Maureen Hassall is Professor and Director of the Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre at The University of Queensland. She is passionate about helping industry achieve zero fatalities. Her industry-focused research, training and expert consultancy projects combines innovative and impactful risk management, human-centred design, and safety engineering approaches to improve the health, safety, and wellbeing outcomes of high risk work. Maureen’s academic work is motivated by 18 years working in a range of high hazard industries across a range of countries. She holds bachelor’s degrees in engineering and psychology, a Masters in business administration and a PhD in Cognitive Systems Engineering and is a registered professional and chartered engineer.

Kate du Preez started her career in South Africa’s underground coal mines, holding statutory operational roles before transitioning into a career that has included regulatory and executive leadership. She served as Queensland’s Commissioner for Resources Safety and Health and has held executive roles with a major mining company, with responsibilities spanning ESG, risk management, corporate affairs, communications, and regulatory reform. This dual perspective, as both a regulator and operational leader, has given Kate rare exposure to safety governance from multiple perspectives and enables her to provide practical recommendations in complex operating environments. Kate is a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (FAusIMM) and received AusIMM’s Julius Kruttschnitt Award in recognition of her contribution to the resources industry. As a miner herself, she is a values-driven leader, deeply committed to the resources sector and a strong advocate for mining safety and health.

QUALIFICATIONS: • Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (BE Mech Hons) • Registered Professional Engineer, Queensland (RPEQ) PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS Member of the: • International Society for Fall Protection • Safety Institute of Australia (SIA) • Human Factors & Ergonomics Society of Australia (MESA) Roger’s working life has been heavily involved in the mining industry, nationally and internationally. For the last 30 years Roger has been a Health and Safety consultant and expert witness. Training has been provided to all levels of management, medical staff and the workforce in the following industry sectors: • Construction • Mining • Agricultural • Forestry • Fishing • Manufacturing • Health Training has covered the following subjects: • Values-based OH&S activity • Damaging Energy Concepts • Predictive techniques for serious personal damage • Problem solving methodologies • The size and nature of the OH&S problem • Incident investigation • Ergonomics, human factors and perceptions • Personal Damage arising from manual tasks, falls of people, vehicles, machinery, electricity, chemicals, etc. OH&S auditing of major mining and construction facilities has been a regular aspect of Roger’s work. Several thousand incidents involving fatal and non-fatal permanent damage have been investigated over 30+ years (nationally and internationally).

Alex Hossack is a qualified geotechnical engineer with over 20 years’ experience in open cut and underground mining. He is passionate about slope design and the application of geomechanics principles to enhance mine plans and achieve the best possible outcomes. Throughout his career, Alex has worked with major mining companies including Glencore, Rio Tinto, and Vale. He now currently holds the position of Group Manager and Principal Geotechnical Engineer at Cartledge Mining and Geomechanics, based in Brisbane, Australia

Dr Nikky LaBranche has over 20 years of experience in the minerals industry, specialising in occupational health and safety, with a focus on dust and respiratory health. A Chartered Professional in Mining Engineering, Nikky holds a Bachelor of Engineering, an MBA in Finance, and a PhD at the Sustainable Minerals Institute, where she developed advanced dust characterisation methodologies to improve the assessment and management of respiratory health risks for mine workers. Currently leading the Dust & Respiratory Health Program at The University of Queensland, Nikky manages a $3 million research portfolio and collaborates with industry to address complex challenges in occupational health. Her work spans surface and underground mining, smelting operations, and engineered stone, providing groundbreaking insights into dust exposure and control strategies. Nikky served as Chair of both the Health and Safety Society and the Southern Queensland Branch. Recognised for her contributions to the field, she received the AusIMM Professional Excellence Award in Health and Safety in 2024 and the prestigious Education Endowment Fund Postgraduate Scholarship in 2020. Nikky is an advocate for improved occupational health standards and serves on high-level committees providing strategic guidance on research priorities and advocacy. Committed to advancing the industry, Nikky plays a pivotal role in fostering collaborations between branches and societies, mentoring future leaders, and providing technical expertise to state and federal initiatives. She is passionate about enhancing health and safety practices and driving sustainable outcomes in the resources sector.