Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/142338
news+views global mining and metals leader, Mike Elliot, advised that mining and metal companies will be preoccupied by the danger of currency instability, using quick-fix options to manage short-term price risk. He warns, however, that such methods are increasingly expensive and ineffective, and instead encourages companies to look towards longer-term, ongoing solutions that manage risk through the shorter price cycles. Gender pay gap in mining In an era of soaring commodity costs, salaries in the mining industry have increased at a faster rate than those of any other sector. Despite this growth, recent research indicates that female mining professionals are not reaping the benefits of being in demand to the extent their male counterparts are. A recent media release from McCrindle cites research that shows that while females have managed to narrow the gap in workforce participation from 18 to 14 per cent in the past decade, the pay gap between the genders has grown – thanks largely to rising salaries in male-dominated industries, with construction leading the way and mining coming in a close second. The Cost of Lost Sleep A new report from global workplace provider Regus shows that the work-life balance so many working parents strive to maintain is proving elusive, thanks mostly to lack of sleep. The study found that nearly one-third of the people surveyed sacrificed sleep to meet work and family commitments, and were constantly battling fatigue as a result. This tiredness, harmful personally, can also damage the employer's bottom line. Regus estimates that overtired parents' lack of mental and emotional engagement at work is costing employers around $5 billion per year in lost revenue. Chemical Alert Coal sector trouble According to the Australian Coal Association, the mining industry's falling commodity prices and rising operating costs are to blame for approximately 9,000 job cuts within the past 15 months. This demise is leading many to question whether state and federal policymakers have the leading export industry's wellbeing at heart or are instead imposing additional costs, taxes and burdens at a time when the mining sector is under immense pressure. According to merchant bank, Morgan Stanley, operating costs have increased, with 71 thermal coal mines reporting a rise in US$10 a tonne. With these mines operating on an average profit margin of US$7 a tonne, any operating cost increase will affect margins and currently, there isn't a lot of room to move. Researchers from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) recently conducted the most comprehensive study to date on the effects of endocrinedisrupting chemicals (EDCs), more commonly known as 'hormone-mimicking chemicals', which are found in many household products. The scientists found that exposure to these chemicals, which can occur as the result of agricultural run-off, the ingestion of certain foods and water, the inhalation of gases and particles in the air and skin contact with contaminants, can cause various cancers, reproductive issues, obesity, and problems with brain and nervous-system development. Chief editor of the report, Professor Åke Bergman, said that research over the past 10 years has found that EDCs are far more complicated than research previously conducted had found it to be. "As science continues to advance, it is time for both management of endocrine-disrupting chemicals and further research on exposure and effects of these chemicals in wildlife and humans," Professor Bergman said of the study's findings. Uplifting news for uranium Uranium prices took a plunge last year, but the latest annual report by Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) suggests 5