BHP workers, visitors must be vaccinated by January 2022

Mining giant BHP will introduce vaccination as a condition of entry for employees and visitors across all worksites. Find out more about this move.

BHP has introduced a mandate for all employees and visitors to be vaccinated before entry on to worksite.

The mining union has slammed the condition, which covers all BHP Australian sites and offices, will come into effect no later than January 31, 2022.

The announcement comes a week after Moranbah had a close call when a Covid-positive pilot linked to Queensland’s aviation cluster touched down and stayed in the region.

“The Mining and Energy Union does not support BHP’s decision to impose mandatory vaccination on all workers at its sites,” the union’s Queensland district president Stephen Smyth said.

Mr Smyth said the union had strongly advocated to government and industry for vaccinations to be voluntary for mine workers.

BHP Minerals Australia President Edgar Basto at Goonyella Riverside Mine

BHP Minerals Australia president Edgar Basto said the move followed a thorough review of the company’s Covid-19 health and safety controls as well as the latest scientific evidence and expert health advice.

All employees and visitors seeking access to BHP workplaces across the country will be required to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The staff were informed Thursday morning.

Mr Basto said the science was clear that widespread vaccination saved lives.

“We have undertaken a thorough assessment and believe this is the right path forward to protect the health of our people, their families and the communities where we operate – including remote indigenous communities – while continuing to safely run our operations,” Mr Basto said.

“We know this will raise questions for some, and we will work closely with our workforce as we go through the process of implementing these controls at our workplaces.”

The company will continue to fund a vaccination hub at Moranbah, which has already delivered more than 2000 jabs.

My Smyth said better safety needed to be achieved through “education, access and incentives” and urged BHP to “engage in genuine consultation with the workforce”.

“Some of our immediate concerns include fair treatment of casuals and contractors on BHP sites – keeping in mind that a minority of workers on BHP’s Queensland mine sites are direct employees,” Mr Smyth said.

“Support for workers with a genuine medical exemption and paid time for workers to get vaccinated or in case of experiencing vaccine-related side-effects.

“Our priority is protecting our members’ jobs, rights and working conditions as we work through the workforce and legal implications of BHP’s announcement.”

Queensland’s chief health officer Dr Jeanette Young praised BHP’s move during a press conference Thursday morning in Mackay.

“The resources sector in Queensland has been brilliant,” Dr Young said.

“From day one they have worked with me so well, and I’ll give them ideas and they have run with them so well.

“And that’s why we’ve not seen an outbreak in any of our mining areas … They have always been determined to keep the communities that they work in safe.

“And yet again they’re doing a wonderful job.”