Rig Life (and other tough work sites)

An expanded part of Kale’s Story, Trevor Botkin and Kale Moth discuss the specifics of working on an oil rig and other tough work sites. Belonging and paychecks pull us in. Identity and pride in hard work keep us there. Kale says, “That much time spent with the same 4 or 5 guys… you’re spending more time with them than your actual family. That group almost becomes your family… You get a full-time job, and a part-time relationship. And you just gotta understand, that’s the way its going to be.” Trevor talks about the guilt he had about his family getting the table scraps of his life and energy, but the balance was his family had all the shiny things they needed. Trevor describes an oil patch colleague who struggles with the extreme change of culture between spending time on his crew and coming home to his wife. 

Karen shares her perspective as a partner of a tradesman who was consumed by a demanding work life. Trevor confirms the limits of maintaining a healthy relationship under these demands. Kale describes the extreme hours required of him to continue to be part of his crew and what people turn to, to find fulfillment within the long hours, including short on-site clips of Kale on his rig.

Kale talks about how the people in the industry need to change, and that younger guys are refusing to sacrifice everything like the generations before them did. Trevor comments on his observations that younger folks coming into the industry are not willing to break their backs and things are changing, but the older guard are not able to change with the young guys, and the end result is the old guard suddenly don’t feel like they fit in anymore, and that loss of safety and community contributes to substance use in the older population. The industry is also changing in that it is now required to accommodate their workforce to recover from mental health and substance use issues. Trevor says his fantasy is that employers start having this conversation in a different way, training supervisors in how to deal with all types of health in a strategic and regular way.

The crew ties up the conversation getting a tutorial on growing beards and goatees. Karen shares when her ex-husband and his crew identified as Plumbers of the Caribbean, getting through the day by singing ‘stupid-ass pirate songs’ and Trevor and Kale agree, that’s how its done.

Off The Clock Toolbox Talk
Men forging health in the unregulated drug crisis, through real f**king talk.
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