Melissa Giumelli

5.00 AM

Time to start the day! I get up, get ready and am out the door by 5.15 am to travel to site. The mine site is approximately 15 mins away from camp. The car ride is mostly spent with small chat with the other engineers.

5.30 AM

We start the day with the supervisor’s meeting. This is an informal meeting between all the engineers and supervisors to discuss the day’s plan, any issues and milestones to accomplish throughout the day.

6.00 AM

The daily pre-start meeting kicks off at 6am. The crew are briefed on their allocated tasks, and identify major hazards and the subsequent controls that will be in place.  Client site advisors and supervisors attend and advise on any general site notices. The crew also have a chance to bring up any issues, work or housekeeping related, prior to getting to work. As always, we finish off pre-start with stretches.

6.30 AM

Perks of working in the office is you can eat whenever you want. I have breakfast after prestart as I am not usually hungry at 5:00 am in the morning. For breakfast, I usually either have cereal or yoghurt and muesli. On fly out days, I’ll wake up earlier and treat myself to a full cooked breakfast.

7.00 AM

First up on my list of tasks for the day is sending out the daily report. This is a report that is submitted to the client which informs of the progress, any issues, working conditions, health and safety, personnel and plant on site.

8.00 AM

There are always items that need procuring on site whether that be scope related items such as concrete reinforcement or small consumable items such as tools. This often involves looking at design drawings to calculate the quantities and referring to standard documents to obtain the material specification/grade. I will then contact suppliers for pricing and raise a purchase order to cover the cost. Coordination and follow up emails are often required to get the materials delivered to site when required.

10.00 AM

In addition to procuring any materials for upcoming works, I will also assist with planning and preparing for the works. Some work items require developing methodologies and schedules, and others require contractor drawings and documents to be submitted to the client for approval. There are a variety of different tasks performed on the job, which is nice as it helps build a diverse knowledge and skillset. 

12.30 PM

Time for some more food. I’ll usually just sit down and eat lunch at my desk and have a chat with a few of my colleagues.

1.00 PM

Subcontractors are mobilised to site to perform specialised tasks. I am involved in organising their mobilisation documents, planning their dates and submitting any documents for client approval.

I will also arrange for any items to be sent off for testing and analyse the results against standards when received.

3.00 PM

I try to get out of the office and go for a drive around the various work fronts each day. This helps me keep on top of the progress and gives me a chance to take photos for the daily report or future works. 

During this time, quality checks may also be conducted. This involves checking the work is constructed as per the design drawings and specifications. For example, several checks that need to be conducted for the installation of the valve include confirming the valve opens in the correct direction and verifying the bolts are tightened to the correct torque value. I will then ensure all relevant documentation such as inspection test reports are signed off by the client supervisor in preparation for the close out of the project.

4.00 PM

Whilst I am out in the field, I often will complete a safety interaction. I normally have a chat with one of the work crews, checking their pre-starts, work area set up, isolations etc, and telling them if anything could be done in a more safe manner. 

5.00 PM

I normally take this time to follow up on any emails received throughout the day.

5.45 PM

Done for the day. We leave site and head back to camp around 5.45 pm. Most nights I will either go the gym or do some form of exercise. Occasionally, you will see me at the pub having a few drinks and playing a few games of pool with some of the crew. The camp has a wide range of activities – a swimming pool, basket ball court and theatre room to name a few – so there is always heaps to do.

7.00 PM

There’s always a wide variety of food on offer for dinner – salads, veggies, roasts, pasta, curries. I sit down and have dinner with my colleagues before packing my breakfast and lunch for the next day and heading back to my room.

7.30 PM

I have the last hour of the day as some me time where I will wind down by watching some tv, listening to music or chatting to friends and family back home.

8.30 PM

Lights out. Time to reset for another day.