1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: Key we Rail has banned around two and a half 2 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:05,399 Speaker 1: thousand of its workers from using sleeping pills or melatonin. 3 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: This is an advance of all of us being able 4 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:09,720 Speaker 1: to buy the melatonin over the counter soon. They say 5 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:12,760 Speaker 1: workers in safety sensitive roles will be stood down if 6 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:16,320 Speaker 1: they found using it. Paul Javi is EMA's workplace safety 7 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:19,200 Speaker 1: manager and with us morning, Paul Good, do you think 8 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:21,119 Speaker 1: this is necessary? 9 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:24,919 Speaker 2: Look, I think of as competing issues here. One is 10 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:27,760 Speaker 2: there's the emploment relations side of thing, and that there's 11 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 2: also the health and safety aspect. So the health is 12 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:34,879 Speaker 2: that de aspect obviously is to provide a safe workplace 13 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:37,600 Speaker 2: and that's for the employees and the public. In case 14 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 2: of q rail and from the er side of the 15 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:44,920 Speaker 2: implement relations side, employees need to be able to a 16 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 2: team work or front to work in a fit, running 17 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:49,920 Speaker 2: enable state. So that's that's the kind of ground rules. 18 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:54,080 Speaker 2: So in terms of taking melatonin, I mean it's been 19 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 2: around for a long time. It's been prescribed by GPS 20 00:00:56,360 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 2: for a long long time mid safe risk averse. So 21 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:04,720 Speaker 2: for them to release it from a from a GP's 22 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:10,760 Speaker 2: prescription into public over over counter by interpretation would mean 23 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:13,400 Speaker 2: that they are seeing it as being kind of safe. 24 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:20,680 Speaker 2: I guess the real question is is understanding what maltonin is. 25 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 2: So maltonin isn't a sedative, it's a hormone. It's a 26 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 2: hormone which is what your body produces. And so the 27 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 2: hormone meltonin is secreted when it goes dark to help 28 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 2: you get to sleep. And that's where the problem arises 29 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:39,120 Speaker 2: because if your shift work is in the dark, that's 30 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 2: when you're supposally be waking up and going to work. 31 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 2: So they have to sleep during the day, which is 32 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:47,319 Speaker 2: the opposite of what it's called. 33 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: Look, I can understand that there may be some concerns 34 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,280 Speaker 1: about somebody with a zoplocone hangover coming in. You know 35 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 1: that stuff is pretty potent if you've seen it hit someone. 36 00:01:56,720 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 1: But surely, surely it is better that that a shift 37 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 1: worker gets a good, good amount of sleep before they 38 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: come to work rather than coming to work sleep deprived. 39 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 2: Well, absolutely, it means you die if you don't get 40 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:11,640 Speaker 2: enough sleep, and sleep deprivation is probably worse than feeling 41 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:15,440 Speaker 2: a bit bit groggy. But maltona and if you have 42 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:18,080 Speaker 2: had in the kind of prescribed doses, there's only in 43 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:19,880 Speaker 2: your body for four or five hours, so if you 44 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 2: receive me for eight, it's probably gone the time you 45 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 2: wake up. I mean, there's always going to be variability 46 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 2: within the population. That's absolutely vital. You all know that. 47 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:34,959 Speaker 2: But other other medications can make your drastic, things like antihstamines, antidepressants, 48 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:38,079 Speaker 2: pain pain reliefs, blood pressure pills, they can also make 49 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:43,360 Speaker 2: you go. So it's really about trying to understand what 50 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 2: it is about maltona and keep rail that they come 51 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:48,639 Speaker 2: to this choice very good. 52 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 1: Well, I think we're all a little bit confused by it, 53 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:52,079 Speaker 1: don't we. Paul, listen, we're gonna have to leave it there. 54 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: Thanks mate, I do appreciate it. Is Paul javi Ema, 55 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:57,080 Speaker 1: workplace safety manager. Don't tell key we rail about what 56 00:02:57,080 --> 00:02:58,800 Speaker 1: the person did at the hospital the other day with 57 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:01,079 Speaker 1: the cannabis cake, because if you want to fall asleep, 58 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:04,799 Speaker 1: just hand your hand, your hand, your colleagues a chocolate cake. 59 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 1: Don't tell them there's cannabis and that, and then we've 60 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 1: got real trouble. 61 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:10,640 Speaker 2: For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to 62 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:13,840 Speaker 2: news talks it'd be from six am weekdays, or follow 63 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.