The impact of fly-in-fly-out schedules on workers’ friendships and family lives is causing poor mental health and an increase in the use of alcohol and illicit drugs.

Six years has passed since a report highlighting the distress and harm was released and FIFO workers areasking what is being done.

According to a 2018 report produced by the Western Australian Mental Health Commission, 71 per cent of FIFO workers said they consumed more than two standard drinks on any day on average.

Consumption of more than two drinks per day is considered by the Australian government to be risky, as it equates to more than 10 drinks a week and increases the lifetime risk of death from an alcohol-related disease.

The report highlighted that 33 percent of FIFO workers showed high or very high levels of psychological distress.

Step By Step Training owner and FIFO mental health trainer Heather Smith said that the FIFO industry still needs to change its treatment of workers.

Ms Smith also emphasised that the constant alcohol and drug intake hasn’t gone away since the 2018 report.

“FIFO work can have a very negative impact on the workers mental health which may be attributed to many different things,” she said.

Since the FIFO companies are paying large amounts of money, there is an expectation that others would happily fill the jobs if the workers leave the industry.

Ms Smith said it’s challenging for FIFO workers to seek change within their companies, as a result of the high turnover of staff each year.

“The fact that FIFO workers are earning significantly more than government employees and many other workers, means that companies are still perpetuating the attitude that the financial compensation gives them the right to treat workers as easily replaceable.”

Ms Smith stresses that companies need to have supportive and efficient working rosters to prevent the problems that many FIFO workers experience.

“The two weeks on, two weeks off model seems to be one model that has been well received by workers, but it is still underutilised by some companies,” she said.

FIFO Focus managing director Sandra Lam said the impact of FIFO on worker’s mental health has been an ongoing issue for several years.

“Definitely according to a lot of research, probably over the last 10 years, there’s a higher prevalence of psychological distress in FIFO workers compared to the general population,” she said.

“And that’s due to them being away for work, but there’s also a whole bunch of isolation.”

Ms Lam also highlighted how important it is for the FIFO companies to reach out and discover why some workers choose to take illicit drugs.

“I think the issue of illicit drugs is becoming a problem for everyone. I think FIFO workers do fall into that category,” she said

“But I always go back to why people decide to resort to drugs.”

While the last report by the WA Mental Health Commission was in 2018, plans for another report are yet to be confirmed or released.