Ken Duncan

5.00 AM

For a typical day on-site, I usually wake up pretty early. I have a quick shower, grab everything I need, and go. I’m travelling for an hour and a half to get to the site, which is rare for most people at Degnan, but I live far away. Thankfully, the project I’m working on is approaching completion so I can work flexibly.

 6.45 AM

When I get to work, I immediately go through the process of signing in on the RIW machine and the three sign-in documents. I then say hello to the site managers and chat with whoever else is on site.

Shortly after that is Pre-Start, where the project team will go through the day’s work, who’s on-site, any known hazards or anything that might’ve changed, then, I’ll talk with our subcontractors to make sure they know the plan and what’s on for the day.

7.00 AM

After Pre-Start, I’ll go into the site compound and set up my computer at my desk. I review my to-do list and read any emails that have come through. I make a rough plan of what will happen during the day and decide what to prioritise. 

I also look after two Cadet and Graduate employees on site, so we’ll go through their to-do lists, have a quick team catch-up, and work out what they will do for the day.

9.30 AM

After getting some work done, I’ll usually go for a site walk and see what’s happening. I’ll check if there are enough subcontractors on-site and check what’s happening around the site.

I do a lot of site inspections, touching base with everyone and making sure they’re aware of what’s happening and that things are running smoothly.

On my way back, I’ll usually head to the local coffee shop and grab some coffee for the team. At that time, everyone on site usually has a little break, so it’s good to check in and see what’s going on.

Then, I’ll work on the computer, sending emails, planning, or attending virtual meetings to discuss what will happen in the next few weeks.

12.:00 PM

Lunch is usually flexible and will generally take fifteen minutes or so. If I didn’t bring anything from home, I’d grab something nearby with a co-worker. 

1.30 PM

In the early afternoon, I’ll usually crunch out the tasks I need to complete on my own instead of overseeing what others are doing as I do in the morning.

The afternoon typically sees quite a few meetings. Each project holds a fortnightly client presentation, where we run through our meeting minutes with different departments and show the progress from the last two weeks.

I’ll go for another site walk to see what’s happening and do some more work on the computer unless there’s something planned, and more people are on-site.

3.30 PM

Depending on what work has been scheduled for the day, I might leave as early as 3.00 pm however, if we are pushing to get work done and there are 5-6 work groups on-site, I could leave as late as 5.00 pm.

The last task for the day is we usually discuss who’s going to be on-site the following days, and I will give updates to the Project Manager to help prepare for the next day.

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