FIFO

[kuskus]

Hi everyone just looking for some advice. :/

I'm looking into FIFO as it's to much to try and save for a place to buy in Sydney for the misses just doing what I do at the moment, so I'm looking into FIFO mining.

I want to work as a FIFO as it means I can still run my little business.

Any advice on where to start and what I can do to try and get into this crazy life style would be much apprciated.
Looking to do it for no longer then 4 years, as I hear you can get stuck in that life style and I want to start a family sooner rather then later.

Thanks guys

 

[Metamorphic]

The easiest way is to start as a contractor through one of the labour hire, recruitment companies. ie Skilled, CoreStaff, Hays Recruiting etc.

They will list vacancies on their websites or on http://www.seek.com.au/

Most are looking for skills and experience today......Heavy Machinery Tickets, OH&S cerifications and the likes.

Must be fit and healthy to pass stringent medical examinations including drug screening etc.

Dont let the dollars put stars in your eyes Kuskus, be prepared for what your in for. They will sap every ounce of blood from you mate with 12.5 hour shifts both day and night shifts for usually 14 days straight with 7 off.

Trust me, there is little precious time for anything else once your involved especially if you live interstate from your work location.

7 days off, your first day is done flying from site to say Perth, then a connecting flight back to Sydney. This is all after flying out straight from night shift with no sleep.

2nd day is sleep, this leaves you 5 days left to spend with family......sorry 4 days. You will have to fly back from Sydney a day early to stay in a Perth hotel for the night in order to make the flight to the mine site leaving about 5am on the day you start back.

Roughly equates to being home 8 days out of each month. Carefully weigh up if this is worth it for you.......the first 6 months are great, then the cracks start to appear as it can put a horrible strain on you and your relationship.

Book your return flights to Sydney well in advance as the airlines will sting you with $1000 flights at peek times like easter or christmas.

Hope this info helps and good luck....your gonna need it mate!

 

[Brumble-Gum]

Hi Kuskus

Be careful what you wish for!
Depending on what professional skills you possess determines where you can start looking. Don't just limit yourself to mining there is construction, drilling and exploration as well.
The old saying "Its not what you know but who you know" rings true with most FIFO jobs. If you are already not on LinkedIn sign up to that and expand your professional network.
Seek, mining Aust, & Indeed advertise a lot of the jobs, place FIFO as a key word and the jobs should come up. Try the mining/construction company websites (Rio Tinto, BHP, Anglo, Bechtel, Thiess, Hatch etc) or their principle contractors performing the works. You will have to research upcoming jobs and projects (eg Alpha mine, Roy Hill) and then gain contacts that way. Be prepared to be knocked back numerous times before you get the phone call that you are after. All projects are not continuous and will finish (including mines), there will be times when you are out of work looking for another project or company to start.
I have been working FIFO for awhile now and it is not all roses and sprinkles, one thing I have learnt is that you do not have enough time to do the things on your R&R you would normally want to do. By the time you fly in and out, spend time with the family, mow the lawn, see friends, paint the fence, go to the neighbours birthday party that you promised your away time is over. FIFO is a big killer of relationships, to be able to find a partner who is happy and able to not see you for a month at a time are extremely rare. 90% of all relationships I have seen over the years have ended due to FIFO rosters. Relationships are a work in progress and to be able to commit to one and maintain it from afar takes a lot of dedication and commitment.
I applaud you for your idea of 4 years and then get out. I have heard this numerous times and later I run into the same guys on a different project years later.
I am not trying to put a downer on your idea, it is just you need to know all the facts before you start on this adventure.
Like everything it has its upside and its downsides, good coin vs. the sacrifice of family, friends and home time. If this sounds like you then by all means jump on the net and hassle the HR departments and good luck with the job hunting.

 

[Nanjim]

X2 to the above....

What type of Work do you do/ Looking for Mineing ,Construction or Shut Down Work???????

Firstly What Tickets do you have ???
The basic tickets You will need :- White/ Blue Card...Generic introduction to Work Place Safty...
HR licence ,Forklift ,Working @ Heights ,Confined Space, Mine Workers Health ( Here in the West on the East Coast it is The Coal Board Health I think )
Dogmans , Basic Rigger/Scafolder would be helpful to get a TA position (Trades Assistant)
That may get your foot in the door...

I could go on.....

Cheers Nanjim
Jim

 

[Metamorphic]

The upside: (The large sites, Rio Tinto, BHP, FMG etc)

The food is fantastic, as much fillet mignon as you can eat, all freshly cooked, endless good quality coffee, fruit juices and healthy breakfasts etc.
They really look after you in this respect and yes, you can easily stack on the kilo's hehe.
We even got fresh Crayfish, prawns, oysters on shift over christmas.....Yes, be prepared to work over christmas, easter, your wife's birthday etc. This is a 24/7 365 day operation, it never sleeps.

First class medical attention with qualified EMO (Emergency Medical Officer) and paramedics for whatever you may require!

Comfortable, air-conditioned accommodation donga's with cable TV and 3g internet access (not that you have a lot of time for these)
Bring your laptop on shift with you so you can Skype the lovely lady after a hard day/night. This helps stay in contact and ease the loneliness/isolation.

First class recreational facilities such as fully equipped gym, swimming pools, tennis courts, indoor cricket even (where I was).

And my favourite, a fully equipped wet mess just like a saloon bar.....pool tables, dart boards, juke box, trivia nights etc (These are becoming rare on sites now as the problems associated with alcohol consumption effect peoples duties).
Dont blow numbers (any readings) when you land at the ROM from having a big night....Breath testing is common and if you do its a window seat. ie you will be on the first flight out, see ya later, all over Jack!

First class training, ticketing in anything mining related to advance your skills, all uniforms, PPE etc supplied.

Great people, great mateship, good yarn's and many laughs.
Dont expect to be welcomed with open arms and high fives all around though, those on your shift are hard and tough miners (you have to be), they see new starters come and go like TV shows so for your first month most wont even recognize that you exist. You are expected to prove your worth first.
You are responsible for not only your own safety, but the safety of others on your shift. This is a dangerous job and the bloke grading the haul roads does not want to be run over by the new guy in a 300 tonne dumper.

Edit: Oh yes, the money......with great $$$ comes even greater sacrifice. Be warned.

 

[Goldtarget]

A friend of mines husband gave it up after a year, started using his existing skills in a factory environment as a contract worker going 4 on 4 off (with night to day shift every 8 work days) commutes 45 mins total per shift and when you get down to penalties for o/t every shift and the compound effect of working high rates for public holidays etc takes home only 20k less than FIFO which probably translates as a lot less than that if you account for income tax and those hidden little expenses that come along with a transient high paying experience like FIFO. Compare that to the above scenarios and I know who gets the better deal. There are other options and I wish you luck with whatever you decide to do. My brother loved his TA time in WA but honestly spent every dollar he made. I'm amazed at how many end up poorer after they're done. Classic case of not what you get but how you use it.

 

[Goldpick]

A friend of mines husband gave it up after a year, started using his existing skills in a factory environment as a contract worker going 4 on 4 off (with night to day shift every 8 work days) commutes 45 mins total per shift and when you get down to penalties for o/t every shift and the compound effect of working high rates for public holidays etc takes home only 20k less than FIFO which probably translates as a lot less than that if you account for income tax and those hidden little expenses that come along with a transient high paying experience like FIFO. Compare that to the above scenarios and I know who gets the better deal. There are other options and I wish you luck with whatever you decide to do. My brother loved his TA time in WA but honestly spent every dollar he made. I'm amazed at how many end up poorer after they're done. Classic case of not what you get but how you use it.

My sentiments too, it's fun and exciting for a young fella or gal with no attachments, but an addictive lifestyle that is hard to escape from when you get used to a hefty paypacket every month. Also good for saving money if you can resist the temptation to blow your money every break, usually as a result of trying to make up for lost recreation/home time. Though being in a higher tax bracket makes you wonder if all the extra effort and less than ideal work/life balance is all worthwhile.

You also have to consider the amount of money you save on food and everyday living expenses, most of which is supplied free of charge in the camps. Though I was already spending money via ebay so my toys would arrive by the time I arrived home, so that is also a bit of a trap.

My best recommendation would be to try and seek a residential role somewhere, then at least you can go home each night to escape work and have some quality time to yourself or with your family - it's great to have workmates, but not always good to see them 24/7. Sometimes I reckon I knew my workmates better than I knew my partner, and that's all a bit sad.

The only downside to residential roles is the usual high prices for housing, though some companies offer guaranteed buy back prices, and housing is usually in short supply, so no shortage of buyers should you chose to pack up and move on.

 

[Hiluxlou]

As the blokes above have stated , it's no picnic . You get nothing for nothing these days and big mining companies don't just throw money at you , they want there pound of flesh.

 

[dwt]

Its sucks unless your single, then let the good times roll, if your thinking of flying out of Sydney, give the mines at Hermidale or Cobar a call, fly into Dubbo and drive out, it's a shite time to be be chasing mine work mineral prices down means more lay offs than being employed, try a contracting company like Macmahons, Pybar, Gbf, Redpath,Msd,Rba,Deepcore,Byrnecut, you should be able to find all the contact details on Google, be aware, some companies have standing policy where remote or overseas time is compulsory, that sucks majorly, got a good mate from Ballarat that's not long come back from Africa the only thing he didn't catch over the was the hiv, nasty nasty stuffs!! :|

 

[Colmaca]

I hate FIFO they are killing the outback , that said it won't be long before we will get FIFO workers in Sydney we already lost nearly all products Australia makes we will have FIFO politicians soon Great trade deal with China

 

[grubstake]

...we will have FIFO politicians soon

Canberra is surely the original FIFO workplace!

Seriously, there is so much good advice and comments above, I hope Kuskus and his partner read it through several times and carefully weigh the pros and cons of FIFO employment. I did 20+ years in mining (residential) and resources engineering support services, but only 2 months of FIFO in that whole period, however the comments in this thread very much reflect both my personal experience and that of the people I worked with who did a lot more remote minesite work than me.

 

[Metamorphic]

The outback is a wide expanse, without mining it would remain a barren wasteland that no one would even bother to visit without fly in workers.

Your dreaming mate.....FIFO in Sydney, for what? Latte Cafe's or Yoga instructors?..

Our politicians already fly in to Canberra then fly home to their respective states, so whats new here?

Make some valid points of discussion rather than randomly stating that FIFO is killing the outback....Where is your evidence on stating such?

 

[kuskus]

Wow thanks for all the great advice guys, defiantly a lot to think about and yes the misses is included in all the decisions, and she will control the money so sadly no toys for me lol. it's just a means to an end.

I'm no stranger to hard work so I'm not worried about the long shifts, I have my blue ticket and worked on building sites for the last 15 years. I don't really mind what section of mining I work, from all the advice I'm gunna look into all the sections. I like the residential mining gunna check it out.

 

[dwt]

I hate FIFO they are killing the outback , that said it won't be long before we will get FIFO workers in Sydney we already lost nearly all products Australia makes we will have FIFO politicians soon Great trade deal with China

HUH!!
I don't understand how "fly in fly out " is killing the outback,
Influx of coin to small towns and communities, created jobs for locals and out of towners!
It's a major part of Australia's mining history now, and has been for quite some time, why knock it. :|

 

[pebbles]

The following comment is from an article in the Sydney Morning Herald (.smh.com.au/small-business/blogs/work-in-progress/fifo-fifo-its-off-to-work-we-go-20130221-2euqb.html)

A parliamentary inquiry has found its a major reason why some country areas are struggling. While theyre there, FIFO workers stretch community resources and infrastructure. Then, as soon as they leave, the place becomes a ghost town. And those effects are creating a diminished community spirit, especially when locals are overlooked for jobs in favour of those from afar.

Similar sentiments are expressed in articles that can be found at the following sites:
.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/religionandethicsreport/dark-side-of-fly-in-fly-out-mining/4534344 and
.miningaustralia.com.au/features/yara-pilbara-chooses-families-over-fifo.

Though it probably could have been worded a little differently, Colmacas comment that FIFO is killing the outback is reasonably accurate.

Note: Because I have not yet made 10 posts, I am not permitted to post direct links.

 

[grubstake]

The following comment is from an article in the Sydney Morning Herald (.smh.com.au/small-business/blogs/work-in-progress/fifo-fifo-its-off-to-work-we-go-20130221-2euqb.html)

A parliamentary inquiry has found its a major reason why some country areas are struggling. While theyre there, FIFO workers stretch community resources and infrastructure. Then, as soon as they leave, the place becomes a ghost town. And those effects are creating a diminished community spirit, especially when locals are overlooked for jobs in favour of those from afar.

Similar sentiments are expressed in articles that can be found at the following sites:
.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/religionandethicsreport/dark-side-of-fly-in-fly-out-mining/4534344 and
.miningaustralia.com.au/features/yara-pilbara-chooses-families-over-fifo.

Though it probably could have been worded a little differently, Colmacas comment that FIFO is killing the outback is reasonably accurate.

'Accurate' if you accept the above as being wholly factual findings and reporting, rather than a result of anti-mining, NIMBY, politically-motivated pressure. The majority of small country towns have been struggling for decades with declining rural income, shrinking population and rundown infrastructure - proximity to a FIFO operation only serves to prolong their death throes. I suspect the harsh reality is that the places that become ghost towns after mining, were ghost towns or heading that way, before mining.

 

[dwt]

Pebbles point may of been part fact some time ago to a certain extent, yes locals were overlooked for jobs in the mining industry during delvelopment stage even in production stage sometimes, but that only comes down to management decisions at that time. You cannot put farm hands or ex tyre fitter on a frontline jumbo or airleg, even sticking them on production drill would not be beneficial to the company or that indervigual, and let's not forget mining is a business like any other, why would you set up just to put people in positions that inevitably would leed to an early end of that business due to lack of experience, the last mine I was working at WAS and still is employing locals over FIFO, why, the mine is now established and up and running, much easier and cost effective to start training locals to operate machinery now then when the mine was in its first years of development. Common mistake made by people is that when a mine starts up its going to fill its locker rooms full of locals, if those locals have the experience then yes that would surely happen, but let's look at reality here, what's the chance that any of the locals in a remote area are going to be experienced miners, maybe 1-2%, if they're not already working somewhere else, so what would any business do in that situation, outsource, and by outsourcing we have FIFO, how do you train the inexperienced locals to take on the rolls, FIFO experienced workers.
So what were these communities before mining come to town, small,maybe farming communities, so what happens when the mine leaves, surely the community goes back to what is was doing before hand.
As for ghost towns, well usually there was nothing there to begin with, and the mine closes it goes back to what it was before.
In no way is the mine responsible for the after affects off when they close, the mine has bought money, industry and training to an area that most likely would of never seen that type of thing in the entirety of its life.
Don't knock the system that is keeping so many Australians in gainfull employment, imagine the unemployment rate if we didn't have mining :|

 

[ched66]

Well most of what's been posted is fairly accurate, but I'll have a short say. I've been FIFO from the East to the West for almost 5 years now and I'm coming up to my self imposed "cutoff" ......... I thought I'd do it for 5 years and that would be it. How wrong I was........
I do it pretty easy really being a single bloke, kids are grown up and I make ok money even after child support, but I will be carrying on for a couple more years just to top up the coffers as I'm getting a bit old (48) to be worrying about having to get a normal job on a "normal wage" that see's me home every night in my own bed.
The extra $1800 a month in child support goes into my pocket starting July next year and that is the main reason I'll be doing it a bit longer......I'm lucky that the large company I work for pay for all my flights (3 flights each way every 2 weeks) otherwise it wouldn't be worth it. If you can handle 13 hour shifts (7 days then 7 nights) then have 5 days at home (traveling on my time) then go for it. Be aware that there aren't too many companies paying for flights nowadays.........the boom is over.
All in all it's been a very busy and tiring 4 and a half years......would I do it differently? No I wouldn't because it's set me up for the future which was the aim, it's just going to take a bit longer to get to where I want to be.......making hay while the sun still shines~
Good luck in your quest kuskus, be persistent, be patient and most of all be sure to read the fineprint

 

[BrisJoe]

Don't bother trying anything with coal atm, mines are going into care and maintenance mode all over the place, up here we have 2 local mines shutting production in Jan. And BMA is cutting contractors, both numbers and wages, as of 1 Jan contractor tradies (diesel/mechanical fitters, plumbers, leccies, chippies etcetc) will all be on a flat rate of $35/hr regardless of their post trade years.

Best try other minerals such as iron ore, gold, nickel, etc
The application process for my job took 7mths before I got the phone call to say I got the job, then another 2 mths before the start date.

 

[Metamorphic]

Pebbles point may of been part fact some time ago to a certain extent, yes locals were overlooked for jobs in the mining industry during delvelopment stage even in production stage sometimes, but that only comes down to management decisions at that time. You cannot put farm hands or ex tyre fitter on a frontline jumbo or airleg, even sticking them on production drill would not be beneficial to the company or that indervigual, and let's not forget mining is a business like any other, why would you set up just to put people in positions that inevitably would leed to an early end of that business due to lack of experience, the last mine I was working at WAS and still is employing locals over FIFO, why, the mine is now established and up and running, much easier and cost effective to start training locals to operate machinery now then when the mine was in its first years of development. Common mistake made by people is that when a mine starts up its going to fill its locker rooms full of locals, if those locals have the experience then yes that would surely happen, but let's look at reality here, what's the chance that any of the locals in a remote area are going to be experienced miners, maybe 1-2%, if they're not already working somewhere else, so what would any business do in that situation, outsource, and by outsourcing we have FIFO, how do you train the inexperienced locals to take on the rolls, FIFO experienced workers.
So what were these communities before mining come to town, small,maybe farming communities, so what happens when the mine leaves, surely the community goes back to what is was doing before hand.
As for ghost towns, well usually there was nothing there to begin with, and the mine closes it goes back to what it was before.
In no way is the mine responsible for the after affects off when they close, the mine has bought money, industry and training to an area that most likely would of never seen that type of thing in the entirety of its life.
Don't knock the system that is keeping so many Australians in gainfull employment, imagine the unemployment rate if we didn't have mining :|

A great post from a man who knows exactly what he is talking about.
Informative, truthful and accurate.

Thanks mate, I could never have put it as well as you just did.

Cheers