA and Edith Cowan University psychologists. 

Their anonymous ON LINE SURVEY of 924 FIFO and DIDO workers showed a higher prevalence of psychological distress amongst workers as compared with the general population.

The second piece of research, Mental Health and the NSW Minerals Industry, was prepared for the NSW Minerals Council by the University of Newcastle and the Hunter Institute of Mental Health.

Their findings drew attention to the reality of the prevalence of MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES in the mining population. 

Using the baseline that the mining industry is at representative of the general population, their figures estimated that in any 12 month period between 8-10,000 workers in the NSW mining industry experience a mental illness:

“An estimated 5777 employees in the NSW Minerals industry are likely to have experienced…anxiety disorder in a twelve month period. Approximately 2500 would have experienced depression and 2000 experienced a substance use disorder…”

It is worth noting that these figures do not account for the specifics of FIFO and DIDO lifestyles. 

There is much discussion around the impact that these lifestyles have as a trigger for MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES or to what extent they exacerbate the situation.

Education is everything:

Education is critical and the recognition of signs that may indicate a problem is present very important. It’s especially important in terms of the provision of support options for a person who may be experiencing the problem. Early identification can be an important factor in someone’s treatment and in their recovery.

The behaviours associated with mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, alcohol or SUBSTANCE ABUSE vary across individuals. Behaviours may be exhibited as follows:

-          more frequent, prolonged and increasing in intensity,

-          unusual or out of the ‘normal’ scope of behaviour exhibited by this individual,

-          ongoing, irrational or disproportionally extreme.

Recognition of and education around these signs requires a commitment from organisations to train and engage the management team and the broader workforce in the importance of supporting MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. 

Given that many people experiencing mental illness do not seek treatment, it’s important to recognise the role that early recognition can play.

The impact of these behaviours on workplace productivity and safety must also be noted in any discussion related to mental health. 

This is especially pertinent in mining, where safety incidents can be life-threatening to both individuals and their teams.

Barriers to Support:

At this stage it might be useful to explore why people experiencing mental illness do not necessarily seek out treatment, and whether there are any unique contributing factors specific to the MINING INDUSTRY.

In the research conducted by Lifeline WA and Edith Cowan University, findings suggested that there were some fairly significant trends evident in the MINING INDUSTRY to provide clarity around ‘why’.

“PARTICIPANTS demonstrated a lack of insight into their own levels of stress and expressed a general reluctance to seek support. Some of the barriers to support-seeking included embarrassment, a culture of not discussing problems, fear of loss of employment if problems were openly discussed, and mistrust in supports.”

These findings correlate naturally with THE OPENING paragraph of this article; 

"that mental health is generally misunderstood and that pathways to support are not as clear-cut or transparent as they are for physical health related issues."

In addition to that, there is a clear cultural change required in mining if MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES are to be recognised as health issues, as opposed to moral issues.

As a moral issue, mental health is stigmatised and ASSOCIATED with enduring prejudices. As a health issue, stigmas are diminished and treatment becomes a more acceptable option. As a result the shame or fear associated with saying “I am not OK’ is significantly reduced.

Be Mindful of Mental Health:

"Even if no-one is talking about it, it’s happening."

This is the reality and mining organisations are now in the position of determining how to move forward and create strategies and pathways to better support their workforce.

The challenge is to get mental health on the management agenda. The processes required to create clear consistent pathways to support must first be supported by the right infrastructure as well as across-the-board training and education.

There are a number of strategies that can be employed and these include:

1)    Start from the top – create a mental health strategy for your organisation that begins with the management team

2)    Educate, educate, educate – consistent and authentic training is a vital part of any mental health awareness strategy

3)    Accept that current pathways to support may not be working and that you may need to re-assess why

4)    Sometimes the most powerful influence is a person's boss. It’s critical that line managers are also trained to recognised the signs and engaged in the importance of support provision.

5)    Organisational and JOB design characteristics such as FIFO could be a mitigating factor and linked with mental health and well being

Mental illness is common in any industry and the impact of mental illness in the workforce can result in significant costs to an organisation. It MAKES BUSINESS sense for mining organisations to adopt an integrated approach to mental health and well being. 

Furthermore, it makes sense to start tackling stigma and other barriers to treatment in order to ensure the safety, productivity, well-being and health of your workforce.

GET ADVICE:

Steve Stokes, Program Director, South Pacific Private:

South Pacific Private is a treatment centre In Sydney specialising in the TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION, anxiety, mood disorders and addictions. Tel. + 61 (0) 02 9905 3667.

FIFO/DIDO Mental Health Research Report:

This 2013 report, conducted by The Sellenger Centre for Research in Law, Justice and Social Change at Edith Cowan University and commissioned by Lifeline, SURVEYED over 920 FIFO and DIDO workers. 

The research aimed to identify the stress-ors associated with FIFO work and the ways in which FIFO workers cope with these stress-ors.

Click The Following Link Here To Download The Report Or The Image Below:

The report was originally published here:  Click Link Here Or Image Below To View Homepage.