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The company will make donations to the charity for every hour and tonne of dirt hauled by the blue truck, which will operate at Silver Lake Resources’ Murchison gold mine in Western Australia after being unveiled at Redpath’s WA office in Belmont this afternoon.
Atlas Copco donated its time and resources to paint the truck.
“Papa Smurf”, as the truck has been nicknamed, is expected to work between 4000 and 5000 hours this year for a fundraising target of $A50,000.
Silver Lake chief operating officer Rob Humphryson said his employees would get behind the initiative and contribute to the fundraising effort.
“The work done by beyondblue to raise awareness and provide support to sufferers of anxiety and depression has been widely acknowledged for generating a better understanding of these diseases in society – and this understanding inevitably leads to better outcomes for sufferers,” he said.
Redpath marketing and communications manager Rhiannon Vines said she was hopeful the campaign would be the start of much greater focus on anxiety and depression in mine workers.
“The mental health of workers in the mining industry should be as important as their physical health but this message isn’t pushed as strongly as it needs to be, which is why we are shining the spotlight on it with this new partnership,” she said.
Redpath metalliferous general manager Rory Burke called on companies to make mental health issues an integral part of their overall business plans.
“Depression and anxiety in the mining community and in the general community is still not well known and understood,” he said.
“We need to not only provide avenues for employees to seek help but we need to educate all employees on recognising the warning signs, not only in themselves but also in their fellow workers.”
It is not the first time Redpath has gone colourful for charity. In February the company brought a pink excavator and pink workwear to BHP Billiton’s Cannington silver mine in Queensland to raise funds for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
Redpath will donate $10 for every hour the excavator is at work throughout 2013, while BHP contributed $10,000 to the initiative.
