Taking care of the mental health of FIFO workers
Suicide is the leading cause of death for men aged 15-44 in Australia. Twice As many lives as in car accidents. Because of this alarming statistic, we’ve seen a bigger push to advocate for workers’ mental health, especially in male-dominated industries like the FIFO workplace.
Risk factors for mental health problems in FIFO workers
Looking at the working conditions of FIFO workers, the combined effects of separation from family and friends, inadequate accommodation, demanding work schedules and toxic work cultures increase the risk of mental health problems, Workers often do not receive adequate support.
Workers who do not receive adequate support often resort to other coping mechanisms, such as heavy drinking, illicit drug use, and stimulant addiction, which severely impact their ability to work and lead to mental health problems. make it worse.
Key Washington Government Recommendations for Improving Mental Health
In response to a parliamentary inquiry into the mental health of FIFO workers (commissioned after nine WA miners committed suicide within a year), the WA government recently improved the mental health of workers within the FIFO community. made important recommendations to
These recommendations are:
- A compressed roster with little time to recover can lead to exhaustion and can seriously increase the risk of mental health problems.
- Accommodations should provide adequate recreational facilities and minimize “moteling” practices. They also need to re-evaluate the “control over workers” within the accommodation.
- Improved communication facilities will provide families with high-quality, reliable, and accessible communications.
- Improved workplace anti-bullying procedures to make it easier to report and prosecute allegations of bullying.
- Employers have improved their perception of the impact of FIFO on personal relationships, including financial pressures and job uncertainty.
- Initiatives to address workplace stigma that significantly reduce the rate of workers receiving psychological support.
Elliott Australia We applaud these changes and hope they help in some way to reduce these frightening stats. We care about keeping our workers safe.
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