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Inaccurate portrayal of FIFO lifestyle

Staff ReporterMandurah Coastal Times

On page 7 in the September 24 edition you report that your (unidentified) local FIFO worker ‘takes amphetamines’ and claims ‘he would use weed if it was legal’ because he (falsely) suggests ‘everyone wants to do drugs on their week off to unwind, chill and get off their chops’.

What utter nonsense. In my experience, the overwhelming majority of FIFO workers don’t, and would never, do drugs and ” given the health and safety implications ” those that do drugs shouldn’t be in FIFO.

The worker also claims that ‘working away for weeks at a time messed with workers’ heads’.

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Perhaps that is due to their drug taking and/or unsuitability to FIFO.

Far too many people are getting FIFO jobs because of who they know ” and are motivated by greed, rather than their resilience for such a way of life.

There is nothing untoward about the FIFO lifestyle ” for the right people.

It is high time that the mining companies (and those doing the recruitment for them) took a good hard look at their recruitment methods and took a leaf out of the book of the armed forces or those recruiting for Arctic expeditions.

It takes a special person to revel in the long hours, the isolation and the disruption to what is perceived as normal.

The wrong person doesn’t just inflict harm on themselves and their families, but also on their fellow workers ” as well as their employer.

ANGELA SMITH, Coodanup