Commitment, Energy and Innovation
Recently a friend (and former work colleague) took it upon himself to celebrate his birthday by walking a Marathon distance at Spinnaker Park while raising charity for the Mission to Seafarers and Roseberry House. This got me thinking about how innovative, committed and energetic people in our community are.
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Big Shoes…
It is a hard act to follow but here goes… I’m very pleased to be able to introduce myself as QER’s new Gladstone Site Superintendent. Firstly, I’d like to thank my predecessor, Bruce Andersen and wish him and Anna well in retirement.
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Retirement
After 21 years, 5040 Morning Coffees, 221,760 km travel to and from work, and at least 10 forgotten lunches my time at QER is coming to an end. I am retiring and whilst it brings with it a sense of the unknown, it also provides for a time of reflection of what was and an opportunity to say some important thank-you(s).
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Changing of the Guard
A number of years ago I was having dinner at Scotty’s restaurant – a sorely missed part of Gladstone’s culinary history. It was a pleasant and uneventful evening until a lady sitting near me stood up and staggered back with a terrified look in her eyes.
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The Joy of Something New
We all look for a bit of adventure in our lives from time to time. It gives us something to talk about, and an experience to share, dream about and more often than not, save for. It’s what keeps me going – that ‘something’ to look forward to.
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The Team Behind the Team
If you’re like me, you’ve probably seen enough of Neil Armstrong over the last week to keep you going for another decade. Those first few lunar steps were one of humankind’s great achievements, and there’s no doubting the skills and courage of the two brave astronauts who first set foot on that little, moving rock, 384,000 kilometres away.
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Expect the Unexpected
The last edition of this column was titled “Living Safety” and contained the ominous words “…a busy (and potentially dangerous) time on our roads, so take extra care and be patient”. Perhaps I should have added “touch wood”.
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Living Safety
We’ve recently held a course at QER to keep our people up to date with the many legislated safety requirements that fall on us as a mine and process plant. While the legislation is a bit complicated, the heart of the requirements is very simple: managing risk to an acceptable level.
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Running on Reserve
I’m a classic motorbike fan, and one of the features I like about bikes is the reserve fuel tank which most have. It’s maybe not the most sexy feature on a bike, but it’s always there as a backup and has saved me from many a long, hot walk.
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Being Prepared
As I write this, Cyclone Oma is lurking off the coast, trying to decide whether to visit the Sunshine State. We are on alert and busily working on our preparations – clearing drains; tying everything down; stocking up on provisions and batteries. We want to be ready in case she (or he?) does wander across the coast.
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