Professionally speaking

As the project reaches completion of construction and commencement of commissioning, the pressures keep mounting, the days seem to get shorter and sleeping hours get stripped to the bare essentials. I am managing at 5 hours of sleep right now. The D-day is continuously creeping closer and with each passing day adding to the adrenalin levels. Amidst the frenzied activities, we notice one or two colleagues fall sick as the bodies fail to cope with the stresses.

This is life in construction projects. It happens without fail, every time, everywhere in the world. Almost all construction projects have firm ‘handing-over’ dates with financial implications on time slippages. The slippages of time during conception, engineering and supply have to be compensated somewhere. So it is passed down the line and therefore, it is the construction guys in the field who undertake penance for the sins of their office based brothers committed months back. The result is 18 hours of sweat per day. It is often more, but I am talking of averages here.

There is also the indescribable disappointment of completing a tough task in next to no time and being told that it was scheduled for completion 4 days back. Add to it the intangible tension from the constant awareness that one mistake due to hurry could cost numerous lives. Need I add that more often than not, construction sites are located miles away from civilization, with minimal facilities?

Of course, there is the brighter side as well. We are never bored - never ever bored. The moment a place seems stale, off we go to a new site, a new beginning, new colleagues, new residence - in short a new world under a new sky! And with each transfer we leave behind a very very visible accomplishment – a sports stadium or a hydroelectric dam, a steel plant or any other industry you want, a sky scraper or as in my case, a unique belt conveyor!

OK, you are bored to death and wondering why on earth am I posting this today. Firstly, my boss is off on sick leave for a week starting today, passing on the load to dutifully yours truly. Secondly, my lunch pack is delayed and I therefore have spare time to blog.

Of course, since the lunch is usually on time, this also means that blogs in the near future will not be narrative, and will be limited to clippings and photo posts. Again, this is just a pessimistic prediction!