30 June 2026

For Carin Muggleton, health and safety is making sure every worker goes home safely at the end of their shift.

As Advisor – Health, Safety and Training for Whitehaven-owned Gunnedah Basin Haulage (GBH) and the Gunnedah coal handling and processing plant (CHPP), Carin has spent the past three years doing exactly that. Her role spans two operations, the truck fleet that hauls coal across multiple sites and the washery where that coal is processed and loaded onto trains.

“You see the full circle moment,” she says. “We’re hauling the coal across sites and then bringing it to the CHPP to be washed and loaded onto trains. I like being able to see that whole process, from start to finish.”

Carin’s path into mining comes from her passion for people. She began her career at Boggabri Coal in 2011, spending around eleven years there, before a period doing counselling work in town, a field she remains deeply committed to as a qualified counsellor. When the opportunity arose to combine her health background with a career in safety, she was quick to accept.

“I’m passionate about health and safety,” she says. “And the training side, being able to help people and seeing their progression, that’s really rewarding.”

Her day-to-day work is varied: site inspections, risk assessments, incident investigations, delivering training and mentoring to workers and supervisors. But at the heart of it all is one principle she returns to often.

“The more you know about something, the better you can plan and the better knowledge you have. I’m the type of person who likes to know what happens next.”

Carin is quick to correct a common misconception about what an HST advisor does.

“I feel like sometimes when people hear the word health and safety, they think, ‘Oh, they’re going to come and check if I’ve got safety glasses on.’ And that’s obviously not the purpose.

“The real work cuts much deeper, covering vehicle interactions, dust exposure, fatigue management and critical controls. And it’s about building a culture where workers genuinely understand why safe practices matter.

“A lot of people think, ‘I’ve got to do a safety inspection or risk assessment because someone told me to do it.’ But you’re not doing it for that purpose. You’re doing it to protect yourself, and the people around you, because at the end of the day, you’re identifying the hazards and the controls for the job you’re about to do so you can go home safe. It’s for you, not for somebody else.

That philosophy is captured in the HST team’s purpose statement: Our purpose is to provide a safe environment for all workers by continually improving practices, promoting health and wellbeing, to ensure workers return home. The Safety and Training team support this through practical training, risk management, compliance, and fostering a strong safety culture across site.

“I want people to have the understanding that if they’re unsure about something, they know they can approach the Health and Safety team for support, guidance, and the right information.

Carin is a Gunnedah local. Her parents grew up in the area, and their parents before them. With five boys to keep busy, sport plays a big role in family life. She volunteers her time as First Aid Officer for the local junior rugby league on Saturdays, a competition Whitehaven proudly sponsors, and the family recently celebrated one of her sons being selected to represent his region at state level.

“The community is really good. We do a lot of sporting activities in town, and Whitehaven sponsor many of them which is great.”

Three years in, Carin’s pride in her team is clear. The HST team spans multiple sites and doesn’t always get to cross paths, but when it matters, the teamwork is clear.

“When we need something, we’re always there to lean on each other and provide guidance. I might be biased, but we’ve got a pretty great team at Whitehaven.”

For anyone considering a career in health and safety, or in mining more broadly, Carin’s message is straightforward: the work is meaningful, no two days are the same, and the chance to genuinely help people makes it worth showing up for.

“It’s always something different and the chance to genuinely help people makes it rewarding and that’s what I like about my job.” Are you interested in learning more about the safety requirements our GBH truck drivers adhere to? Check out this video, a project Carin played a key role in creating.

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