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FIFO Work

  • Thread starter Train Without a Station
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Train Without a Station

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http://www.news.com.au/finance/work...-macho-attitudes/story-fnkgbb6w-1227114334903

THERE is a “toughen up princess” attitude on work sites that prevents some fly-in fly-out workers from seeking help for mental health problems, a union says.
The West Australian government’s education and health standing committee is conducting an inquiry into the mental health impacts of FIFO work and heard from several speakers on Wednesday.
Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union state secretary Mick Buchan said in a statement there was a macho attitude on sites, so workers were often too scared to raise concerns for fear their employment would be threatened.
Mr Buchan said there needed to be independent support structures, shorter roster lengths, better communication services, more regulation and a pathway back to work for those who had experienced a mental health issue.
FIFO Families founder and director Nicole Ashby says people don’t realise the impact the lifestyle can have on workers’ mental health and the pressure on their families who live without them for extended periods.
Ms Ashby suggested FIFO workers should have an induction period to determine if they have the personality to suit the difficult lifestyle.
“The first six months of FIFO work is make or break,” Ms Ashby told AAP.
“Support for the worker’s partner at home and the family unit is so important.” WA Chamber of Minerals and Energy deputy chief executive Nicole Roocke said despite reports of nine suicides among FIFO workers in the Pilbara in the past 12 months, that figure had not been substantiated, nor causal factors identified.
She said there was evidence to suggest suicides in FIFO workers were occurring at a similar rate to that of the state and well below those in the regions.

I'm intrigued to know the thoughts of others on FIFO work and the current sympathetic campaign that is being run highlighting the obvious difficulties of this work.

Some may consider me somewhat callous but I'm not extremely sympathetic towards it. I come from the engineering industry, and previously worked as a tradesman. The prospect of earning significantly more money by doing FIFO work, with a significant reduction in living costs is certainly possible for me. I however, don't think that would be a very enjoyable lifestyle, so I choose not to pursue it.

I guess my view comes from this and my thought is that you are aware of the situation, you do it because it pays so lucratively, you can't really then complain about the situation you knowingly went it.

I'm somewhat balanced in my views but lean towards the left politically but it certainly frustrates me reading comments regarding shorter rosters, etc. As these are all lifestyle measures which diminish the productivity and profits of industries because ultimately it affects us all negatively through a drop in economic activity.

Now I'm not attempting to trivialize mental illness but it just comes across to me as more of this modern attitude of wanting it all but not being willing to deal with what's required in order to have it all, to have your cake and eat it too, if you will.
 

boyo

Mark Ella (57)
FIFO can destroy a town - fewer schools, less money being spent locally, etc.

I've heard that some FIFO workers are not taking their prescribed anti-depressants due to a fear of drug testing.
 
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