[OZ Sister]

Hi all,

My brother is now 9 weeks post injury and moving forward with rehab. He has a meeting next week with the manager of the Mine he works at about a return to work program. This is still a long way off and is just in the discussion stage, however it is hard to discuss what he wants, which is to go back to his old job, when he has no idea what he will be capable of doing comfortably.

His job is a two week on two week off scenario, with the two weeks on consisting of 12 hour days and nights. So 7days of 12 hour days and then swaps to 7 days of 12 hour nights.

This is hard work without the added complication of a wheel chair. Does anyone have any experience working nights? Does this play havoc with a bowel routine?

Does anyone work these kind of hours at all in a chair, I know it is early days but he is pretty shagged at the end of a normal day!

Any advice particularly on the night shift would be really appreciated.

Thanks


Shelley

[Texaswheelz]

i've worked night shift on a job before, 11 pm to 7am, but it wasn't anything physical, just as a dispatcher. Didn't effect me any way different then it would a AB that would hate working over night. He could probably do it, although I don't know what they actual work is. Being in a chair doesn't make you have less stamina then some one who isn't. With that said though it also doesn't mean he will be able to do it. He might figure out that he has pain that won't allow him to work 12 hr shifts. Other then that I can't see a reason for not giving it a go.

[OZ Sister]

Texaswheelz, on May 23 2008, 08:12 AM, said:

i've worked night shift on a job before, 11 pm to 7am, but it wasn't anything physical, just as a dispatcher. Didn't effect me any way different then it would a AB that would hate working over night. He could probably do it, although I don't know what they actual work is. Being in a chair doesn't make you have less stamina then some one who isn't. With that said though it also doesn't mean he will be able to do it. He might figure out that he has pain that won't allow him to work 12 hr shifts. Other then that I can't see a reason for not giving it a go.

Thanks that is really helpful as we weren't sure if he would have less stamina, I guess the pain issue is yet to be determined, he came of opiates yesterday so time will tell.

He basically works pit control so not really physical however he does have to get down into sometimes and with a mine the landscape is always changing.

He hated nights with a passion and did not cope all that well coming off them before

[Texaswheelz]

Well at the time his stamina will be horrible, he will have to build it back up, but there is no reason that I know of that he can't build it up to what he had or more if needed. If he was a bear before after the night shifts, he'll still be a bear after the night shifts.

[nomis]

I used to work a desk job till 1 or 2 in the morning which I enjoyed tho it killed most of my social life.

Working in a mine is something altogether different. To work those long hours he is going to need to slowly build up his stamina. I say slowly because he has a lot of rehab to go through yet and working consecutive 12 hours shifts would, in my opinion, likely be a long way off yet.

When I was working nights I'd been a T4 para for some years. One day a week I'd do a 16-hour shift, well, not one shift, it was eight hours at tech lectures then eight hours work. I was pretty fit in those days cos I managed quite well.

But I'd hate to see your brother rushed back into work too soon. And he's going to have to explore what he is able to manage and what's practical. I was back at work after six months but it was rocky with initial fatigue and leaky equipment and days off for red skin. At the time I thought it hell but I soon came right and life became much easier.

It's good for your brother to keep that link with his boss and for them to be planning for the future but it's too early to be sure about much at this stage. They can be thinking about any modifications that might need to be made, access, toileting, etc

[Kwag_Myers]

I'm with Tex and Nomis; nine weeks is pretty aggressive. I didn’t start feeling human again until about six months (but then, everyone’s different). I went back to work at four months post, but part-time.

[OZ Sister]

Thanks again. You are right he definately is no where ready to head back to work, he is really planning on at least another 8 months off then he is thinking a part time integration depending on how he is feeling ect, he is not really wanting to rush things and he will take what ever time he needs.

I think my questions really relates to say 12-18 months away and longer term when he is ready to work full time. The discussions are being opened with the employer now but I don't think they will be unrealistic.

We are just wondering if it is unrealistic of him to hope to go back to this type of employment longer term. I hear what you are saying that it depends on the individual and their level of fitness ect.. Maybe it is really a wait and see game! If determination has anything to do with it I am sure he will cope! ( Because patience is not a family strong point )

[Kwag_Myers]

I'm just curious (and thx to my buddy e-dog, looking for excuses to post), what exactly does your brother do? What's his job title?

[OZ Sister]

Kwag_Myers, on May 24 2008, 07:31 AM, said:

I'm just curious (and thx to my buddy e-dog, looking for excuses to post), what exactly does your brother do? What's his job title?

He works for a diamond mine, and he is a pit controller, well he got his new promotion the day of his accident and had not signed the contract! So he basically controlls all the trucks and shovels in the pit taking the raw materials of the pit to the stock piles. Thats probably pretty basic overview but hey I am only his sister and I do not listen that closely when he goes on about his job!!

There is testing underway and other companies are already doing this, running the pit controll from a remote area. So in our case the mines are in the outback somewhere but the pit is controlled from a city building. Pretty amazing stuff, so this could definately help him longer term as it is the mine site terrain and remote living that may offer more challenges.

In saying that the support he has got from this other "family" on the mine is awesome, these guys have offered him some amazing support and he really wants to get back up there an be part of it again.

Swings and merry go rounds I tell you!