In my Official Capacity I have the pleasure of visiting all of the scenic wonders that New Zealand has to offer, including this wee gem.
One is not permitted "On Site" unless one is appropriately attired in flame retardant orange and navy overalls, lace up steel cap boots, gloves, ear protection, hard hat and safety glasses. This rigmarole usually takes 30 minutes to get out of the way, and then there's the safety brief. I come here once a fortnight and still have to go through the same thing every time.
Whenever I come here though I'm reminded of the Pink Floyd song, Sorrow...plumes of smoke rise and merge into the leaden sky...
Today's fascinating subjects of conversation were purges, gauges, pressure, height safety equipment and appropriately rated welding equipment. I live a Rock 'n' Roll lifestyle.
I am a confirmed and certifiable nutbar with a penchant for skulls, bones, blood, guts, fire and anything slightly peculiar and mostly bizarre. I also...
First of all, great shot Graeme. I am surprise you have the right to take pictures. Anyway, my pict of today is in the middle of this workflow... And as Paul said, we need a fliyng pig. Since Russia ban entry of pigs from Canada, I have plenty for a photoshoot!!!
This photo captures the meaning of the song quite well Graeme. Here's a link to a video with some great time lapse and video imagery: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdKNlGfkyhc
It's Ok to visit. But I have worked at one of them places off and on over the last 30 years. Talk about safety, It's to a point you get little work done... Flame retardant overalls, that don't fit. Safety glasses foam back ones, don't want you to get dust in the eye on a windy day. Gloves, ear protection, hard hat and also a safety harness if your work is more than 6 feet in the air. Want you dressed and ready for work at 7am but before you start working they talk safety to you and have you stretch. Also give you a card to fill out and tell you to wright about something you seen being done safely or unsafely. If it is something that was unsafe you are to wright about what it was and how you made it safe. Give that one a try for a month. Then they pay people to watch me to see if I am safe. They are also the ones who come look at the card with the story about being safe. On the card it also has on it the 5 steps of how you are going to do your job. It also asks you to put down what way the wind is blowing. One or two days easy, but after weeks of it you start to think up stupid stuff to put on their safety card, just to make sure someone is reading them. I put for a safety hazard putting your earplugs in your ears to deep..... How to fix the problem???Shut your mouth, hold your nose and blow. But be very carful that when the pop out they don't hit anybody. After a few like that, they check mine everyday. Although very funny the big bosses didn't like it. ( they weren't the ones filling out the stupid card) I got told they are paying you to do it so just shut up and do it right. I am sure the job on paper looks safer, but that's because less work is getting done.
@wildernesswillie I hear you and completely and utterly agree...it's well past the point of ridiculous. @terryliv Yep, this is one of my bigger smokes. @eyeamlisa Thanks very much - just steam on these ones @bill_fe Thats excellent, and thats very much @daneau Thanks - they have no idea I took the shot! @annied Thanks very much...and you don't ;) @bigugly Thanks very much - saw them live in 89 and I swear to god that pig spoke to me...
@wildernesswillie oh I have some empathy with what you were saying. The last time I was in hospital the young nurse appeared every day and wrote copious notes. I began to feel worried so queried what was going on. She was writing about her need to make me comfortable and what she had done to ensure it! Isn't that stating the obvious!
@ceilidh I'm a real wild child alright. Now, you may find this hard to believe but when I trained as a nurse from 89 - 91 we had to make Care Plans that outlined everything we were doing from making them comfortable to what drugs, when and how much...I left because I couldn't stand the thought of shoving things into people for the rest of my life.
@graemestevens You were a nurse? Or at least a half trained one? You didn't like shoving things into people? Yep, I've just learnt a few more things about you today.
@graemestevens I just re-read your statement to Margaret about why you left. So you didn't like the shoving but you liked the Care Plans? Oh my, that just proves what a SOFTIE you are!
I knew it. I just knew it. It's now completely official for all time. Mr s is a softie. Male nurses are fab. Now that sounds weird. I mean that they are just as good as women despite it being seen to be a female profession. Was cared for by male nurses when had a dose of atypical puenmonia and a case of campylobacter (the runs like you have never ever ever ever ever ever ever known it before) at the same time resulting I a rather poorly newbank lass...... Any how these 2 male nurses cared for me so well for three days I still remember them. Anyways....the shot of the day. Atmospheric. My health and safety standards in my job have slipped from first child to second. Told and observe this is normal practise. Good thing no no3 child to come. It would be raised to be neatly feral.
Great industrial shot and how I know so well the ridiculous amount of absolute bull there is about safety gear however the hard hat might be a good idea just in case that pig comes over.
@gigiflower I have not described it v well trust me.... See mr s I have grammar issues too....
And that is nearly feral.... Ipad!!! clearly happy feral meant that not fatal...
Ooh! Me likey!! All that contrast and texture. . . and yes, fear is an insidious thing! The people who made all those rules are just pissed that they didn't have the balls to pursue their inner rock star! :(
@gigiflower@newbank My secret is well and truly out now isn't it? There no hope any more...ah well, time to drag out all those flower and butterfly photos. Is it to late to say that when I was training N.U.R.S.E was an acronym for Ninja Undertaking Reconnaissance Slays Everyone? Sigh. Also, I would think that anyone's description of the runs would be gross... @johenn Thanks very much - unfortunately this plant helps to keep me I a job @andrewkru Thanks very much indeed, on all counts :) @dougapic Thanks very much @overalvandaan Thank you very much :) @chippy1402 Thanks very much indeed...if that pig comes over I might need more than just a hat though! @wearing0 Thank you very much :) @creativefool Thanks, glad you like it :) @tabbycat They do all seem to be quite "dry" people...and thank you very, very much :) @jess1204 Thank you very much, always appreciated @stuckinoz Thanks, it does a bit now that you mention it. @shannejw Thanks very much :)
oh I have just caught up with some of this - it has scared me so I am pouring more wine into my oversized glass - that's my excuse and I am sticking to it
Well the only thing you are missing in your description is the heat... I did a job in Port Headland, at the top of Western Australia and we had to wear all that and it was 54 degree c...
@longexposure In the summer if it gets hot enough they send you home. In the winter if it is -10F or -30Fwindchill at 6am you stay home.. unless things are frozen up and they give you a call to come in. I work construction either your out in the weather or you go home. if you go home you don't make any money.
The Fahrenheit and Celsius scales coincide at -40°.
Wonder what it looks like in color? In the place I work at, they say all they want to release in to the air is steam. If you see something dark coming out it is not running right and to go up wind and report it
great shot Graham, wow I am surprised you actually got to take the shot. Where my husband visits there are special on site police with guns and NO CAMERAS
@annied All wine in our house is served in oversized glasses - anything else is just amateurish. @longexposure Crumbs, that's hot enough to sweat in places you shouldn't ... @pittcj17 Thanks very much :) @wildernesswillie With today's weather it looked almost the same in colour as it did in B&W @tellefella Thanks very much indeed @motherjane Thanks very much @pinkpaintpot Guns? Crumbs. I was there to take photos for an upcoming project that we're involved in at this plant, so grabbed a few sneaky "extras"...as you do ;) @blueberry1222 Let's hope there is a next one...
@graemestevens I do love your alliteration, but in this neck of the woods 'twat' is a slang term referring to part of female anatomy. I really like this impressive industrial shot very much indeed. The different tones and shade of the steam/smoke with the intriguing shaped towers is fantastic. I know the technology is C21, but this image is strongly reminiscent of so many of the Industrial Revolution pictures and engravings we see from time to time. Definitely a fav for me.
@terryliv Yep, this is one of my bigger smokes.
@eyeamlisa Thanks very much - just steam on these ones
@bill_fe Thats excellent, and thats very much
@daneau Thanks - they have no idea I took the shot!
@annied Thanks very much...and you don't ;)
@bigugly Thanks very much - saw them live in 89 and I swear to god that pig spoke to me...
@julzmaioro Thanks very much - not that I had much to do with that!
it was fun reading your comments today!
And that is nearly feral.... Ipad!!! clearly happy feral meant that not fatal...
@johenn Thanks very much - unfortunately this plant helps to keep me I a job
@andrewkru Thanks very much indeed, on all counts :)
@dougapic Thanks very much
@overalvandaan Thank you very much :)
@chippy1402 Thanks very much indeed...if that pig comes over I might need more than just a hat though!
@wearing0 Thank you very much :)
@creativefool Thanks, glad you like it :)
@tabbycat They do all seem to be quite "dry" people...and thank you very, very much :)
@jess1204 Thank you very much, always appreciated
@stuckinoz Thanks, it does a bit now that you mention it.
@shannejw Thanks very much :)
The Fahrenheit and Celsius scales coincide at -40°.
@longexposure Crumbs, that's hot enough to sweat in places you shouldn't ...
@pittcj17 Thanks very much :)
@wildernesswillie With today's weather it looked almost the same in colour as it did in B&W
@tellefella Thanks very much indeed
@motherjane Thanks very much
@pinkpaintpot Guns? Crumbs. I was there to take photos for an upcoming project that we're involved in at this plant, so grabbed a few sneaky "extras"...as you do ;)
@blueberry1222 Let's hope there is a next one...
@roseolivia Thank you very much :)
Sorrow is one of my favourites from that album. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdKNlGfkyhc)
Fav, by the way.