Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Simon Flannery and I’m the Senior Mechanical Engineer at Malabar Resource’s Maxwell Underground mine.
When did you start in the mining industry and what was your first job?
I started in the industry in 2013 as a mechanical apprentice, working at an underground mine in Lake Macquarie.
My first “real job” was a farmhand on a dairy farm on the mid north coast.
How different is your job now to what you wanted to be when you were a kid?
As many teenagers do, I had a couple of phases of what I thought I wanted to do when I grew up. My first dream was to be a chef and follow in my eldest brother’s footsteps.
Next was to work in agriculture and hopefully own my own farm one day. My time working on farms brought with it exposure to mechanical equipment and heavy plant and that’s what sparked my passion to pursue the career I have now.
Working as an engineer in the mining industry couldn’t be further from what I had anticipated when I dreamt of being a chef!
What’s a usual day at work entail?
One of the unique things about my role is that no two days are the same and the variety and dynamic nature means that there is never a dull day.
From attending pre-shift briefs and interacting with the crews to developing and reviewing plans, procedures and standards, conducting design reviews and risk assessments, underground inspections, maintenance audits and even procuring new equipment. Every day brings a new challenge and something to keep you engaged and thinking.
What’s the best thing about your job?
Arguably the best part of my job – and the industry as a whole – is the great people I get to work with. I have made some great friendships over the years and having amazing people to work alongside makes it much more enjoyable.
The worst thing?
Call me optimistic but I honestly can’t say there is a bad part of my job, every challenge or difficulty has an upside. Though if I had to pick one thing it would be the long days and early mornings – it definitely makes you appreciate time off with your family more.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?
One of the hardest things for me as a manager and leader is when things don’t go to plan and someone gets hurt. The most important thing to me personally is that everyone arrives home in the same mental and physical state they left. It’s one of a few fundamental motivations that keeps me focused so if someone does get hurt I can’t help feeling responsible and hold myself to account for that.
What’s something about your job that would surprise people to know?
My role is much more diverse than some might imagine. It’s not all about machines and equipment, a significant proportion of the role is people and procedures.
What’s your best advice for people entering the industry?
Keep an open mind and remember there is (almost always) a very good reason why things are the way they are.
The rules, standards, policies and level of control can seem overwhelmingly superfluous on face value when you first enter the industry, it certainly was for me.
In context there is always an underlying reason why we set such high standards and expectations, most of the time it’s to keep everyone safe, sometimes it’s to prevent another issue like equipment damage or environmental harm. Remember, it’s there for a reason.
The mining industry gets more than its fair share of criticism. What is your view of our industry and the impact it has?
The industry has come a long way, even in the last decade, with the amount of effort and resources that goes into ethical, responsible and sustainable practices and I believe our industry leads the way in many areas. It’s arguable that there is always room for improvement, however the same can be said for every industry and every organisation.
The important thing for me is the net outcome and I honestly believe the net outcome is unequivocally positive.
