The Mount Clear site now has a bright blue haul truck as a constant reminder.

Mining manager Darren Watkins said there had been a marked rise in workers contacting the employee assistance program for a chat since a deliberate move to step up mental health awareness the past two years.

Ballarat Gold Mine has also been working with Mental Health Movement, founded by retired St George Illawarra Dragons NRL player Dan Hunt, to boost awareness and response training. Mr Hunt flew in from Sydney to unveil the blue-themed truck at a site barbecue on Friday.

Mr Watkins said the company had felt it was important to be proactive about mental health, particularly in a such a male-dominated workplace and with research showing men were taking their own lives at three times the rate of women in Australia.

"There has been a bit of a shift in attitude on site, people are more open to speaking up and the idea of seeking help. With the blue truck, the idea is to keep a mental health awareness visual presence on mind all the time," Mr Watkins said.

"There has been an increased uptake in the EAP, which is a bit of an indicator more guys are seeking help required. There are a lot of guys on site and we know this puts us in a higher-risk category for suicide."

Ballarat's male suicide rate is almost 30 per cent higher than for men across Victoria, figures from Australian Institute of Health and Welfare showed earlier this year.

Mr Watkins said working with the likes of Mr Hunt had resonated well with worker.

From the outset, Mr Hunt had spoken about his struggles with mental health - Mr Hunt was diagnosed with type two bi-polar disorder in 2010 - and struggles to find help. Mr Hunt created Mental Health Movement to help break the stigma about mental health, particularly in changing workplace culture, using personal stories.

"Everyone onsite now has some knowledge of how to better manage their own mental health, how to better support a fellow worker, friend or loved one and they know that it is not weakness to seek support but strength," Mr Hunt said.

Ballarat Gold Mine employs 161 staff and 76 contractors on its Mount Clear site. All have completed Mental Health Movement including awareness in mental health management and resilience and suicide prevention.

Training is underway for extra mental health response training for those who will become peer support champions on site.

If you or someone you know is in need of crisis support, phone Lifeline 13 11 14.

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