A landmark inquiry into Australia ’s mining sector has uncovered dozens of shocking cases of sexual harassment and abuse of women workers at companies including BHP Group and Rio Tinto Group. The Western Australia government report released on Thursday described “horrific” incidents at the workplaces, which it labelled both a failure of the industry and an oversight by government. Among recommendations were the payment of compensation to the many workers who became victims of bosses and colleagues on remote projects. “I was shocked and appalled well beyond expectation by the size and depth of the problem,” Libby Mettam, chair of the inquiry said in the report. “To hear the lived reality of the taunts, attacks and targeted violence, the devastation and despair the victims experienced, the threats to or loss of their livelihood that resulted was shattering and completely inexcusable.” The inquiry into sexual harassment was ordered after numerous allegations from women in the so-called Fly In-Fly Out mining industry, where employers transport their workers to and from remote areas. Australia to be sued over mining project’s ‘unmerciful’ destruction of Indigenous land “This represents a failure of the industry to protect its workers and raises real questions about why government was not better across this safety issue,” Mettam said. The report revealed that between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2021, BHP Group recorded 91 reports of alleged sexual harassment or assault, 79 of which were “substantiated.” Rio Tinto, from January 2020 to August 2021, received 51 complaints of sexual harassment or assault in FIFO operations, including one “substantiated” report of sexual assault and 29 “substantiated” reports of sexual harassment. “Rio will closely study the report’s recommendations,” Rio’s iron ore chief Simon Trott said in an emailed statement. “The courage of people coming forward to tell their stories has been critical in terms of shining a light on behaviours that must change within our company and our industry.” Chevron will also review the findings and the inquiry has “provided a critical opportunity to learn, act and improve,” the company said in a statement. Allegations of abuse were also received at projects operated by Woodside Petroleum, Fortescue Metals Group, and Chevron Corp. BHP, Fortescue and Woodside didn’t immediately respond to requests to comment on the details of the report. South Korea’s women fear an ‘Nth Room’ repeat now Yoon Suk-yeol’s in charge The Western Australian government should “consider establishing a forum to hear, document and acknowledge the experiences of victims of historical workplace sexual harassment,” the report recommended. “Part of this process could include exploring opportunities for redress, such as formal apologies from companies and/or perpetrators and appropriate compensation.” “We were told how sexual harassment is generally accepted or overlooked, of the abuse of positions of power, serious breaches of codes of conduct, and a culture of cover-up,” Mettam said. “It is simply shocking this could be taking place in the 21st century in one of the state’s most lucrative industries.”