A mining industry conference in Queensland has heard that poetry can be used to communicate safety messages at coal mining operations. Glencore have committed their “safe coal rules” to poetry to stimulate alternative learning styles for communicating safety messages. Ron McKenna (Queensland Mine Safety Legend) of Glencore told an audience that poetry had been just another way to communicate safety to a site team. It works…it’s a great way for committing safety rules to memory. We remember songs, often from our childhood so why not give poetry a go to improve retention of rules for your team.
Glencore management at the conference confirmed that it was well embraced by the workforce. Glencore confirmed that the sharing of ways in which safety can be communicated could be utilised across the industry to improve safety awareness. “We just want to put it out there for people to embrace” a Glencore representative said. A video has been made by Glencore operations and was shared with conference participants.
Melissa Donovan, (known poetry commentator) said in her article The personal benefits of writing poetry that through poetry we create a:
- Self-awareness
- Creative thinking
- Connections
- Catharsis
- Critical thinking
- Language and speaking
- Developing perspective, empathy, and world views
- Cognitive function: Melissa says that “Whether we’re searching for the perfect word, working out how to articulate a thought, or fine-tuning the rhythm and meter of a poem, the steps involved in crafting poetry strengthen our cognitive processes.“
The Australian mining industry has applauded opportunities to better communicate safety and learn from experiences in non-traditional ways. Conference delegates extended applause to Glencore for their willingness to embrace different communicating styles.
Read our latest stories from Queensland Mining Industry Health & Safety Conference
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