A Long Way from Home - maqohsc.sa.gov.au · A Long Way from Home Wes McTernan (E):...
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A Long Way from Home Wes McTernan (E): [email protected] Investigation of Work Stress and Remoteness in the Mining Industry Funding: APA, UniSA top-up, MAQOHSC Scholarship
Transcript of A Long Way from Home - maqohsc.sa.gov.au · A Long Way from Home Wes McTernan (E):...
A Long Way from Home
Wes McTernan (E): [email protected]
Investigation of Work Stress and Remoteness in the Mining Industry
Funding: APA, UniSA top-up, MAQOHSC Scholarship
• What and why• Theory• Qualitative Research• Quantitative Research• Practical Implications• Thesis progress
Presentation Overview
Wes McTernan (E): [email protected]
The Growth in Australian Mining Employment Figures (1985-2013)
Economic Considerations
Wes McTernan (E): [email protected]
ABS (2011)• High salary average ($117,500)• High profit (43%)• 3rd largest mining country in the
world• 19% of GDP• Mining industry effects
everyone in Australia
Economic Considerations
Wes McTernan (E): [email protected]
• Recent industry growth• “Backbone” of Australian economy• Atypical work rosters• Tough working conditions
• Environmental exposure• Remoteness• Long hours
• Media interest • (i.e. 2015 parliamentary enquiry)• Lack of empirical researchImportant but challenging work
Why
Wes McTernan (E): [email protected]
• Identify the unique experience of work stress and health in the mining industry
• Identify the role of isolation and remoteness in the experience of mining workers
• Identify future industry trends
Broad aims
Wes McTernan (E): [email protected]
Wes McTernan (E): [email protected]
Stress Theory
• Explain the experience of stress
• What factors in the workplace elicit stress (stressors)
• How does stress manifest?
Qualitative Research
• Lack of empirical research on the psychological health of mining workers
• Interviews guide the quantitative component of the project
• Experience the industry
Wes McTernan (E): [email protected]
Study Findings:
Co-workers adopted family-type support roles.
“These people become your family essentially”
“Here it’s a close-knit family”
“Because they’re away from their
families, people create a family”
“We kind of joke sometimes we know each other
too well…. We’re like family”
Wes McTernan (E): [email protected]
Qualitative Research
Chapter IV: AWB Data
• 2,793 working Australians (48%M 52%F)
• 112 Mining Workers (84%M 16%F)
• 12 month time lag
• NSW, WA (2009-2010)
• Vic, WA, NT, ACT (2010-2011)
The Australian Workplace Barometer Project is the result of jointly funded projects funded by:• Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Grant: Working wounded or engaged? Australian work conditions and consequences
through the lens of the Job Demands-Resources Model • ARC Linkage Grant: State, organisational, and team interventions to build psychosocial safety climate using the Australian Workplace Barometer and the StressCafé• SafeWork SA, and • Safe Work Australia.
Wes McTernan (E): [email protected]
Quantitative Research
Analyses
• Cross lagged Structural Equation Model (SEM)Mplus v6.11
• Compare models to find most appropriate model (causal, reverse causal, reciprocal)
• Interaction terms added to best model
Wes McTernan (E): [email protected]
Wes McTernan (E): [email protected]
ConclusionFindings suggest a circumstantial component to social support. Work environments that are more proximate or encourage greater employee interaction are likely to have more alleviative sources of social support.
Wes McTernan (E): [email protected]
Chapter V
• Develop a scale that captures the unique
experience of Work-Life Conflict (WLC)
associated with working remotely (i.e. FIFO)
• Compare its efficacy against the most
commonly used WLC measure in the
literature
• 131 Australian participants
• 55 mining workers
• 76 partners
Wes McTernan (E): [email protected]
The following questions are about how work can affect your home and personal life.
How well do you agree with the following statements?
StronglyDisagree
Disagree Slightly Disagree
Neither Agree
nor Disagree
Slightly Agree
Agree StronglyAgree
1. My job makes it difficult tomaintain social relationshipsoutside of work 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
2. I find I miss a lot of socialactivities and opportunitiesbecause of my work (such asbirthdays and playing sports)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
3. My job makes it difficult to form new friendships or romantic relationships 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
4. My work arrangement makes it difficult to fulfil social responsibilities (such as helping a friend move house or attending a funeral)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Wes McTernan (E): [email protected]
Variable b t sr² R R² DR2
Step 1 .49 .24
Group -.23 -2.99** -.26
WFC .42 5.36*** .43
Step 2 .60 .36 .12***
Group -.39 -4.97*** -.40
WFC .17 1.90* .14
RWLC .45 4.91*** .35
***p = <.001, **p = <.01, *p= <.05. Group, 1= partner, 2= mining worker. WFC = Work-Family Conflict. RWLC = Remote
Work-Life Conflict. b = standardised coefficient.
Table 5
Summary of Hierarchical Regression Analysis for Variables Predicting Depression
Wes McTernan (E): [email protected]
***p = <.001, **p = <.01, *p= <.05. Group, 1= partner, 2= mining worker. WFC = Work-Family Conflict. RWLC = Remote
Work-Life Conflict. b = standardised coefficient.
Table 6
Summary of Hierarchical Regression Analysis for Variables Predicting Sleep
Variable b T sr² R R² DR2
Step 1 .47 .22
Group -.33 -4.16*** -.33
WFC .31 3.97*** .31
Step 2 .58 .33 .11***
Group -.48 -6.00*** -.44
WFC .07 0.79 .06
RWLC .44 4.66*** .34
Wes McTernan (E): [email protected]
Chapter V Summary
• We developed a tool to assess the unique experience of WLC by mining workers
• This tool reflects atypical spatial and temporal conflict between work and non-work domains
• This tool was better at predicting depression and sleep problems among mining workers
Wes McTernan (E): [email protected]
Wes McTernan (E): [email protected]
Key Findings
• Mining workers have high rates of depression
• Partners of miners also have high rates of depression, suggesting high negative spill-over
• Longer swings were associated with much greater rates of depression, approaching MDD
Wes McTernan (E): [email protected]
Key Findings
• Mining workers and partners experience a unique type of WLC associated with an inability to participate in social events/commitments that are important for psychological wellbeing (i.e. sport, hobbies)
Wes McTernan (E): [email protected]
Key Findings
• FIFO rosters lead to a degradation in social relationships at home – but an increase in the support received from co-workers
• In the absence of usual support networks, co-workers adopt additional support roles
Wes McTernan (E): [email protected]
Key Areas for Intervention
• Roster Length (Time away from home)
• Social Support (co-worker relationships)
• Sleep
• Depression
Wes McTernan (E): [email protected]
Examination Results
“This thesis presents a well-designed and soundly executed series of studies that seek to identify and assess the specific psychosocial conditions impacting on the health of remote miners, their families and the organisations in which they work. The experiences of miners working in remote locations have been largely overlooked in the academic literature, given the importance of this sector to the economic prosperity of many countries, the candidate should be commended for pursuing this line of enquiry.” Examiner 1
Wes McTernan (E): [email protected]
Examination Results
“I believe this dissertation is a first rate piece of work and requires no alterations.”
Examiner 2
Wes McTernan (E): [email protected]
