What Does Fit for Duty Actually Mean?"

Since the onset of COVID-19, a great deal of focus and discussion has been placed on opioid use in the construction sector. The impetus for this discussion was the campaign launched on May 31, 2021, by the Ontario Construction Consortium (OCC) titled: “The Other Pandemic – Opioid Crisis in Ontario.” The hope was that this campaign would raise awareness of the opioid drug overdose crisis that is affecting the construction industry.

The OGCA participated with the OCC in a series of videos about opioid use to raise awareness of this issue, and it also used this topic as a launching point to further focus upon what really affects all of construction: being Fit for Duty.

I believe that the overreaching subject of “Fit for Duty” has been overshadowed in recent years, and that the entire construction industry needs to reset the lens on health and safety and view things from a holistic standpoint.

At its core, Fit for Duty simply means that a worker will show up to their place of work physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy enough to perform their job and remain in that state for their entire shift. Although the definition may sound simple, there are many variables that actually affect a worker’s ability to come to work and/or remain “Fit for Duty.”

I want to stress that the concept of Fit for Duty is not inextricably associated with negative and/or destructive behaviours, such as drug abuse, although many who speak about the subject use that perspective to emphasize their point. I actually see the likelihood of events or issues arising whenever a person undergoes a life altering change.

Let me explain.

I have on many occasions linked the subject of Fit for Duty to the happy event of becoming a new parent. In this situation, the impetus for the eventual Fit for Duty issue is a happy one, the birth of a new baby. What brings on the work issue is that the parent in question may not be getting enough (or any) sleep at night, due to this drastic change in their lives. Additionally, the baby may be colicky and/or not adjusting to something, which will lead to a lack of sleep. That lack of sleep has now become a concern at work since that worker may be arriving to work sleep deprived and therefore, physically and perhaps mentally taxed before they have started work. Now this worker has potentially become a hazard to themselves and potentially others depending on their role on site. They may not be Fit for Duty.

In another scenario, the worker may have experienced the death of a loved one and is emotionally tired. They may have lost a loved one who was close to them and they may be suffering the lingering effects of grief and/or a mental strain due to that loss. Even though they are physically intact, it is the emotional distraction that causes rise to the Fit for Duty issue. Being mentally distracted on an active jobsite, places both the worker and potentially others in a dangerous situation.

When I recount this potential situation, I have used the example of a heavy machine operator who is in direct control of a large piece of construction apparatus, such as a crane, excavator, front end loader, or insert any other large and potentially dangerous machine that comes to mind. They should be focused on the task at hand, but their grief and/or mental distress may cause that slit second of distraction. This is all it takes for a situation to go from normal to catastrophic. And, the worker may inadvertently cause harm to someone else, that will compound the workers current grief or mental distress. I have seen situations that a worker cannot continue to perform their task if they are directly responsible for the death of another worker.

The above situation could have also been perpetuated due to a divorce or family breakup. The worker could have been given a diagnosis or someone in their family could have an illness. The list of stressors that could lead to an emotional and/or mental distraction are lengthy. These emotional and mental stressors will keep someone from sleeping soundly, which then perpetuates the physical aspect being affected.

You will notice that none of the above noted situations are derived from a substance abuse issue, but they may actually lead to one, if they persist. The situations described were from life changing events that every one of us are susceptible too, because we all know that life happens.

One of the best ways to stave off potentially compounding issues is to seek early treatment and talk to someone about what you are going through. There are programs that allow workers to speak to a professional and to talk about their personal situation and how they are feeling. These services are provided to the workers through their employers and are completely anonymous and incredibly helpful. It allows the worker to vent all of the pent up mental and emotional stress that is weighing on them and may also be taking a toll on their sleep and hence their physical wellbeing.

The OGCA has a member offering through our affinity partner Medcor Canada. Medcor Canada’s Mental Health Support Service is a tool that empowers your employees to talk to someone long before they are in a crisis. Being able to talk about their everyday stresses and situations before they are a major concern increases health and safety initiatives. This service helps alleviate employees’ need to take time off work, better equips them to focus on tasks while on the job and increases their morale. 

This article is just one small slice of the Fit for Duty discussion, but I wanted to communicate to our members that the OGCA does provide some vital alignments that will help all workers and hence our members navigate these issues.

The OGCA is committed to assisting our members in all the areas of their work, especially the Health and Safety of their overall companies and of their individual workers.

Should anyone want to learn more about Medcor Canada’s Mental Health Support Service, or if you require any assistance from the OGCA, please contact me directly at giovanni@ogca.ca or via phone at 905.671.3969.