DOOGA DAY 2022

What does Dooga Day signify?

 

Dooga Day is an official Remembrance Day at McKay Drilling to celebrate the life of our beloved friend and colleague, Joshua “Dooga” Jones, and a time to reflect on the loved ones we have lost. It will be a day to raise and promote awareness about suicide and mental health, check in on friends and colleagues and look after the safety of our mates in the field.

 

What can we do on Dooga Day?

 

As we all know from the occurrence of Josh taking his own life, we have no idea how many people we encounter daily battling inside.

 

Dooga Day will encourage us to start looking below the surface and also make it more acceptable for people to voice what they are going through without being judged. We encourage you to shift the way we depict and look for signs of Mental Health.

 

Dooga Day will provide a safe space for people to speak up and start a conversation about suicide awareness and prevention. A 1-minute silence will occur at the prestart meeting on the morning of Dooga Day, and armbands will be worn throughout the day to commemorate Josh and our loved ones.

 

Here are some things to do on Dooga Day

 

- Check-in with our friends, family and colleagues

 

- Start a conversation about Mental Health and Suicide

 

- If asked what Dooga Day is or why you seem upset. Be honest - explain who the armband is for and why, start a conversation and talk about what happened. Don’t bottle emotions up

 

- Get in touch with your own feelings and wellbeing

 

- Understand the 5 stages of grief and acknowledge that yourself or colleague may be grieving

 

- Remember there is no right or wrong way to grieve. There is no specific timeline, so let the process run its course

 

- Reflect on the good times and memories you share

 

- Be open and available for your mates and look out for one another

 

- If you notice any signs and symptoms that someone may be struggling, speak up – speak to their manager, refer them to seek professional help, take charge of the tasks that they may be doing and make sure they have a break or finish work for the day.

 

Dooga Day means SAFETY

 

Josh was a caring, giving and loyal friend who was always there to listen and spread his love. His friends meant a lot to him and we know he’d never want any of them hurt or impacted by any form of harm. Dooga Day signifies how important our friends and colleagues are and encourages us all to look out for each other.

 

Every Dooga Day, McKay Drilling will donate $15 for EVERY hazard report completed on the day which has an immediate impact on improving the safety of our teammates

 

How can I look after my mate’s safety?

 

- Reduce the risks of harm to your team mates whilst on site by identifying and rectifying hazards or at-risk behaviours

 

- Call your mates out for taking a short cut and have the discussion about what could go wrong and a safer way of completing a task

 

- If you notice your colleague doesn’t seem 100% whether it be a lack of focus, distracted, fatigued, confused or irritable, suggest that they take a break and ask if they are okay?

 

- Stop the Job if you see an unsafe act or potential hazard

 

- Speak up if you are unsure of how to complete a task, there is no such thing as a dumb question and this is something Josh never hesitated in doing.

 

McKay Drilling as a business commits to the below donations in addition to $15 for every hazard report completed on the day

 

- $5 for every diamond metre SAFELY drilled

 

- $1 for every RC metre SAFELY Drilled

 

In 2020, Dooga Day proceeds were donated to the GoFundMe page created to support Josh’s family. Subsequent Dooga Day proceeds will go to Suicide Awareness and Prevention foundations such as LIFELINE, Black Dog Institute etc.

 

McKay Drilling as a business and a team are here to support our employees and community during this challenging time and encourage everyone to speak up and reach out for support at any time they require, not just during crisis’.

 

Suicide has left profound emotional, social and economic impacts for Josh’s family, friends and the McKay Drilling community. Suicide challenges us to do as much as possible to prevent these events and reduce harm. Whilst not all suicides are preventable, increasing our capacity and resilience, and supporting each other to seek and receive help can reduce the potential of another taking their own life.

 

More information about BLACK DOG INSTITUTE: The Black Dog Institute are working to reduce the incidence of mental illness and the stigma around it and actively reduce suicide rates. Your donation will help us develop research and tools for a mentally healthier world.

No raffles, sweepstakes, giveaways, or returns on investment are offered in exchange for any donations made to your GoFundMe