AUSTRALIA — There are no romance tunes about working in a coal mine, although there are certainly songs about brave men dying there. Perhaps it is that sad reality that prompted the Xstrata mining firm to decide their miners needing something to lift their weary spirits; something like a healthy dose of education – including sex education.According to the BBC, Bulga pit managers call it the “toolbox talk” and say it helps keep workers happier and healthier by giving them insights into their own lives, as well as those of their wives. It’s been so successful that Xstrata plans to introduce it to other pits.
Each month’s “toolbox talk” is on a different subject and includes plenty of information about heart health, prostate cancer, good nutrition, and the importance of rest and dealing with fatigue.
When the subject is sex, bosses say their male employees especially benefit. By better understanding how menopause affects their wives’ minds, bodies, and emotions – as well as picking up foreplay tips, the supers believe the men are enjoying better sex lives at home, which means they’re in better moods and more productive when they get to work.
“We have to look at the lifestyles of our employees,” Xstrata representative James Rickards explained to Reuters. “Making sure they are fit and healthy at work, but also fit, healthy, and happy at home.”
Part of creating that kind of home healthy and happiness is rediscovering the joy of early experiences, according to Tammy Farrell, the course coordinator who proposed that her students “start exploring their wives like they did when they were 18.”
Farrell believes that “Sex is an important part of any relationship, and it’s important to address sex for an individual that is going through menopause,” especially. By helping the miners become more aware of their health and then develop the skills to discuss it, Farrell hopes to help men change their lives for the better. According to her, the men are taking the classes seriously and even opening up about their own experiences.
“They snapped up all the flyers after the talk,” Farrell assured, “so we’ve obviously got some cranky men with cranky wives out there who want some help.”
