3.15 AM
Nothing gives you more of an accomplished feeling than beating the sun up in the morning and getting a head start on your day before everyone!
3.30 AM
Pump me up to go by starting with a gym session. The gym is usually the quietest in the morning with only a few people.
4.15 AM
Get changed into uniform and head to the dry mess (cafeteria) to have breakfast and pack lunch. This is a critical time of the day as food (and coffee) is fuel. I do occasionally get carried away with the amazing selection the people in the kitchen provide us. The sun finally shows up when I am done here!
4.45 AM
Jump on the bus and take a short 10-minute ride to the allocated pit.
5.00 AM
The supervisor and superintendent go through the Pre-Site Safety Inspection (PSI) meeting, where everyone gets involved and outline the tasks for the shift. This is the perfect time for anyone who may have any safety questions, concerns, or general questions to bring these up to the supervisors.
5.20 AM
Depending on the role (as graduates are given an opportunity to do a wide range of tasks on site), I will be allocated to a machine or to a crew for the day. Regardless of where I am allocated, everyone has a plan of attack and we are all on the same page before we head out.
Haul Trick Driving
Begin prestart of the heavy machinery and perform necessary tests. I feel like a mechanic while inspecting the heavy vehicle.
Drill & Blast
Getting very hands-on with explosives in the pit as a bomb crew. This is definitely a more labour-intensive job and really puts those many hours in the gym to work.
10.30 AM
We take a quick smoko break (usually around 15 minutes) for everyone to have a snack or refuel on coffee.
As an engineer, I like to critically analyze the designs and the plan we execute on the ground, whether it is the drill and blast designs or the mining method the excavator is executing. I often find myself asking questions about why certain things are performed a certain way during this break.
1.30 PM
Lunch break is a good opportunity to catch up with some colleagues and just sit down and chat.
5.30 PM
The end of the shift usually entails cleaning up heavy or light vehicles. This is also the time to hand in any required paperwork to the supervisors before jumping on a bus back to camp.
7.00 PM
Nothing feels better than a hot shower and some clean clothes. I head over to the dining hall for dinner or the wet mess (bar) for a BBQ and a beer. This is probably the most dangerous time for me, as the spread the kitchen produces is amazing. We are honestly spoilt for choice and I have to walk around first to strategically plan what I should put on my plate or else I will overload it.
8.00 PM
It is time to hit the hay for another big day ahead! No day on site is ever the same and I need a good night’s sleep for whatever I am tasked with tomorrow.