A Day In The Office

Well, obviously I have got nothing interesting to write about, so I guess I’ll share with you my day in the office.

0803 hrs – arrived at the main gate. Punch in!

0810hrs – spend a few minutes going round and round looking for a free parking spot. It’s like going into a shopping mall during weekends I tell you. The reason being is that some of the night shift staffs have yet to go home. They are still borak2 and all. If I’m lucky, I’ll get a shaded spot. If not, then I’ll have to settle parking under the hot sun.

0815hrs – punch in into process area (Here in the refinery there are non-process area (admin, finance, HRM, etc.) and there’s the process area (where all the action takes place). Only permitted vehicles are allowed so I’ll have to wait for a shuttle van to pick up passengers to their designated destinations.

0825hrs – arrived in the satellite control room (SCR) (it’s a blast proof building, huhu). The Operations and Maintenance team all resides here. The operators and technicians will hang out in the cabin just beside the SCR. I’ll be printing all the necessary documents to start the week such as the look ahead plan for planned jobs, any related HSE info, etc.

0830hrs – head to the cabin for the daily toolbox meeting. Usually the manager chairs the toolbox, if not supervisors will act as alternate chairman. Daily toolbox usually starts with discussing any HSE related issues, completed jobs, jobs for today, any on-calls during the night before (update by discipline, i.e. mechanical, electrical, instrument)

0845hrs – End of toolbox. Usually I will head to the pantry for breakfast.

0920hrs – Brrpp! Now I’m ready to work. Work starts off with reading and replying emails, updating schedule compliances, reviewing quotations of jobs to be done by contractors, settling pending payments for completed jobs as well as performance evaluation. Thanks to the invention that is Microsoft Office Communicator, computer work does not seem dull.

1100hrs – Bathroom break. Casual chat with colleagues next door.

1125hrs – Gear up to go to the plant, supervising work, checking out what the contractors are doing. Usually this is followed by performing a Behavioral Safety observation. Any safe/unsafe acts will be recorded and reported. Usually daily maintenance works are preventive, such as lubrication, visual inspection of any signs of leaks and all

1225hrs – Back to my workstation. Reading and replying emails; occasional Internet browsing. Sites like The Star Online, Paul Tan and Zero To Hundred will be opened (the ones not blocked by the system admin at least). The mood is now towards going out and having lunch.

1255hrs – Going out for lunch. Usual spots will be either ‘kedai merah’, ‘kelapa sawit’, ‘traffic light’, ‘pantai’, ‘harriettes’, ‘kedai abg jeff’ or ‘pokok mangga’ (for today, ‘kedai merah’ it is)

1410hrs – Back from lunch. Back to office, only to know that one of the air fin coolers has its belt snapped. Haiyoo…oh well, raise a work order then. No MWO, no work!

1500hrs – Weekly coordination meeting, chaired by the process manager. We’ll discuss issues such as unit status, area safety audit, maintenance updates, open & closed action items. (This just in: the furnaces at one of the units tripped..WTH?)

1600hrs – Passed some documentation to colleagues, chatting via communicator, preparing items for job to be done tomorrow.

1700hrs – Am no longer in the mood to work. Technically I’m only paid to work till 5, hahaha. Tomorrow is another day. Good job!