Catherine Tan

University of Tasmania

Bachelor of Engineering (Naval Architecture)

Graduation Year: 2021

6:00 AM

My alarm goes off at 6:00am and I’ll normally snooze for 5 mins before getting up to do my morning routine. At 6:30am, I’ll be set to leave the house and get to site.

6:45 AM

On the Bridgewater Bridge Project, there are few different pre-start locations and I usually attend the pre-start at the main compound. At pre-start, the safety advisor and site supervisor will cover off key safety/environmental factors and planned works for the day. A cup of coffee and breakfast typically follow as I settle down at my desk to start the day.

7:15 AM

This is the opportunity for the civil interchange team to catch up daily where we discuss any issues and opportunities as well as our individual focus and workload of the day.

7:30 AM

Time to collect previous day’s dockets from the site supervisors so I can assist with daily productivity tracking. To do this task, I have to constantly communicate with the site supervisors so I am fully aware of the items on site and I can chase any dockets that were not handed over to me. This is crucial to ensure that running costs and productivity are being tracked coherently with the works done on site.

 9:00 AM

As part of today’s work, I set out to undertake geo-monitoring works using an inclinometer to determine if there are any movements in the ground during excavation works being carried out on a steep slope. The data collected is compared with the design requirements and any abnormalities are reported so rectification works can be done.

For this task it’s also important to stay away from any work zones and maintain constant communication on the radio to ensure the task can be done in a safe manner.

12:00 PM

A lunch break is a necessary pit stop for me to recoup some energy spent on site. I always try to have lunch with a few other colleagues in the crib room or make a visit to a local takeaway shop opposite to our main compound.

12:30 PM

I take a pool vehicle to go on site to check the progress for activities I am responsible for. When back in the office, I will update my site diary and continue planning for upcoming activities. That includes ordering any materials, collecting any verifying documents required for quality compliance components and raising any upcoming hold/witness points with the Independent Verifier for this project. If there are any issues on site, I will resolve them or reach out to my manager or site supervisors when required.

2:00 PM

All the teams on the project get together for a daily coordination meeting. This meeting is an important tool to plan the week ahead and facilitate any changes for the next day. It’s also an opportunity to provide a site overview and ensure all work groups are working together smoothly.

6:30 PM

In conjunction with celebrating International Women’s Day, I represented McConnell Dowell alongside a few other colleagues from the project and Department of State Growth in attending the Civil Contractors Foundation Women’s Gala Dinner. It was great opportunity to be inspired by stories from women in the industry.