From uniforms to workplaces, we know that one size rarely fits everyone. Yet in mining many systems and structures are still designed as if they do and that is something Katie Siemsen is fighting to change.
Katie has always been passionate about the industry. She comes from a mining family and herself has worked in the health and safety space for just over a decade. First in injury management and workers compensation before she decided she wanted to be on the other side of the business – prevention.
“I was lucky enough that I got straight into mining, and an underground mine. There aren’t many women down there that’s for sure!
“Recently I have gone out on my own starting a health and safety consultancy business, Empower Business Solutions. One of the reasons I did that was because I’m not reporting to anyone. I have the power of vulnerability and disruption and there are a lot of uncomfortable truths we need to talk about,” Katie said.
And that is exactly what she’s been doing.
“I’m coaching leaders about how they can fix the culture in their business and have the tough conversations.
“For example I had a meeting with a leader who is struggling. He has his first female apprentice and doesn’t know how to best handle certain conversations. Equality means men and women have the same opportunity but that doesn’t mean there needs to be two separate conversations.
“This particular conversation was around this employee’s enthusiasm at work. I asked how he would handle that conversation with a male employee. He said he would have a meeting and have a chat about why they can’t do their job. So, I said, ‘why can’t you have that same conversation with the female apprentice?’”
Katie has started posting on LinkedIn the raw, uncomfortable truths that some people might be afraid to talk about.
“One of my most viral posts was about equality. I was working with a subcontractor underground and they did in-seam gas drainage work. The rods they used range from 20 to 40 kilograms depending on the type of drilling.
“We were told that we needed to employ more women, but the reality was it wasn’t physically possible for some women to do the job. I couldn’t, I was underground and tried to lift the rods and I couldn’t do it, let alone try doing it for 10 hours.
“I spoke about the uncomfortable truth that when we are putting quotas in place and saying we need to have 50 per cent men and 50 per cent women, are we putting the best people in the job?
“There are so many rooms I have had to walk into and work twice as hard to prove why I’m in the role because people instantly look at you and think ‘is she here to make up the quota?’. Well, no, I worked my arse off.
“I love women, I will talk about equality until the cows come home but when they say we need you to hire females to get those numbers up – are we passing up someone who would actually be the right fit for that job?”
Katie said that from what she’s seen and experienced, these quotas make you feel like you have to go in and prove yourself. Everyone should just have the same opportunity, period.
“I would want to know that I was hired for the job because I was the best fit from the pool of candidates.
“Corporate drive these quotas and it creates even more of a rift between male and female employees.
“And then as a woman you might not want to say anything because heaven forbid you be the woman who complains or cries wolf.
“It’s so baffling that we are here, how is this even the case?
“I’m the mother of a very strong-willed daughter and I want her to have every opportunity under the sun. Whatever she wants to pursue I want that to be available to her but a push too far in either direction is not okay – I’ve had men say to me in the middle of a dragline shutdown, ‘what would you know you’re a young blonde woman’, well actually I know a lot!”
After walking into all those rooms and working underground as one of very few females, Katie said she may not have seen it all, but she’s seen plenty.
“One situation I had when working underground was the female toilets being locked. I worked for a subcontractor at the time, and it was my first time at this pit. Forty-five minutes underground and I needed to go to the bathroom, I was busting. I walked 20 minutes to get to the toilet, and it was locked.
“I didn’t have an issue using the men’s toilet, but I shouldn’t have to.
“Three months ago I went to a site that didn’t have female toilets at all, and they laughed about it. I got back to my car and sat there and thought, ‘what the hell. It’s 2025, what are we doing?’
“Not only does only having a men’s toilet make me uncomfortable, it made the men uncomfortable too. They didn’t want to be put in a position where they are standing at a urinal and I walk in.
“Uniforms are another one. At one site I could wear corporate wear or high-vis. I wore high vis most of the time – but the jeans are MEN’S JEANS. Women and men have very different bodies.
“The drill and blast shirts only come in men’s sizing too. One size does not fit all but so many women are afraid to put their hands up and say it isn’t right,” Katie explained.
“We just need to start these conversations, it’s not that hard!”
Katie is using her lived experience to coach leaders and provide knowledge on how we can be better. She wants to fix the culture in businesses and help leaders have those tougher conversations.
She also wants to encourage other women to speak out, even if they’re afraid of what people might think.
“Being the disrupter you are always going to have people who are stuck in their ways not with you, which is why so many people shy away from doing so. I have thick skin and I am okay with having a tough conversation and sticking up for the little guy.
“My goal is to be that voice of reason and have the courage to say the truth. I can bring that level of authenticity because I’ve lived it and I know how it feels.”
| To find out more about Empower Business Solutions and what Katie does now she’s left the mining industry head to: www.empowerbusinesssolutions.com.au |
