Rio Tinto plans to ban alcohol at its Argyle Diamond Mine site in north Western Australia, and has not indicated a ban at any of its other mines, reports say. The company attributes the ban to the Argyle mine entering a transition and workers moving to underground mining, reports suggest. The company noted that as the mine has progressed into complex underground mining, transitioning to a dry camp is an important aspect of its future operating model,' reports add. It seeks to move the mine to an alcohol-free site, but has not indicated when.

Although many mine sites in Australia have a ‘wet mess’ area that permits workers to purchase alcohol at the end of their shift, some mines have shut such facilities in view of safety.