My story......maybe you’ve already noticed, in your construction sites : scaffolders are the first ones on and the last ones off a job site.A typical scaffolder is armed with safety shoes, hardhat, safety gloves and glasses,ratchet,spanner level, tape-measure. Last December 2012 I traveled to Port Moresby,Papua New Guinea to work as a scaffolder. To be honest, before my trip I didn’t really have an idea about what site scaffolding was or what scaffolders do at site. What I did know was the amount of money I could possibly make. So in case you’re like I was and don’t know, a scaffold is a temporary elevated platform, formed of tubes, planks, etc., used by workers while building or repairing a house or other structure. Or at least that’s the definition the dictionary gave me when I looked it up before leaving ,same meaning told in my short course attended. After four hours on a Air New Guinea flight, I ended up on a rooom given by site camp. A week later, I started work at MEISEI Industrial Co Ltd. a scaffolding company based in Japan. A week after that, I found myself digging through piles of ledgers, standards, jacks, tube and clamps and other scaffolding equipment — while direct heat from the sun brushed my cheeks. At the end of the day, which lasted 10 hours, the work had to be done, no matter what. “Finish Kalas” was the motto on job site. Before the trip that now seems like more of an adventure, my experience with hard, manual labor was slim.But luckily, my role as a first-year scaffolder was the same for any first-year scaffolder. The instruction was simple: grab whatever piece of equipment is requested from the workers off the ground and work as quickly as possible. But my knowledge wasnt good enough to deal with,but still keeping my mind open for such thing for learning..and time comes i could say Im the one... The people I worked with may view scaffolding in Papua have adventure of their own, they work maybe a longer one than mine. Most of the scaffolder whom I sweated alongside were from Philippines also. Many were from Batangas, Cebu and Bataan. I even had the pleasure of working with Mike the scaffolder. Along with the hard work ethic demonstrated by the different Pinoy I met, their friendliness and coaching enhanced my time working in a situation I was unfamiliar with. The experience showed first hand that everyone is a beginner at one point or another and that it is up to the more experienced to put themselves and help them learn. Sometimes the work itself may be uninteresting, but it is reassuring to know that in this country it doesn’t matter who you are or what your background is. Hard work pays off. —Scaffolder is a dangerous job. I risk my life for my family........Im proud to be a Scaffolder!
Posted on: Sat, 28 Jun 2014 05:29:11 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015