How was your shift?
Get it off your chest.
Underground and open-cut miners, operators, maintainers, energy and plant workers, and FIFO crews. Put down what you're carrying before you head to the donga or home.
Which best describes you?
This changes a few questions and which support lines come first. You can change it any time.
Everything you enter stays on this phone. Nothing is sent to your employer, your manager or anyone else. Unladen Ore is a prototype. It is not a medical or emergency service and is not connected to any mine, company or government agency. · Give feedback
Take a moment.
Find a quiet spot if you can. Take a few minutes. You're allowed to stop.
Breathe with this
What you might be feeling
- Shaky, sick, or a racing heart
- Numb, or oddly calm
- Tearful, angry, or both
- Going over what you could have done differently
These are normal reactions. They usually settle over hours or days.
If someone got hurt
Make sure everyone is safe and get first aid. Then look after yourself. Shock is normal. MATES in Mining (1300 642 111) is there 24/7.
Ground yourself
Look around. Name them, out loud or in your head.
Call someone now
Add a mate, your supervisor or MATES in so they're here when you need them.
Not sure who to tell?
If you don't feel safe telling your supervisor or superintendent, there are other people you can go to. Or write down what happened, just for you, while it's fresh.
What helps after
Handover to yourself
A few minutes after your shift. Notice what you're carrying, then leave what you can at the gate.
Please talk to someone now
You said you've had thoughts of harming yourself or not wanting to be here. Please call one of these now. If you're in immediate danger, call 000.
Light load
This phone isn't letting the page save. Your result shows here but won't be kept.
Your safety
You said you didn't feel fully safe. That matters. Tell your manager or supervisor, and report it through your incident system. You can stop work you believe is unsafe.
Getting home safely
You said you've got very little energy left. If you're driving, a 15 to 20 minute nap before you leave can help, or get a lift. Text someone when you're home.
What might help
People you can call
This isn't a medical assessment. It's a way to notice how you're going over time.
How it's been going
Last 14 days
Handovers
This phone isn't letting the page save, so handovers won't be kept.
Privacy & your data
Add a PIN, download what you've entered, or delete everything from this phone.
Mining and energy work takes something out of you
What to watch for, and what helps. Tap a heading to open it.
After an incident or near miss
- Make sure people are safe and get first aid.
- Shock and replaying it are normal. Talk to someone.
- MATES in Mining (1300 642 111) supports mining workers and their families, 24/7.
Fly-in fly-out and time away
- Swings away strain relationships and wellbeing.
- Keep in touch in small ways, and plan time together on your break.
- The first days home can be hard. That's common.
Life in camp
- Loneliness in camp is common.
- Notice if drinking in the wet mess is creeping up.
- Get outside, move, call home.
Long shifts and night work
- 12-hour shifts and nights disrupt sleep.
- Fatigue causes incidents. Speak up if you are too tired.
- Protect sleep on your break.
Sexual harassment in camp and on site
- It's never OK, and it's not part of mine life.
- Write down what happened, with dates.
- Report it. 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) is there 24/7.
Job insecurity and closures
- Mine and plant closures are unsettling.
- Your union can explain your rights.
- Get money advice early.
Bullying, harassment or conflict
You don't have to put up with it, and you don't have to sort it out alone.
- Write down what happened, with dates, while it's fresh.
- If your manager is involved, talk to someone outside your reporting line.
- The Fair Work Commission can make orders to stop bullying at work.
- For sexual harassment, 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) is there 24/7.
Signs you're carrying too much
- Dreading your swing
- Drinking more in camp or at home
- Feeling numb, or short with family
- Trouble sleeping
- Pulling back from people
These are common in mining and FIFO work, and they're not a weakness.
Getting home safely
After a long or late shift, tiredness can affect your driving as much as alcohol.
- If you're struggling to keep your eyes open, don't drive. A 15 to 20 minute nap before you leave helps.
- After a hard shift, text someone when you get home.
When to get more help
If your load has been heavy for two weeks or more, you dread going in, or it's affecting sleep or home life, talk to your GP or EAP. A GP can set up a Mental Health Treatment Plan for Medicare-subsidised sessions with a psychologist. MATES in Mining (1300 642 111) and TIACS (0488 846 988) are both free.
People to call
Save the ones that apply to you. They stay on this phone and show up on the Help now screen.
Support lines
You don't have to go through your supervisor
Sometimes the person you'd normally tell is part of the problem, or it just doesn't feel safe. Here are other ways to get support. You choose what to do, and when.
From your organisation
Your company can add its own EAP and wellbeing numbers here.
Someone outside your reporting line
- MATES in Mining. Support for mining workers and families, 1300 642 111, 24/7.
- TIACS. Free counselling by phone or text, 0488 846 988.
- Your union. Mining, energy and engineering workers each have their own union.
- Your health and safety rep. For unsafe work and fatigue.
- Your GP. Outside work altogether, and can refer you on.
Text or chat instead of calling
For when talking out loud isn't possible, or feels like too much.
For particular situations
You can stop work you believe is unsafe.
Spiritual and religious support
Some people find strength in prayer, ritual or their faith or cultural community after a hard shift. Others find it in nature, music, exercise or quiet. Whatever gives you meaning counts.
If your workplace has a chaplain or wellbeing officer, they support people of any faith or none. Their role is to listen, not to persuade.
Words to start with
The first sentence is often the hardest. You could say:
"I'm not ready to make a complaint. I just need to talk this through."
"Can this stay between us? Is there anything you'd have to pass on?"
"Something on site is still with me."
"Things at home are falling apart while I'm away."
What happens if I tell someone?
- Counsellors, peer supporters and helplines keep what you say private. The main exception is if someone is at serious risk of harm. If you're unsure, ask at the start.
- A union can give you confidential advice before you decide anything.
- Your private record in this app stays on your phone unless you choose to share it.
Not ready to tell anyone?
That's OK. You can write down what happened, just for yourself, and decide later.
Numbers and services are for New South Wales and Australia-wide. Check with your organisation for its own services.
Write down what happened
It stays on this phone. It isn't a report, and nothing is sent anywhere. If you later decide to raise something, notes written at the time are easier to rely on than memory.
My entries
Entries can't be edited, so each one shows when it was written. To add something, write a new entry.
No entries yet.
If you decide to share it, you can download it or send it to yourself.
Your phone, your data
PIN lock
Ask for a PIN when the app opens, and after it has been in the background for a minute.
PIN is on.
The PIN stops someone else opening the app on your phone. It doesn't encrypt what's stored, so keep your phone locked too. If you forget it, you can delete everything and start again.
Hide the screen
Tap the eye button at the top of any screen to cover the app straight away, for example in the donga or on the way home. Tap to come back, or enter your PIN if you've set one.
Download my data
Download everything you've entered (handovers, private record and contacts) as a text file. You could keep a copy, or show it to your GP or counsellor.
Delete everything
Deletes your handovers, private record, role, contacts and PIN from this phone.
Delete everything from this phone? This can't be undone.
About Unladen Ore
Unladen™ Ore is a prototype made by Co-Synthesist Pty Ltd, Newcastle NSW. Unladen™ is a trade mark of Co-Synthesist Pty Ltd. It isn't a medical or emergency service, and it isn't connected to any mine, company or government agency. The questions haven't been clinically validated yet.
What's stored: your role, handovers, private record, saved contacts and settings, only in this phone's browser. Nothing is sent to anyone. There are no accounts, analytics or trackers.
Feedback: the feedback form is the only part of Unladen Ore that sends anything, and only when you press Send. It doesn't include anything else from the app.
Keep in mind: if you clear your browser data or remove the app, what you've entered goes too. Download a copy first if you want to keep it.
Version 0.1 prototype · September 2026