I'm Back!

My First day of work was mor of administrative task and crash course on Safety and Health issues. It was pretty alright until the manager asked me to go get a safety shoe. King's, no less. And has to be ankle height.

The HR gave me some cash and told me to give back the balance if there is any, and top up if not enough.

So, i went to get my King's Safety Boots.

I'm to go to site, specifically to PD Shell's Refinery until Thursday.

Site work on second day of work?

"Just don't get kicked out of the refinery", my manager told me.

This is my first experience in an O&G sector. I'm to go in there to do some GME or Groundwater Monitoring Exercise. This is more interesting than watching football, really. Then again, i'm no football person.

So, on Tuesday, i drove down to PD with a new colleague, met up with 3 other engineers at site, took a crash induction safety course with Shell and by 9.30am, we were busy purging groundwater well so that we could take water samples and take in-situ readings on a few parameters.

And we were each checked into one apartment. Each. I have a 2 rooms apartment all by myself. All by myself. I'm certainly not used to this.

In my 6 years of working with the previous company, everything i spend and use has to be with due consideration if i get reimbursed at the end of the month. This time, i had to get used to just get anything i need to do my work. That include the food and drink i took. No compromise. Just Do It (or rather, claim it).

It's hard work, really, to get used to this new culture.

Also, in my 6 years of working in the constrution line, i had nothing more than my safety boots and hardhat as PPE (or Personal Protective Equipments), but now, i'm required to wear the boots, the hat, the glasses, the earplugs, the coveralls. I looked like some pit crew in F1 races if not for the hardhat and safety boots.

The remaining of the day was spent purging more wells (some up to 26 times using a 1meter long tube of 40mm, which esentially will take out about 1 liter of water).

There were 116 wells. The refinery is big. I did so much walking i think my plan to run in PD was at the brim of being cancelled. And it did. I was just too exhausted, and burned to be running after 5.30pm.

That night, i had seafood dinner. Remind me again to get used to this. And i really had to watch what i eat because i will put on weight before i know it. I ate only 1/4 of the rice serving, limiting my carb intake as energy expenditure is not as high. SO, got to keep an eye on the intake.

First day alone, i finished almost 6 liters of water. More than what i usually does in races. Being in the fire retardant coverall is hot hot hot...being under the hard hat is even hotter...and i had to find ways to de-fog those safety glasses (should i lick it like how Kim thought me to do on the swim goggles?)

Second day at site, we were taught to take samples and readings for lab and reports. While purging one well takes us almost 15minutes at time, taking samples and reading takes us about 10minutes max each. There were 5 of us there, and all work loads were shared equally. No senior-junior shit.

By the third day, we finished off the job. It was almost a 12 hours day each day as work doesn't stop after we leave the refinery. The compilation of datas, the preparation for the next day work and loads of other things.

The work is a-ok, the condition is bearable. Safety is utmost importance. Benefits are simply unbelieveable (sunblocks are considered a must, so, just go get it).

The workload and new culture, i had to get used to it.

And did i say i will be in Penang on Monday? And instead of the usual "Stupe you drive to where ever"..it's by flight, Business class if there is no more seats in economy...and it's not Air Asia.

Hard work, really.