Designed For Scale Before First Gold

As construction gathered pace, workforce mobilisation, contractor management and regulatory engagement intensified. Risk and control were embedded within systems and daily operations before complexity took hold. Growth accelerated with confidence through to first production and beyond.

Build it in, build it out.

Client

Services

Audits & Inspections WHS Consultants Strategy & Leadership Mine Safety Management System eLearning Placements Safety Management Systems

Scope of Work

Engagement commenced in early 2017 ahead of major infrastructure construction at the Mount Morgans operation, encompassing underground and open pit development.

Support included establishment of enterprise health, safety and emergency management architecture, regulator engagement (formerly DEMIRS), formalisation of governance documentation, scalable workforce induction capability, digital WHS reporting implementation and provision of embedded WHS and emergency professionals through construction, commissioning and steady-state.

The Challenge

“Assume we have nothing”

With feasibility complete, the organisation was preparing to move from a lean exploration footprint into full-scale infrastructure construction.

The brief was direct: assume we have nothing.

Governance structures were minimal. Emergency capability required definition. Systems suited to exploration were not designed for contractor density, infrastructure complexity or production-level scrutiny.

The task was not to refine what existed, but to establish an operating foundation strong enough to support rapid expansion from the outset.

The Approach

Building operating architecture before scale

The priority was clarity around projected workforce growth, construction sequencing and site risk profile. Governance was designed forward from anticipated scale rather than current maturity.

Enterprise health, safety and emergency systems were formalised ahead of peak mobilisation, establishing frontline standards before contractor volumes increased. Digital WHS reporting capability created early visibility across hazards and performance metrics, while proactive facilitation of DEMIRS requirements allowed for sustained infrastructure momentum.

Scalable onboarding was deployed through an online induction platform to support high-volume mobilisation prior to site arrival. During peak construction, embedded WHS and emergency professionals provided field presence and emergency capability, progressively transferring ownership as the operation advanced toward first gold.

Community activation plans were developed to ensure social responsibility and support being valued and supportive member of the communities.

Recruiting, hiring and handovers were executed to transition the capabilities in-house.

The Impact

Sustained momentum, controlled transition into production

Workforce numbers expanded from a small feasibility team in 2016 to hundreds of employees by first gold pour in March 2018 within a structured governance framework.

During the six-month construction phase:

More than 2,500 workers completed induction prior to mobilisation
Emergency capability operated alongside infrastructure development
Regulatory engagement occurred within defined system architecture

Leadership entered production with confidence that governance, workforce capability and emergency readiness were aligned to operational demand. By formalising risk architecture early, workforce expansion and infrastructure development progressed without reactive correction or regulatory disruption.

Embedded emergency services and medical personnel supporting steady-state mining operations for a further 2 years before shifting to direct employment, the final handover to an internally managed capability.

Services provided

Integrated capability across governance design, workforce activation and embedded operational support enabled structured transition from feasibility through construction and into production for a growth-stage Western Australian gold operation.

Strategy & Leadership Align safety with business strategy and lead with clarity, purpose, and impact from the top down.

Mine Safety Management System At Epigroup, we believe risk management isn’t a brake—it’s a lever for performance, clarity, and smart, timely decisions.

eLearning Interactive training, inductions and custom digital modules that make learning flexible and measurable. Delivered via your LMS or ours.

Placements

Client Impact

Stability established before rapid expansion

2500+

Personnel mobilsed

Onboarded and inducted during six-month construction phase

18 mo

Feasibility to first gold.

Enterprise governance established ahead of production ramp-up

3 yrs

Embedded operational support

Prior to final handover into an fully internal WHS and Emergency Response Capability

I engaged Epigroup in early 2017, prior to embarking on a rapid transition from an exploration site, to the full-scale infrastructure construction and development of underground and open pit mines. We needed necessary safety systems and personnel to ensure we could safely execute this transition. I remember telling Jake to ‘assume we have nothing’… Epigroup integrated into our organisation and their ownership of the task was second to none.

James Howard

Chief Operating Officer (2017 - 2022)

Strategic Insight

For growth-stage miners, WHS governance is often layered in response to rising regulatory scrutiny and operational complexity. When material risk management is integrated early into core operating systems, it becomes embedded in execution rather than added as an overlay.

Risk-readiness shifts from compliance obligation to growth enabler, strengthening discipline without constraining momentum.

Designed For Scale Before First Gold