Work conditions worse: survey

Phoebe Wearne,
The West Australian
Updated June 13, 2013

Never have so many people worked in the furthest corners of WA in some of our harshest conditions.
Yet a new Lifeline WA report based on the results of an anonymous survey of 924 fly-in, fly-out and drive-in, drive-out workers suggests workplace conditions are deteriorating at some sites.

FIFO report summary | FIFO final report | FIFO survey |

A lot of participants said on-site lifestyle was monotonous and boring and that they had experienced fatigue, exhaustion and even burn- out after working long shifts.
Some had experienced deteriorating accommodation standards, cramped conditions, a lack of healthy food and being forced to change rooms regularly.
Some participants said living conditions stopped them from getting a good night's sleep.
Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union mining division secretary Gary Wood said companies risked serious incidents.
Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA chief executive Reg Howard-Smith said there had been dramatic improvements in accommodation quality and the facilities available.

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