Thread: What strange things did you have to do in your line of work?

Geez I have a dull job...

At Bondi before we could start work "restoring" the manual diversion gates (read timber boards slotted into channel dynabolted into the concrete) we had to remove what we called the "Rag Monster" which was 2.7T of hair, rags, tampons etc etc. Basically everything over the last XX years that accumulated against the diverter (large diamond shaped concrete block) that pushed flow from one main tunnel into four.

Two 5T lever blocks fixed to the ceiling AFTER getting historical society approval to drill into the roof (as long as the end repair was invisible!) and we had it up. But no one worked out what to do then. SO we ended up leaving it there and as it dried out it slowly fell apart, revealing jewelery, phones, wallets, a briefcase (who knows how it got in there) and the usual. Got flushed through and separated down the line.

Originally Posted by Toxic_Avenger

Did you ever find anything really hectic? limbs, fetus' etc?

Nothing like that but one day we had a problem with equipment in the plant. A rake jammed at the bottom of the **** treatment tank.

Had to get an industrial diver to jump in and swim down to feel about and free it up. No kidding, he fronted up in his wet suit and tank, casually put his mask on and jumped in.

He was a **** diver.

Originally Posted by Ferret

Nothing like that but one day we had a problem with equipment in the plant. A rake jammed at the bottom of the **** treatment tank.

Had to get an industrial diver to jump in and swim down to feel about and free it up. No kidding, he fronted up in his wet suit and tank, casually put his mask on and jumped in.

He was a **** diver.

I hope his pay was better than what he was diving in.

I once had to tour 10 coffee shops, sample the same type of coffee at each and write a report comparing them. It was a tough job, but I managed it.


For a truly terrible job, try being sent to knock on the door of some family which has just suffered an awful tragedy and ask them to agree to an interview about their grief. You know they think you're a real **** for even asking, you think you're being a real **** yourself, but you still have to do it.


I always felt sorry for cops sent to break the bad news to people. What a horrible job!

My company sent a contractor to pick up medical equipment from a patients home, on the belief that they were deceased. Upon arriving at the house to collect said equipment, the relative said "you can't take the equipment"
"Why" we asked.
"because he's still using it".


Whoops.

Shortlisting hosties from 10,000 applications
Outstanding job, repair the volcano monitoring equipment

Originally Posted by Chenz

I worked as a chainman for a surveyor doing base plans for parks around the harbour. Between shots he would swing the theodolite around and check all the unit block windows. If I saw his arm waving wildly I knew he had spotted something interesting.

It never failed to amaze me why people did not close a blind or window before engaging in "that sort of behaviour"

Ahh - the differential purvometer, have observed the same things myself on a few occasions, when I was surveying.

Maybe you were also the cause of shutting down the international terminal at Sydney years ago !
We were called out for a hazmat incident with a cylinder leaking some sort of gas - after doing the evacuation of the immediate area, everything was assessed and analysed - turns out it was a cylinder of bull semen leaking nitrogen from the cylinder jacket around it.
Did the same for a 44 of salty water once as well after the groundies had punctured the drum with a forklift and taken it away (unknown) to Australian Airlines freight terminal.


Martyn