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Back to People at STRABAG

Sydney

Name:
Sydney
Position:
Multi-skilled Tallyman

How long have you been at STRABAG?

I went into retirement in 2018, but I got the itch to be outdoors again so that didn’t last very long. I set up a gardening and fencing company which I enjoyed, but my son, who is a site supervisor, told me about a job stripping a field for a new railway bridge at Castleton. I drove machines on that site, and 3 weeks later, was contacted for a job interview with STRABAG.
I accepted a dual role at the Woodsmith project as a tallyman and a spare driver. As a Tallyman my main responsibilities are to safely get our operatives in and out of the tunnels, issue Wi-Fi tags on them and install cameras so we know where they are at all times when they’re underground. We can have up to 48 people at any one time in the tunnel, so this is a very important task. At the start of my shift, I check all the equipment, distribute safety gear, and monitor the gas levels in the tunnel using the Trolex gas detector. If I get any warnings, I inform the tunnel bosses and we’ll evacuate the tunnel.
Of course, this is likely the last job in what can only be described as an amazing career. I’d like to travel through the tunnel when it is finished with my nephew Mark Elliot, who is the mine manager on the project.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

I enjoy working with so many different people on site. It’s great getting to meet people from all around the world who come from various backgrounds but are quite like me because of the passion we share for our work. You can’t underestimate the importance of good working relationships; it makes the work that bit easier and makes you feel like part of a team.
If I could give a bit of advice to a young person looking to get into engineering, I’d say that they should be keen, eager to learn and don’t forget to be themselves.