Mining giant BHP will continue to lock out unvaccinated workers despite states ending Covid jab mandates
- WA Government ended vaccination mandates for most workers
- BHP said decision was down to its own assessment of the health advice
- As of Friday, BHP removed the requirement for a booster vaccination
Mining giant BHP will continue to demand its workers are vaccinated against Covid even after government mandates end.
All employees, job applicants and visitors will from June 10 require at least two vaccine doses to enter the company’s sites and offices.
However, it softened its approach slightly on Friday when it removed the requirement for booster shots.
One of Australia’s largest mining companies BHP will keep their current policy of locking out unvaccinated workers (pictured, BHP workers)
As it stands under BHP’s health and safety controls, from June 10 all employees, job applicants and visitors will require at least two doses of the Covid vaccine in order to gain access to their sites and offices (pictured, a drive through vaccination centre)
BHP said the vaccine mandate, as part of its health and safety rules, was based on its assessment of the latest science and health advice.
‘Our policy does not require booster vaccinations for site access, but we do encourage everyone to maintain an up-to-date vaccination status in line with ATAGI recommendations,’ it said.
Only workers within health, aged and disability care will be required to be vaccinated under the new Western Australian Government rules.
Premier Mark McGowan said some public and private sector businesses may keep mandating vaccinations for employees, and suggested prisons and emergency services could do the same.
However, the Department of Justice and Department of Fire and Emergency Services announced last Friday that they would scrap their mandates.
Premier Mark McGowan (pictured) last week stated some public and private sector businesses may keep mandating vaccinations for employees, and suggested prisons and emergency services could do the same
BHP’s WA iron ore president Brandon Craig said only a small minority of employees were jab hesitant.
About two to three per cent chose not to comply with vaccination as a condition of entry, and were locked out of all facilities.
‘It was not at a level that was material to the performance of our business,’ he said.
‘We did work very hard to try and work with people, to try and stay inside our business and having them leave the business really was a last resort for us.’
Thousands of FIFO workers rallied against the WA Government’s ‘no jab, no job’ rules in Perth last December when a first dose was mandated for the resources sector.
Fluro high-vis shirts and vests were placed along the steps of Parliament House and the anti-vaccine workers protested against the policy which eventually applied to more than 75 per cent of WA’s workforce.
Those who did not comply with these orders with could be hit with a $20,000 fine.
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