The warning comes despite increased awareness over the years, which CommuniCorp clinical psychologist Dr Jane Austin says hasn’t been enough to fix the problem.

According to Austin, new changes need to be introduced as soon as possible, and some miners working FIFO rosters are under serious pressure.

It’s a timely reminder for the resource sector, which has grappled with a number of suicides this year.

The Western Australian government has even launched its own review to determine if more can be done.

The problem, as Austin sees it, is that while miners have done a good job at protecting physical health, they’re still behind on fixing psychological hazards.

“Clearly it’s not enough. We’re not keeping people as psychologically safe as they need to be,” she told MiningNews.net.

“There’s much more we can do, and I think that will happen in time.”

Foggy data

There’s not a lot of solid data on how worse off resource workers are compared to the general public.

For the wider population, research shows one in five people will experience a mental health illness in any year, but more work needs to be done to find out in which parts of the economy these people work.

Austin said early research showed a higher rate of suicide among construction workers, and a Lifeline study had also shown FIFO workers were at greater risk.

“The suggestion is that people are suffering perhaps more so in the resource sector, and that’s not surprising. It’s not rocket science” she said.

With FIFO workers away from their loved ones and support network, Austin said it was obvious workers could experience more pressure.

“There are specific hazards peculiar to working in FIFO that we need to take account of that appear to be having quite a negative impact on mental health,” she said.

It’s not quite that simple, however, and the Australian Mines and Metals Association has recently underlined an argument suggesting mental illness and self-harm is no more prevalent in the mining workforce compared to other industries.

“While we note from the experiences of employers and employees that there is no causal link between FIFO work practices and mental illness or self-harm, this is an area where we need to remain forever vigilant and continue to improve awareness and communication,” AMMA chief executive Steve Knott said recently.

AMMA is calling on industry, government and the wider community to help draw attention to the issue as part of an ongoing awareness campaign.

“One suicide in the resource sector or broader community is one too many,” Knott said.

“Resource employers have implemented a number of initiatives to combat any risks associated with FIFO work practices.

“They are committed to promoting awareness and embedding fit-for-purpose, risk-based policies and procedures to protect the safety of their workforces.”

Along with the awareness campaign, Knott said it was important to consider mitigation strategies, such as managing fatigue and drug and alcohol use.

“A common theme of feedback is that FIFO work is not for everyone, and resource employers go to great lengths in the recruitment stage to ensure people’s suitability to enter this lifestyle,” he said.

Beyond awareness

Austin has echoed Knott’s call for better recruitment processes, but said companies also needed to introduce other measures to help workers.

“Awareness is great but we need action,” she said.

“We know early intervention is the key. The earlier you intervene in these things the quicker and easier people will recover.”

On the employee side, Austin suggested practical initiatives to help build the resilience of workers, along with teaching coping strategies.

On the company level, she said miners could consider more manageable shifts or job rotation to combat boredom, a particular issue in some resource roles.

There are already some companies introducing good strategies around the industry, but Austin said most miners could learn a lot by looking at what’s already working on their own turf.

“We find more ‘pockets of flourishing’ within organisations, rather than the organisation as a whole,” she said.

“We look at those ‘pockets of flourishing’ and try to learn from them. We try to find what they’re doing that can be dissipated throughout the rest of the organisation.”

The bottom line is that the issue is one that needs commitment from all workers and all sections of a company – and that’s one point industry and consultants alike can agree on.