Western Australia's WorkSafe has issued an improvement notice to Talison Lithium, the operator of the world’s largest lithium mine at Greenbushes, after finding significant psychosocial harm among workers due to excessive demands and poor conditions. The survey highlighted issues like inadequate toilet facilities and contamination from animal feces, contributing to stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout among staff. Talison CEO Rob Telford has apologized for the toxic workplace culture and acknowledged the need for better internal complaint processes, while committing to expedite safety improvements by November 20.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-06,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
In short:
WorkSafe has found poor workplace culture and conditions at Talison's Greenbushes Lithium Mine have left workers exposed to significant psychological harm.
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culture → find → harm
Staff say excessive demands, poor resourcing and work areas contaminated with animal faeces contributed to a toxic workplace culture.
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demands → say → culture
Talison says it is fast-tracking changes to workplace culture and safety.
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it → say → culture
The owner of the world's largest lithium mine has been put on notice after a probe by Western Australia's work safety watchdog found a toxic workplace culture and psychologically distressed workforce.
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probe → put → culture
WorkSafe issued an improvement notice to Talison Lithium in August after survey responses indicated workers were exposed to psychosocial hazards at its Greenbushes mine, 240 kilometres south of Perth.
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workers → issue → Perth
The survey identified excessive work demands, inadequate resourcing and poor work conditions as factors in an environment causing significant psychosocial harm to staff.
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survey → identify → staff
Reported issues included inadequate toilet facilities and working areas contaminated by animal faeces.
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issues → report → faeces
Current and former staff who have spoken to the ABC described a toxic workplace culture.
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who → speak → culture
One worker, speaking anonymously due to the risk to their ongoing employment, said they felt morally distressed by what they witnessed at work and raised concerns over the independence of Talison's internal complaints process.
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they → speak → process
"Employees go externally when they feel they've exhausted everything internally," they said.
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they → go → everything
"I started to realise that I was at burnout."
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I → start → burnout
Workers also reported tiredness, nervousness or anxiety, low mood or depression, hopelessness and feelings of worthlessness.
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Workers → report → worthlessness
Miner apologises to staff
Greenbushes provides about 20 per cent of the world's lithium, which is considered crucial for the global energy transition.
In an email sent to staff and seen by the ABC, Talison chief executive Rob Telford apologised to workers whose experience had fallen short of expectations of a respectful and safe workplace.
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experience → apologise → workplace
"Let me be clear, any behaviour that undermines this, including bullying, aggression, intimidation, and any form of harassment, sexual or otherwise, has absolutely no place at Talison," Mr Telford wrote.
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Telford → let → Talison
WorkSafe ordered Talison to complete the review of measures to manage psychosocial hazards at Greenbushes mine and consult with workers by November 20.
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WorkSafe → order → November
It has ordered the review to consider interaction between job demands, worker control, role clarity, organisational change, consultation, leadership behaviours, reporting arrangements and workplace conditions.
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review → order → demands
Talison expediting safety plan
A Talison spokesperson said work had begun on improving the workplace culture before the improvement notice was issued.
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notice → expedite → culture
"Improvements have been implemented across a number of areas including clearer expectations for respectful workplace behaviour, increased team capacity, stronger systems and a sitewide program to improve facilities," they said in a statement.
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they → implement → statement
"Further work is planned, leveraging work that others in the industry have successfully trialled, but we have prioritised initiatives to support improving the felt experience of our workforce."
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we → plan → workforce
The spokesperson acknowledged the findings of the psychosocial safety survey and improvement notice, and said the safety of its workforce was its priority.
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safety → acknowledge → workforce
"[We are] working closely with our workforce and the regulator to address the matters which have been raised," the spokesperson said.
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spokesperson → work → matters
"Any improvements we can make on the advice of the regulator to ensure our people continue to be treated with respect, feel safe at work, and can perform at their best, remains a focus for us.
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people → make → us
"This includes working with the regulator to fast-track changes and expedite a safety plan that was already in the process of being implemented."
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that → include → process
The spokesperson said employees were encouraged to raise concerns through a range of channels and that concerns were taken seriously.
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concerns → say → channels
Union calls for tougher action
Australian Manufacturing Workers Union state secretary Steve McCartney said WorkSafe needed to take stronger action.
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WorkSafe → say → action
"The feedback I'm getting is that it sounds pretty toxic, and the company is doing little or nothing to deal with it, except the review that has been there for quite some time," he said.
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he → get → time
"Letting the company have a bit of a yarn to itself, and carry on doing a review, without them intervening and saying we need some interim measures up front is a bit soft in my view."
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we → let → view
Mr McCartney said psychosocial injuries were as serious as physical injuries.
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injuries → say → injuries
"It affects you at home, it affects you at work," he said.
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he → affect → work
The Aporia