46 Degrees...Did not think that the heat would be so relentless....!!

After 2 weeks of 40 plus degree days, I was looking forward to my Rostered Day Off.
Fatigue management has become important in the Mining Industry so we do not work more that 13 days in a row. The 14th must be a rest day. This is every second Sunday. Our designated RDO.
The heat is relentless.... As the weeks have dragged on, the temperatures have stayed high. Most days were between 40 to 42 degrees including a 43.9. Throw another 2 or more degrees for humidity..... (Our Health and Safety Crew walk around offering frozen fruit tubes and remind us to drink water. They called called it 46 degrees) and by the end of 2 weeks you can feel your feet dragging on the ground.
What do 35 miners do when they travel back to camp on the bus? Nothing....  Our bus is a comfortable coach which is good for the 50 minute trip. Most sleep or attempt to and about a quarter sit on their smartphones and Ipads. The funny thing is that the interior of the bus is dark as the curtains are never ever open. Everyone just tries to hide from the sun.
Another "tradition" leading into the RDO is that Saturday Night is the only opportunity to let your hair down as no-one is breathalysed the following morning and Sunday can be a recovery day. There are a lot of social drinkers up here so groups will gather and party on. Security in the main camps will start winding you up by 8.30, and there is a 10pm curfew on all noise outside.
The "wild" boys on our crew were all tucked into bed by 10pm. Exhausted....
Another week of 40's coming up....
Apparently winter up here is just beautiful...

What do 35 miners in a bus smell like ?

What do 35 miners in a bus smell like. Surprise.... OK...!
Personal hygiene is very very good.

Big fans everywhere...

Everyone wears "longs"... Long sleeve shirts and pants. Definetely no shorts. Everyone sweats in the humidity and the heat. The clothing that you would wear is not worn the next day.So everyone is fresh as a daisy. Otherwise you would be singled out and some-one would let you know pretty quickly. And, it would be bought up during our pre-start discussions at the beginning of the day. I have very rarely smelt body odour. Everyone uses good deodorants and showers constantly. We were advised to stay away from floral deodorants like Lynx as they attract sandflies and wasps. In colder climates people wear the same clothing day in, day out until it looks shabby or too dirty. So they smell...
Over in the West, you perspire a lot, with shirts and pants constantly dripping wet, but you dry off just as quickly.
Miners unwritten code:
Out of respect to fellow workers you must never remove shoes or shirts ever. Not in the smoko rooms and never on the bus. Only when you are back at your Donga. Sleeves are never, ever rolled up. Also, no dirty uniforms, singlets and sweaty gym clothes in the Mess.

Acclimatise: You can work and survive in this heat as long as you are hydrated and rest when needed. Everyday, 2 workers from our company are tested at 10.30 am for hydration. A simple urine test at First Aid. 76 workers across the whole site have been admitted into First Aid for Dehydration in the last 3 months. We are reminded every second day to hydrate.

Downside: The need to go to the toilet twice a night.....

Screenshot of my Iphone at 4.07am. 30 degrees already.
Yesterday was 40+ degrees so I am looking forward to 9 or more days of it. The only thing that is missing is what it feels like because they have not applied humidity to it. Simple, just add about 2 to 4 degrees...
Would I prefer the Winter cold of Melbourne or the heat of the Pilbara? It's the same. You keep out of the rain and cold. You keep out of the heat.
Truthfully, this heat is pretty oppressive and very hard to work in. It is tough out here. But give me the heat..........!
Apparently winter is just perfect. No rain and high 20's. God's Country...

In Summary...

About to finish up my first 4 weeks.


Site Huts

So here are a few observations and expectations
Made in China.....
The world is changing and I am not making a political statement as I type on my Malaysian laptop, use my Chinese made Ipad and Iphone while making tea with my $8 Chinese Kmart Kettle wearing clothing make in China and driving car made in Japan and Germany.
The term is "off shoring" and I knew that Drafting for all large Structural Steel Fabrication shops is done at half the price "offshore".
Did not know that most of the steelwork in all these jobs is "off shored" into China. Last year the company I worked for had 7 ships deliver steel for about 4 large contracts straight into Ports and Rail lines near the Mining sites. 5500 employees in China with 140+ expatriates looking after them. Welcome to the real world. Factories that I would have worked in, in Victoria could not much the price let alone the speeds of these Mega Factories. This is only one of many large Engineering Companies in Australia. This is happening all over the world.


2 New Car Dumpers

Did not expect the heat to impact on everything. Expected to work in the heat, but I am constantly moving from dry air conditioned buses, smoko rooms, mess rooms, and dongas, into the humid heat. And never really venturing out of the donga. Not even leave the door open for fresh air, sit on the verandah, go for a walk. Too hot.. Too oppressive and not much to see nearby.
Did expect that I would be in a gym. Maybe next time. Got lots of negative reports on the equipment and room.
Did think that I would swim laps in the pool. Too hot and little.. Did not bother.
Did think that I would have full blown Foxtel (Dunno why). Got the cheap Foxtel that you get in motels on a tiny grainy picture analogue TV. No Digital TV.

2 New tunnels

Did think I would have Wifi. No...
Thought I would not connect with other workers. Not bad so far. Very very blokey though.
Did think that they would be overly racist, sexist and xenophobic. Well not at all. This industry has no tolerance for that, nor bullying, violence, drugs or alcohol.. Window seat.....!
They are no angels and of course there are exceptions. And problems exist on other sites.
Oh, and the gossip and whinging.... Off the chart.. Large companies......




Sometimes you miss out..

Missed my youngest son's 12th Birthday.. Bummer but he was cool about it. The family knows that I am here for a reason.
Then, he scored Bloody School Captain....! After his brother got the gig 3 years earlier, this came out of the blue. Again, these are the sacrifices you make. There are going to be a lot more of these.
Technology is the big winner. Luckily reception is good in Karratha. Skype/Facetime as often as possible. Apparently, the camp is shocking for reception as everyone comes in from working. 1800 personnel trying to get in contact with family slows down both the camp wi-fi and overloads Telstra's transmitter. Not good....
However, this company has a history of doing the right thing when needed. These are anecdotes from other workers that have had family health crisises.. The phone call is made to their direct supervisor, and they are on the first flight out. Bookings are made even at 5am, and vehicles pick them up immediately so they can get back to there room to pack. The vehicle will wait and in both of these cases, they were on the plane straight away. All the connecting flights are sorted. These are blokes that are happy to give negative opinions about the company, but give credit here.

Food is paid for by the company, including on your RDO's. You do your own washing in classic laundromat washing machines and dryers in a donga full of machines. Complimentary powder. If you don't get your washing out of the dryer quickly others will remove it and leave it on the bench. 4 long shirts and 4 long pants...

Jobs for everyone...? Not really

Yes, I thought there were jobs for everyone. But really, there isn't.
There seems to be 2 streams in the Mining Boom.
1. Mining. BHP, Rio Tinto etc...
2. Construction. Building the infrastructure used in mining.
By far the largest group is Construction and it is huge throughout WA. And eventually Construction will run out as all the projects are completed and everything is handed over to Mining to run and maintain. Who knows when that is... 2, 5 possibly 20 years? Construction consists of mostly of Riggers, Boilermakers, Electricians & Concretors/Form workers.
There is a handful of other trades, support staff, earthworks and admin the rest in comparison.
And there are plenty about who want to drive the Big Tip Trucks. Talk to any cleaner, taxi driver, etc,


Dust suppression. Water tankers move around all day.
Dust is not good for your health.

And getting in is not that easy.. They have to invest a lot of money up front in training before they can even work out if you are capable of the heat and isolation from family and friends.
So it is who you know first, then history and experience next.
No history and experience. Don't know anyone. Forget about it........
(Like anything, there are exceptions, but not too many)
And what about Far North Queensland. Simple...They do not pay as much and there is not as much going on..
Lots over here from Qld and NSW...

The Food...

Seafood night

Muffins, biscuits, cakes. Not Jenny Craig approved.

The food at my camp....
The one item that is complained about more than anything else. I never expected gourmet so I am OK with what is on offer. But I guess it will change the longer I remain. I cannot take photos without everyone watching. So I will explain. It is your typical bain-marie arrangement, with food that seems to vary slightly most nights. There tends to be a choice of 3 salads. Most look and taste as if they were made 12+ hours earlier. Everything does not feel fresh. No fresh herbs. But there is a lot of it and plenty of blokes that could lose a few kilos. Plenty of cakes too.

A funny story though. A week ago, 30 personnel from another company were so appalled by the lack of options and poor quality of food for lunchmaking, that they arrived at work without lunch and refused to work. Phone calls were made, inspections done and the head chef (cook) was sacked. Food has improved. One night was seafood night. Lots of fresh seafood (Most was defrosted) and hardly anyone ate it. The typical answer from seasoned FIFO blokes... Eveyone had a bad story about eating uncooked seafood on a camp. My iron guts held up..

Breakfast is cereals, fruit, yoghurt and typical bacon, eggs, mushrooms etc.
Lunch. There are meats, cheeses, salads and bread to make sandwiches, or salads and cooked meats with lots of plastic containers to put them in.
Dinner is all sorts of typical meat and 3 veg configurations, pastas etc and plenty of desert.
I cannot wait to get home to eat.. Sushi, Rice paper rolls, proper coffee.... Yum

Give me shade....

A typical Field "Workshop". A shade structure between 2 containers. And if you need to work in the direct sunlight for long periods of time, then put up shade. Beach umbrellas are everywhere.

See the umbrella...

Beach umbrella fit for a Boilermaker