Movember Matters: Supporting the Mental Health of Oil & Gas Workers
Each November, moustaches of every shape and size start appearing across the oil and gas sector. But behind the fun and friendly competition lies something far more serious. Movember has become one of the world’s most important campaigns for men’s health — shining a light on mental health, suicide prevention, and the pressures faced by men in demanding industries.
For the thousands of workers who make up Australia’s oil and gas workforce, the message could not be more relevant.
Life in oil and gas is rewarding, but it is rarely simple. Workers endure long swings away from home, unpredictable rosters, harsh environments, and the constant pressure to perform safely and efficiently. Many are working 12-hour shifts, day after day, with limited downtime and even less connection to their support networks.
These conditions don’t just test physical endurance — they test mental and emotional resilience.
Isolation, fatigue, stress, relationship pressures, financial strain, and the expectation to simply “push through” all contribute to a psychosocial load that often goes unnoticed until it becomes overwhelming. For some, the bravado expected on site becomes a barrier to speaking openly about how they’re really coping.
In an industry built on strength, silence is all too common.
As the Christmas period approaches, these pressures can intensify. December brings deadlines, shutdowns, travel, and roster disruptions — and many workers miss important family moments or spend the festive season away from home entirely.
For others, financial stress heightens as they try to provide for their families during the most expensive time of year. For some, it’s a reminder of loved ones they’ve lost or relationships under strain.
It’s a time when many feel they should be happy — which makes it even harder to admit when they’re not.
Movember is a reminder that wellbeing is not a luxury; it’s essential. It encourages workers, crews, and leaders to talk openly, check in on one another, and normalise conversations about mental health.
Across the AWCC training centres, we see firsthand the challenges workers face and the pride they take in their roles. We also see the difference a single conversation can make. Movember invites us to start that conversation, and more importantly, to keep it going long after November ends.
The concept of psychosocial safety no longer sits in the background; it is now a recognised and regulated part of the safety framework. Stress, bullying, isolation, lack of support, unreasonable demands, and fatigue are all considered hazards, just as real as equipment failures.
The oil and gas industry is particularly vulnerable to these hazards due to shift work, remote operations, and the pressure to maintain production and safety standards simultaneously.
Addressing psychosocial risks is not just a legislative requirement — it is an investment in people.
As the year draws to a close, AWCC encourages every worker — whether you’re on a rig, at a camp, in a control room, or travelling home between swings — to take a moment to check in with yourself and your mates.
Ask the simple questions:
How am I really going?
How are my mates going?
Do I need to talk to someone?
Reaching out doesn’t make you weak. In fact, it’s one of the strongest things you can do.
And listening — really listening — may be the support someone else is desperately waiting for.
Movember may last only one month, but its message resonates all year:
Look after yourself. Look after your mates. Look after your mental health.
This November, if you grow one thing, let it be awareness — awareness of how you’re travelling, and awareness of the people around you who might need a conversation, a check-in, or simply someone who notices.
From all of us at the Australian Well Control Centre, thank you for the work you do, the sacrifices you make, and the strength you bring to an industry that keeps Australia moving.
This Movember, let’s stand strong together — on site, at home, and in our communities — and make mental health a priority for every worker, especially as Christmas draws near.
If you or anyone close to you is finding things tough right now, help is only a call away:
- Lifeline: 13 11 14
- Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
- Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636
- SANE Australia: 1800 18 72
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