Mining is one of the most complex operating environments on earth for risk management. Regulatory obligations are demanding, safety risks are ever-present, and boards expect a level of assurance that goes well beyond periodic reporting. For many resources companies, the tools used to manage risk, safety and assurance have not kept pace with those expectations. Spreadsheets, paper-based safety forms and disconnected point solutions leave organisations with fragmented information and limited visibility across the business. This case study from IGO Limited shows what happens when a leading ASX-listed mining company replaces that fragmentation with a single, connected platform.
Risk Management for Mining: How IGO Built a Connected View of Risk, Safety and Assurance
IGO Limited is focused on the critical minerals that underpin the global energy transition, including lithium, copper and nickel. Operating across major sites in Western Australia and beyond, IGO works in a highly regulated, safety-critical environment where the quality of risk and assurance information directly affects operational performance, workforce protection and long-term strategy. When the organisation engaged Clew, it was at a clear inflection point. Commodity volatility, a changing asset portfolio and an evolving operating model were increasing complexity across the business. At the same time, the board was asking for greater assurance, consistency and decision-grade insight across health and safety, enterprise, commercial and strategic risk.
From Paper Forms to Real-Time Control Assurance
On the health and safety side, Clew replaced paper forms and disconnected workflows. Field teams now complete critical control checks digitally, with results visible in near real time. This shift changed more than process efficiency. Frontline teams can see how their actions directly influence risk ratings and control effectiveness. Recurring control failures become visible and actionable. Feedback from the field feeds into control design and risk reviews, closing the assurance loop. For the first time, IGO has a live, organisation-wide view of critical control performance rather than retrospective snapshots.
What Mining Risk Management Software Needs to Do
When IGO went to market, the objective was not simply to find a digital replacement for spreadsheets. The organisation was still refining its risk, safety and assurance approach, and needed a platform that would support that evolution rather than constrain it. Clew stood out because it allowed IGO to start where it was and grow from there. The platform could be configured to reflect IGO’s own structures, standards and risk appetite as they matured. IGO also wanted to retain control over its operating model without becoming dependent on the vendor for routine changes. Clew enabled that autonomy, ensuring the platform remained a practical enabler rather than a bottleneck.
Implementation followed a phased, modular approach. Rather than importing existing spreadsheets, the risk and compliance team ran workshops to establish new risk registers, entering risks manually and deliberately. This improved data quality significantly, removing duplication and helping teams distinguish genuine risks from operational issues or routine activities.
Who This Case Study Is For
Risk, safety and assurance professionals in mining and resources will find this case study directly relevant, particularly those managing critical control verification, board-level reporting or the transition away from paper-based safety systems. Chief risk officers and operations leaders in resources companies will recognise the challenge of connecting enterprise and operational risk in a way that gives leadership a coherent, trustworthy picture. Board members and governance professionals seeking clearer assurance from complex, geographically distributed operations will see how a connected platform changes the quality of information available at committee level.
The challenge IGO faced is common across the resources sector. Risk management software for resources companies needs to do more than digitise existing processes. It needs to connect risk, safety and assurance in a way that supports better decisions at every level of the organisation. Download the case study to see how IGO built that capability.
