Hi, I’m Miles a Construction Management Grad in the Southwest working in the Maintenance and Industrial Services Division, come with me for a day in my life at a Lithium Plant.

4.10 AM – First Alarm

Mind wakes to the first alarm of the day, body doesn’t agree with mind regarding wake-up time and continues to snooze for the next 15-20 minutes.

4.30 AM – Get Up

My day officially begins at 4:30 am, today is a Tuesday and also a shutdown execution day. Execution days are my favourite, as you get to spend a lot more time out in the field which breaks the day up and makes it fly by. My morning routine consists of having a shower, getting ready, brushing teeth and packing food for the day (I prepare food once a week, so typically have lunch and dinner ready to go)

5.00 AM – Leave for Site

At 5.00 am I leave the share house and make the 30-minute journey to site. The drive wakes me up and is a good time to catch up on podcasts. I have a protein up & go as well as a banana to start my day.

5.30 AM – Arrive at Site

Arrive at the gate for 5.30 am, ready to start the day. Our site offices are located in the southwest corner of the plant and is a 5-minute drive or 15-minute walk from the gate.

5.45 am – Management Meeting

First meeting of the day to run through what happened yesterday and everyone’s tasks for the day. This is a good time for reminders regarding any deliveries or ad-hoc works that may be occurring. I update the superintendent with my tasks for the day so he can be informed and advise the client.

6.00 AM – Pre-Start

Pre-start is the morning meeting with the craft and client supervisors, run through a brief update of yesterday’s tasks, HSE notices, craft queries, works upcoming today, risks and control measures. Stretches finish off Pre-start.

This is a good opportunity for craft and management team to mingle and have a laugh prior to the day commencing.

6.20 AM – Coffee

Workday doesn’t commence until a coffee has been consumed…

6.30 AM – Commencement of Day

Let’s get it.

6.30 AM – 7.00 AM – Client Engagement & ITP Sign-Off

Client supervisor comes for a chat with the execution team, we liaise with him and provide a more detailed outline of the day’s activities, progress, technical queries and actions for the day. Any outstanding ITP items will also be sign-off during this time.

7.00 AM – 8.00 AM – Progress Check #1

Once I have settled in, I will go for my first site walk of the day. As we’re in the middle of shutdown execution, we’ve had nightshift on and I have to walk the job to assess progress of the night before. To get to the job front I will either drive or walk dependant on how I’m feeling / workload. Being a live plant, a higher level of PPE is a required compared to a construction project, so I attach my PPE belt, put my hardhat and safety glasses on, as well as grab a radio for site comms.

Once I’ve arrived in the area, I must put on area-specific PPE to ensure I’m protected from the product. Once granted access,, I walk the job, assess progress, and take photos as applicable. This is a good time because I’m first in the area and can undertake an assessment with no time constraints.

8.00 AM – 8.10 AM – Breakfast

After my site walks, it is breakfast time (The most important meal of the day, even more so on-site), I typically have a bowl of granola or porridge depending on the season.

8.10 AM – 8.30 AM – Schedule Updates & Emails

During and after breakfast, I update the schedule to include night shift progress and check my emails from yesterday and this morning, noting any actions.

8.30 AM – 12.00 PM – Planning and Actions

Grunt work begins. Where I have to plan for the day ahead and complete actions that are outstanding. This is typically one of my most productive times of the day, so I ensure that I complete critical tasks during this period, whether that’s associated with the direct works of the day, such as providing critical technical information to clients and supervisors, procuring urgent items, and liaising with stakeholders to ensure everything is in place to ensure works can continue without delay. This time can also be used to plan for future work, liaise with consultants, and tender for future projects.

12.00 PM – 12.30 PM – “Lunch”

All the brain activity of the last few hours works up an appetite rather quickly and typically looks at the clock waiting for an acceptable time to eat. I “try” to wait until 12 as it’s halfway through the day, however, it is sometimes earlier / later depending on workload and commitments. It’s a good time to take the mind off the job for a bit, have a chat and can also act as a reset to smash out the rest of the day.

12.30 PM – 13.00 PM – Progress Check #2

After lunch, I will go back out to the job front and check on the progress of the crew, will have a chat to supervisors and crew to see how they’re tracking and if they need anything organized such as tooling, materials, access, scope, etc. Will also assess progress, however, this is my informal check of the day and typically not inputted to the schedule.

13.00 PM – 13.45 PM – Email Catch-Up & Meeting Prep

Get back to my desk, and check emails for any additional actions that may have popped up. On Tuesdays, I have a meeting with the client for a project update, so I will run through the agenda issued prior to the meeting and ensure I have sufficient information for all actions. Meetings are held in the offices in the admin area of the site so need to make my way over 15 minutes prior to it commencing.

14.00 PM – 14.30 PM – Client Meeting

Client meetings discuss agenda such as progress, technical queries, procurement, risks, opportunities, etc. Good face-to-face catch-up as it may be the only direct interface had with the Client Management team (besides the supervisor) for the week.

14.30 PM – 16.00 PM – Undertake Actions

Get back from the meeting and undertake the outstanding actions that may have arisen during the course of the day. Second grunt period of the day.

16.00 PM – 16.30 PM – Progress Check #3

As the day reaches closer to shift change at 17:30, it is a good time to assess the progress for the day, so I complete my third and final site walk, noting progress to input into the schedule and daily report.

16.30 PM – (17.30 PM - 18.00 PM) – Schedule Update & Reporting Spreadsheet

Once I get back to the office, I have to complete my daily schedule update and report to the client prior to leaving work. This task duration is dependent on how the day went, if it was according to plan, it’s a simple input exercise, however, if there are delays, additional work or any other changes,, these will need to be captured and the client will need to be informed in sufficient detail. Can be one of the quietest times of the day so is a good opportunity to chuck in my earphones and listen to a liquid drum and bass mix to smash out the final part of my workday.

POV as I type this day in the life rn.

18.00 PM – Leave Site

The day is complete and was a success, let’s get out here!

30-minute drive home, so take the time to unwind, listen to music, and reflect on the day.

18.30 PM – Arrive Home

Home sweet home, however only temporary, the quicker I leave, the quicker I’m home and can unwind properly.

19.00 PM – 20.00 PM – Gym

Get changed and go for a strength session at the gym which is a 5–10-minute drive from my accommodation. Training allows me to clear my head and focus on something outside of whatever has occurred throughout the day. Always feel revitalized after a training session and use the energy boost to prepare for the next day. I’m currently working away during the week and home on the weekend, so always have three gym sessions out of the four nights down here.

20.15 PM – Dinner

Get home, starving. Eat dinner typically either a chili, pasta, steak, or beef dish prepared 1 night a week. When meal prepping, I have found that I can eat the same food as long as It’s flavourful and has a kick to it.

20.30 PM – 21.30 PM – Wind Down

Wind down time for the day, which I use to catch up to personal messages from the day and watch a few YouTube videos.

21.30 PM – 4.30 AM – Sleep & Repeat

Phone and light switched off at 21:30 (When on schedule), out like a light before too long, ready to tackle the next day.

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