Browse Fly In Fly Out jobs

765 Fly In Fly Out jobs in Australia

Fly in, Fly out work, or 'FIFO', in the common abbreviation, is a policy most commonly applied by mining companies. As many mines in Australia are in out-of-the-way places, such as the middle of the desert, many miles from any settlement, their workers find it difficult to relocate to anywhere within commutable distance of the mines. The solution is to erect simple temporary accommodation and literally fly workers from their home town to work. A typical FIFO arrangement would see you flown in to the mine to work seven twelve-hour days, followed by seven days back at home. With a 12-hour day, you'll probably spend most of the time you're not working sleeping or eating, so there isn't much in the way of recreation.

While the majority of FIFO workers are miners, not all jobs at mines involve actually going underground. For example, many people working at mines under a FIFO arrangement drive trucks or operate other machinery above ground. As such, if mining itself isn't for you, that doesn't mean you should necessarily completely rule out FIFO jobs or any job at a mine.

Responsibilities & Skills

While advances in safety gear, automation, and health and safety legislation have made mining much safer than it used to be, it's still one of the more dangerous professions, as the 2006 Beaconsfield Mine Collapse and various other infamous mining disasters show. As such, all mine workers have a responsibility to themselves and their colleagues to follow all relevant health and safety procedures at all times. It is also important to maintain good relationships with your co-workers, as you will be spending large periods of time with them almost continuously.

Mine workers must be physically fit, as even automated work can be physically taxing
Good people skills are necessary due to the large amount of time you will be spending in close proximity with other miners
You must be sufficiently dedicated to be willing to spend a lot of time away from your family