Correlates of psychological distress among workers in the mining industry in remote Australia: Evidence from a multi-site cross-sectional survey

Communication and relationship satisfaction of Fly-in, Fly-out workers and partners

Fly-in fly-out (FIFO) work involves commuting long distances and living in provided accommodation for 1-4 weeks while on shift. Little is known about couple communication and relationship satisfaction of this population. Separate cohorts of FIFO workers and partners of FIFO workers completed daily surveys to self-report time spent communicating with their partner (in person, over the computer, and by phone) and relationship satisfaction for up to 7 days during on-shift and 7 days during off-shift periods (806 observations from N = 106 with 19 couples). For FIFO workers, but not partners of FIFO workers, relationship satisfaction was lower during on-shift days than off-shift days. This difference was completely mediated by time spent communicating with romantic partner, such that after accounting for the impact of lower time spent communicating on relationship satisfaction, there remained no significant difference in relationship satisfaction on-shift vs off-shift. Communication between FIFO workers and their romantic partners is essential to ensure the relationship does not suffer while the worker is away from home. FIFO organisations need to investigate ways to ensure quality communication between romantic partners can be maintained while the worker is on-site and partner spend long periods of time away from one another.

Better sleep hygiene is associated with better sleep health in mining shift workers in Australia

Australia's mine sites are largely situated in remote locations and operate around the clock. Many shift workers fly to site, where they work 12-hr shifts and sleep in camp accommodation before they return home for the period rostered off work. Mining shift workers experience poor sleep, yet limited research is available on contributing factors. This study investigated, for the first time, the relationship between the sleep health and sleep hygiene in this population. A survey was disseminated to shift workers in the mining industry, utilising a cross-sectional study design. The Sleep Health Index and Sleep Hygiene Index questionnaires were used to evaluate their sleep health and sleep hygiene, respectively. In total, 470 shift workers (mean age [years]: 39 ± 12, mean body mass index [kg m-2]: 28 ± 5) were included, which involved 132 females. Average scores for the Sleep Health Index and Sleep Hygiene Index were 76 ± 15 and 30 ± 7, respectively. Better sleep health was observed in shift workers with better sleep hygiene (β = -0.52, SE = 0.09 [-0.71, -0.34], p < 0.001). Differences in Sleep Health Index scores were found for individual Sleep Hygiene Index items related to "sleep regularity", "sleep environment", "mental health" and "time in bed extension". However, no differences in Sleep Health Index scores were found for items related to "caffeine, alcohol or nicotine consumption" or "exercise" close to bedtime and "bedtime activities" (p > 0.05 for all). These findings demonstrate a relationship between sleep hygiene and sleep health; therefore, it may be possible to improve the sleep of shift workers by improving their sleep hygiene.

Capturing and quantifying the aggregate effects of multi-source factors affecting miners' health and well-being: Construction of Bayesian belief networks

Factors originating at the organizational, work, and individual levels are closely interrelated and intricately intertwined, affecting health rates. There was limited research on the interdependence and aggregate effects between multi-source factors and occupational health and well-being (OHW). It is challenging to achieve management goals. Therefore, considering cross-level factors and across the "work environment-stress-exposure-OHW" chain, individual vulnerability was considered. A Fuzzy Bayesian Belief Network (FBBN) driven by both domain knowledge and data was constructed to carve out the logic between multi-source factors and OHW. Workers from four coal mines were surveyed twice in 6 months. 714 valid samples were included in the analysis. The interdependencies among multi-source factors were identified by the Interpretive Structure Modeling method and the visual probability estimation was achieved based on FBBN. It revealed that the work and the organizational level were the root factors. Eight factors involved in work stress were mainly mediating, and actual exposure and individual vulnerability were direct factors. Pathway interventions and joint interventions were proposed. The prediction ability and scheme feasibility of FBBN were verified. The approach developed allows robust assessments of aggregate effects and obtains multi-source factor importance. This study provides vital insights and evaluation tools for understanding workplace stress and OHW management.

A Narrative Review of Health Status and Healthcare Delivery in the Oil and Gas Industry: Impacts on Employees, Employers, and Local Communities

Workers in the oil and gas industry are exposed to numerous health risks, ranging from poor health behaviours to the possibility of life-threatening injuries. Determining the most appropriate models of healthcare for the oil and gas industry is difficult, as strategies must be acceptable to multiple stakeholders, including employees, employers, and local communities. The purpose of this review was to broadly explore the health status and needs of workers in the oil and gas industry and healthcare delivery models relating to primary care and emergency responses. Database searches of PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus were conducted, as well as grey literature searches of Google, Google Scholar, and the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers website. Resource-sector workers, particularly those in 'fly-in fly-out' roles, are susceptible to poor health behaviours and a higher prevalence of mental health concerns than the general population. Evidence is generally supportive of organisation-led behaviour change and mental health-related interventions. Deficiencies in primary care received while on-site may lead workers to inappropriately use local health services. For the provision of emergency medical care, telehealth and telemedicine lead to favourable outcomes by improving patient health status and satisfaction and reducing the frequency of medical evacuations.

Application of Ecological Momentary Assessment in Studies with Rotation Workers in the Resources and Related Construction Sectors: A Systematic Review

Whilst Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) can provide important insights over time and across contexts among rotation workers whose work periods alternate with leave at home, it can also be challenging to implement in the resources and construction sectors. This review aimed to provide a summary of the methodological characteristics of EMA studies assessing health outcomes and related behaviors in rotation workers. Systematic searches in PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus were done to include 23 studies using EMA methods in assessing health-related outcomes and behaviors. EMA designs included daily diary: assessments once per day typically fixed at the end of day (47.8%), within day fixed interval time-based design: assessments on multiple times per day at certain times of day (17.4%) and combination of both designs (34.8%). Studies employed paper and pencil diaries (73.9%) and one or more electronic methods (60.9%): wrist-worn actigraphy device (52.2%) and online-based diaries (26.1%) for data collection. Most of the studies (91.3%) did not report prompting -EMAs by schedule alerts or compliance. Daily diary and within day fixed interval dairies designs are common, with the increasing use of electronic EMA delivery techniques. It is unclear how well participants adhere to assessment schedules, as these are inadequately reported. Researchers should report compliance-related information.

Health and related behaviours of fly-in fly-out workers in the mining industry in Australia: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Fly-In Fly-Out (FIFO), which entails travelling mostly from the urban areas to stay and work in remote areas for designated periods and travel back home to spend designated days of leave, has become a common work arrangement in the mining sector globally. This study examined the mental and physical health of FIFO workers and described their health-related behaviours during on-and off-shift periods.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted with FIFO workers (N = 216) in the mining industry in Australia who completed an online survey. Paired t-test and McNemer's analysis examined the differences in health-related behaviours during workers' on-and off-shift days. Logistic regression examined the predictors of physical health and psychological distress status of FIFO workers.

RESULTS

Workers reported longer sleep duration (7.5 ± 1.5 h vs 6.3 ± 1.2 h, p < 0.001) and better sleep quality (78.2% vs 46.3%, p < 0.001) during off-shift nights than on on-shift nights. Smoking prevalence was 26.4%, and workers reported smoking a similar number of cigarettes per day during on-and off-shift days. Most workers reported drinking alcohol (86.1%) and more often at risky levels during off-shift than on-shift days (57.9% vs 34.3%, p < 0.001). Fruits and vegetable consumption was low but with higher vegetable intake during off-shift days (2.8 ± 1.4 vs 2.3 ± 1.3 serves, p < 0.001). Workers had good physical health status (91.2%), but 71.4% were overweight/obese and 33.4% indicated high levels of psychological distress. Working on long shifts (OR 6.63, 95% CI 1.84-23.91) and smoking (OR 7.17, 95% CI 2.67-19.26) were linked to high psychological distress.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of psychological distress and risky health behaviours was high. Interventions should aim to reduce psychological distress and support multiple behaviour changes, considering FIFO work-related characteristics including long shift hours.

COVID-19 and offshore oil and gas workers: The role of personality

This qualitative study aimed to identify mental health hazards in the offshore oil and gas industry, as well as the role of the personality types of the Five Factor Model (FFM) in coping with these stressors. A focus group with 8 participants and a pilot study with 5 participants were conducted. Results showed that several stressors are currently present for Australian offshore oil and gas employees, in particular COVID-19 and the resulting negative effects on rosters, working hours, job security and time spent away from home. Other stressors revealed by participants were lack of space, working in a high-risk environment, stigma, helicopter travel and pressure to keep up with production. Poor safety behaviours were associated with neuroticism, extraversion and openness, while risk avoidance appear to be associated with agreeableness and conscientiousness. Tolerance to shift work was positively related to extraversion, yet negatively associated to neuroticism. Furthermore, neuroticism showed a negative association with help-seeking and productivity, as well as higher levels of concern relating to COVID-19 and job uncertainty. As personality traits are enduring throughout life, it is vital that employees are managed effectively through workplace interventions so that they are able to cope effectively, particularly during stressful events.

The Overall Health of Men Who Do Fly-in Fly-Out Work in the Mining Sector

Fly-in fly-out (FIFO) continues to be a fact of life for many men working in the mining industry. The goal of this article is to gain a better understanding of the impacts of FIFO on the overall health of men working in the mining sector and the relationship these men have to seeking help. A qualitative study of 22 men was conducted using a semi-structured interview guide modeled after Torkington et al. Results indicate that men present poor health as a result of workplace-specific performance requirements (long workdays, difficult environmental conditions), being physically far away from their family, and the fact that they do not often seek mental health help. Additional studies with a much larger sample of men are necessary.

Prevalence of depression disorder in industrial workers: a meta-analysis

Objectives. Depression is known to be associated with a variety of occupational factors. The aim of this study was to meta-analyze the prevalence of depressive disorder in industrial workers. Methods. Three databases indexing abstracts of articles were selected and searched until August 2020: PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus. For each study, the sample size and number of depression events were extracted, and after extracting these data, the random effects method was used to assess the prevalence. I2 and χ2 values were used to investigate the heterogeneity. Results. The prevalence of depressive disorder in industrial workers is 21%. The prevalence of depressive disorder in men and women industrial workers is 23 and 28%, respectively. The prevalence of depressive disorder in Asia, Europe and America is equal to 22, 18 and 20%, respectively. The result of the heterogeneity test showed that the heterogeneity is high. Conclusion. The prevalence of depression in industrial workers is higher than in the general population. These differences can be due to the working conditions of industrial workers. Therefore, the work environment and the promotion of occupational health can play an important role in preventing depression.

Cost of Health-Related Work Productivity Loss among Fly-In Fly-Out Mining Workers in Australia

Sufficient knowledge on the work productivity impact of the health of fly-in fly-out (FIFO) workers in the mining sector in Australia is lacking. This study examined the impact of health and lifestyle behaviours on the work productivity of FIFO workers in the mining industry in Australia. FIFO workers completed an online questionnaire on health and work productivity loss measures. Linear regressions were used to model annual work productivity losses through absenteeism, presenteeism and total productivity loss. Workers with a high risk for health conditions were, on average, associated with 3.87% more productivity loss (absenteeism: 1.27% and presenteeism: 2.88%) than those with low risk. Workers who had multiple health risks classified as medium (3-4 health conditions) and high (5 or more health conditions) reported 1.75% and 7.46% more total productivity loss, respectively, than those with fewer multiple health risks (0-2 health conditions). Health conditions were estimated to account for an annual additional productivity cost due to absenteeism of AUD 8.82 million, presenteeism of AUD 14.08 million and a total productivity loss of AUD 20.96 million per 1000 workers. FIFO workers with high health risks experience more absenteeism, presenteeism and overall productivity loss. These measures provide strong economic justifications that could support the need for targeted workplace health interventions.

Impact of Organizational Dehumanization on Employee Knowledge Hiding

Knowledge hiding has become an alarming issue for the organizations. Knowledge hiding is an employee's intentional attempt to conceal knowledge requested by others at the workplace. Employee knowledge hiding significantly influences an organization's effective functioning. This research is an attempt to extend previous work on antecedents of knowledge hiding. Drawing on conservation of resources theory, it is proposed that receiving poor treatment by organizations in the form of organizational dehumanization creates psychological distress among employees toward the organization. Distress among workers in turn intervenes the path and increases the likelihood of engaging in knowledge hiding behaviors. An employee's felt obligation for constructive change (FOCC) may moderate the relationship between organizational dehumanization and employee psychological distress. Data for the current study were collected from 245 employees of the telecommunication sector in three-time lags. The results support the direct and indirect effect of organizational dehumanization on employee knowledge hiding behaviors through the mediation of psychological distress. The results also support the moderation of FOCC between organizational dehumanization and psychological distress. Furthermore, the findings of the study may help organizational practitioners and managers about the value of effective organizational climate and practices for better organizational functioning through knowledge sharing and providing insight into undesirable repercussions of organizational dehumanization. Implications for organizations and practitioners are discussed.

Mental health in mine workers: a literature review

The mining environment is hazardous for worker's health. It can affect the mental health, triggering symptoms and diseases, such as anxiety, job stress, depression, sleep disorders, mental fatigue and other. The aim of this study was to describe and analyze the scientific literature about the mental health in mine workers and to summarize the findings. The method used was scoping review. The principal outcomes were the following: evidence in the last 12 years in the topic was focused in four themes 1) Psychological problems & personal factors (38.2%); 2) Psychosocial problems & health related factor (23.6%); 3) Well-being (21.1%) and 4) Physical problems & organization factors (17.1%). Several affections, symptoms, characteristics or disorders were inquired about mine worker's mental health, such as job strain, unsafety experiences, poor quality of sleep, non-subjective well-being, job unsatisfaction, social-relations conflict, risk of accidents and injuries, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), substance abuse, dangerous working conditions and demanding job organization, and so on. For those factors, Mining could expose to serious mental health problems to a part of their workers. It's necessary to deepen the elaboration of international policies and carry out more scientific research and suggestions to make programs on the topic.

Health and well-being of rotation workers in the mining, offshore oil and gas, and construction industry: a systematic review

Introduction

Rotation work, characterised by travelling long distances to work in isolated areas where workers typically rotate consecutive days working and living on-site with periods at home, is increasingly used in the resources and construction sectors globally. Such employment practices may have an impact on workers’ health and well-being. This systematic review explores the impact rotation work has on mental and physical outcomes in rotation workers in the resources and construction sectors.

Method

The PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases were systematically searched on 1 May 2020 to identify quantitative, qualitative and mixed-method studies addressing the health of rotation workers published in peer-reviewed journals. Findings from the studies were summarised narratively.

Results

Of 6268 studies retrieved, 90 studies were included in the review. Studies suggested higher prevalence of psychological distress in onshore rotation workers and higher overweight/obesity rates among rotation workers as compared with the general population. We found more sleep problems and higher levels of smoking during work periods compared with off-site days; and higher alcohol intake during off-site days compared with on-site days. Workers generally perceived their physical health status as good. High-perceived job demands (such as workload, repetitive work) were associated with mental distress and exhaustion, sleep problems and perceived poor physical health status, while high-perceived job resources (such as job clarity/control, support) were associated with low mental distress and exhaustion, less smoking and alcohol intake, and better sleep.

Conclusion

Rotation work is associated with several poorer health behaviours and outcomes, such as sleep problems, smoking, alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity. Interventions needed to improve rotation workers’ health should include maximising available job resources and reducing job demands. Further longitudinal studies are needed to explore the long-term health effects of rotation work and the short-term contextual effects of the different aspects of rotation work.

Task rotation in an underground coal mine: Implications on injury and musculoskeletal discomfort

PURPOSE

To investigate the effect of a task rotation schedule on musculoskeletal injury and the challenges of implementing a task rotation schedule within an underground coal mine.

METHODS

This was a pre-post cross-sectional intervention study with two underground coal mines. Participant-surveys were collected at baseline and 12-months.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in musculoskeletal discomfort between the two sites in any body region. Tasks were rotated two to three times a shift on average.

CONCLUSIONS

The task rotation schedule did not have a significant impact upon musculoskeletal discomfort although this does not necessarily reflect that the rotation schedule was in-effective in curbing injury, rather highlights the complexity of developing a successful task rotation schedule within an underground coal mine. The task rotation schedule, its implementation and execution need consideration and further investigation to assist in effectively controlling injury and fatigue risk.

Factors associated with patterns of psychological distress, alcohol use and social network among Australian mineworkers

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the convergence of individual findings relating to psychological distress, alcohol use and social network (SN) to identify their associated clusters within Australian mineworkers.

METHODS

This study used cross-sectional survey data from 3,056 participants across 12 Australian mines. Latent class analysis used the scores of Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and Social Network Index.

RESULTS

Class 1 (moderate to very high psychological distress, low SN score and low to moderate AUDIT) included 39% (n=1,178) participants and class 2 (low to moderate psychological distress and AUDIT and very high SN) composed of 61% (n=1,873) participants. Class 1 was associated with younger age (OR=0.65, 95%CI=0.53-0.81), being a current smoker (OR=1.45, 95%CI=1.18-1.79), and reporting a history of anxiety (OR=3.00, 95%CI=2.23-4.05) and/or depression (OR=2.18, 95%CI=1.65-2.90).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight the challenges the mining sector faces regarding the welfare of its employees. Implications for public health: Modifiable work factors associated with lower social networks and higher psychological distress need addressing at an individual and industry level through targeted and specifically tailored multi-component interventions.

Comparing the Effects of FIFO/DIDO Workers Being Home versus Away on Sleep and Loneliness for Partners of Australian Mining Workers

Fly in Fly out/Drive in Drive out (FIFO/DIDO) is a prevalent work arrangement in the Australian mining industry and has been associated with adverse outcomes such as psychological stress, sleep disturbances, fatigue, and work/life interference. FIFO/DIDO work arrangements have the potential to not only impact the FIFO/DIDO worker, but also the partner of the FIFO/DIDO worker. However, there is sparse empirical evidence on the impact of FIFO/DIDO work arrangements on partners' sleep and subsequent performance. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to describe and compare partners' sleep quality, sleep duration, sleepiness, and loneliness when the FIFO/DIDO workers were at home (off-shift) and away (on-shift). A secondary aim of this study was to examine whether differences in partners' sleep quality and sleep duration as a result of FIFO/DIDO worker's absence could be partially explained through the presence of dependents in the home, relationship duration, chronotype, duration in a FIFO/DIDO role, and loneliness. Self-reported questionnaires were completed by 195 female and 4 male participants, mostly aged between 18 and 44 years and who had been in a relationship with a FIFO/DIDO mining worker for more than five years. Of note, most participants subjectively reported poor sleep quality, insufficient sleep duration, excessive sleepiness, and moderate to extreme loneliness compared to the general population regardless of whether the FIFO/DIDO workers were at home or away. Compared to when the FIFO/DIDO workers were at home, partners experienced reduced sleep quality and increased loneliness when the FIFO/DIDO workers were away. Secondary analyses revealed that loneliness may partially underpin the negative effect that FIFO/DIDO workers' absence has on sleep quality. Further research is needed to understand the factors that contribute to poor sleep quality, insufficient sleep duration, excessive sleepiness, and loneliness of FIFO/DIDO partners to inform appropriate strategies to support FIFO/DIDO partners' health and wellbeing not only in the mining population, but other industries that incorporate similar FIFO/DIDO work arrangements (e.g., emergency services, offshore drilling, and transport).