Australasian Mine Safety

21 www.amsj.com.au / Summer 2015 / AUST R A L AS I A N M I N E SA F E T Y J O U R N A L "However, there are many FIFO workers who love the lifestyle and whose mental health is supported by the work." Mine sites and camps have strict safety standards and work practices enforced to minimise the risk to workers and to maintain production levels. Some see this as militarised and rigid, others as necessary to the smooth running of sites. However, it does have an unintended consequence. When workers do not have to make decisions for themselves or be responsible for taking care of their day to day needs they can become dependent on external rules rather than being self-regulating and self-disciplined. this does not encourage self- reliance and resilience which are important factors in staying mentally healthy. Some FIFO partners have described how this makes parenting difficult, when FIFO workers expect their children to simply 'follow the rules' and do as they're told when they are at home. It can create conflict and a clash of parents' expectations, adding stress to the relationships within the family. Camps and villages are a great place to build workers' sense of connection and belonging and for workers to unwind and de-stress. Both are an important part of positive mental health. In many camps the options for recreation are limited. Opportunities for workers to share activities together, exercise in ways they enjoy and have options other than the wet mess to relax will help workers' stay mentally healthy. In your opinion, could a change to rosters improve the mental health outcomes for FIFO workers? Family friendly rosters are highly valued by workers and for a good reason. they know that these rosters make FIFO work less stressful, allow them more time with their families and friends and supports their mental wellbeing. Long rosters (eg.four weeks on and one week off or even longer) place a great deal of stress on workers, especially with managing fatigue. these rosters are not family friendly, making it much more challenging for workers to maintain close relationships with family and friends. For workers who are part of a work team that is close and supportive, the stress of long rosters may be more manageable. However, over time they are unsustainable and create risks for both workers and employers. There have been many reports, and anecdotal evidence, to suggest that many FIFO workers refuse to seek help for mental health issues, even when it's freely on offer. why do you think this is so? there are many reasons including disliking asking for help, refusing to admit we have a problem, worrying about being labeled or diagnosed with an illness, fearing losing our job and the misunderstanding and stigma around mental illness. None of us like admitting we have a problem. Most of us try and sort it out ourselves and only seek help when it is clear we can't or when the problem gets so serious we have little choice. Even then, some of us refuse to get help. Instead we may drink heavily, take drugs to excess, lose relationships or even take our own life rather than get help. Getting help may challenge our idea of ourselves as independent and strong. FIFO workers are no different to any other workers in this respect. the truth is that it takes strength to ask for help, it is not a weakness. there is still a great deal of fear and misunderstanding about mental illness. Many people will not seek help early when they are faced with problems out of fear or being diagnosed as 'ill'. the fact is that the sooner we seek help, the more likely it is that the problem can be addressed. It doesn't matter if these are relationship problems, parenting difficulties or anxiety, depression and other mental health problems. Mental illness is treatable and most people recover fully when they get help. the World Health Organisation has highlighted the incidence of mental illness: • 30% of the adult population suffers with a recognised mental health issue in any one year. • Depression is the fourth biggest health issue in the world and by 2020 it will be the second. • One in five people will suffer with depression at some stage in their lifetime. • One in four adults will experience drug or alcohol addiction. • One in two adults will seriously consider taking their life. • One in ten will attempt to end their life. So mental illness is not something that happens to 'other people'. It will impact on all of us in some way. that's why we need to talk about it, understand that it is treatable and learn how to look after our mental health. One of the best ways in which we can learn about mental illness is to hear the stories of people who are willing to talk about their experiences. When leaders speak about their challenges with depression or anxiety and other illnesses, it helps break down the stigma and makes it easier for others to seek help. Many FIFO workers fear losing their job if they seek help for mental health issues or tell their supervisors about them. Many have said they have witnessed workmates being sent off site and not returning when they have mental health problems. Supervisors and workmates' negative comments also discourage workers speaking about or seeking help for their problems. SUe CROCk & JUlIe lOVeNy

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