This week we meet Steve, the plumber surfer and all-round legend from Western Australia who has over 10 years working in Fifo, though works as an Instrument Tube Fitter aka “Tubey”. He discusses how anyone can get a job in FIFO, and the different jobs available for those.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:

– They’re the only outlet for most people.

– [Jason] Yeah, yeah yeah. Which is hard because everybody needs an outlet.

– [Jason] Yeah, of course. Yeah, some guys are willing to help you out. Other guys, not so much. They’re more protecting the trade.

– Good day, I’m Jason and welcome to this week’s episode of Fit4FIFO, where we interview Steve, the plumber from W.A. He discusses what it’s like to work as an instrument tube fitter and also shares other job opportunities for plumbers in the industry. Hope you enjoy it and here’s Steve. Steve, welcome to Fit4FIFO, mate.

– Cheers, mate.

– Tell us a bit about your position in FIFO industry.

– I’m an instrument tube fitter. I kind of fell into it one day through working as a plumber on a gas plant and construction. And I got approached and he said, “Do you know how to bend tube?” and I was like, “What is that?” And he goes, “Come and check this out.” He showed me some stainless steel tube and instruments and things and others. Now you just hook it up from there, from A to B, and then he showed me a few other things and then drawings and it was very much like proper tube bending anyways, so I said, “Oh wow, I always wondered who did this?” And I said, yeah man. I’m fine with this, this is cool. And then, I ended up taking the job about two weeks later. We started bending tube and we’re back. I’ve been doing it for about ten years.

– So you’re a plumber by trade?

– Yeah, yeah.

– Sweet. Is there any other opportunities for plumbers in the FIFO industry that you know?

– Yeah, there’s poly welding. Sometimes you can get into pipe fitting, but they’ve steered away from that and they’re trying to use boilermaker welders now for pipe fitting. Camp construction blokes can get on board. Maintenance in and on camps, things like that. There’s still a big range of what guys can do, but it’s trying to get that first foot in the door somehow. There’s always a way.

– So did you do domestic plumbing before?

– Yeah, I was doing that. Then I went into other mining areas, drove dump truckS, and just a variety of things.

– Did you find that your skills in domestic plumbing or the plumbing that you’d done before transferred quite easily or it was a lot different?

– Yeah, it does, but in tubing the main guys that they get are mechy fitters, HEPA plumbers, and fridgies. Cause they’re similar type trades. Anyway plumbers, are one of the rougher ones. Once guys refine and start getting to the millimeter and perfecting their skills, they become quite good tubers. And usually mechy fitters are really good tubers. Cause they’re always working to small talents, it’s a thousand. You know, less than a mil sitting right on top of it. So it’s always that little rivalry between trade fitters, primers, fridgies, you know? We’re always so rough, because in our trade, you get away with 50 men.

– [Jason] Yeah, yeah.

– Just pull it open and it’ll fit. Most are buried in the wall or in the ground.

– [Jason] Does it ever get boring, or is it still pretty–

– No! I really enjoy it. Certain people don’t get it, it’s a bit hard for them. It’s good, it’s clean work. You’re not in a trench digging or bashing holes in concrete somewhere to get a pipe through. It’s good, clean work up off the ground most of the time.

– [Jason] When you first came into it, how were the guys that you worked with and stuff? Did they have patience for someone who hadn’t done it before, or quite didn’t fit in?

– Yeah, some guys are willing to help you out. Other guys, not so much. They’re more protective of the trade itself, which is kinda good. Because I’ve become aware that so many people wanna get into it, people that don’t have trade-specific skills, are just landing in the industry through someone that they know.

– [Jason] Okay, got you.

– They’re a bit reluctant to pass on the stuff, but you’ve gotta give them time to prove that you’re not just another dickhead that’s just out to get something for yourself and not willing to give back as well.

– Is there courses that tubers can do to learn about tubing?

– Yeah. Swagelok, which is a fitting company, and usually a company will put it through. It’s a pretty expensive course. But yeah I’ve been run through most of my courses through companies. I just see that if, oh yeah, it’s expired, we’ll run him through it. Or they’re required to do it. It’s just when you get on a job, say all right, everyone’s doing the course. Bam, you’ll be going to it.

– Is it a job requirement? Sorry, project requirement?

– Yeah, usually. Usually it is.

– Most people know about gyms, but is there other things they can get up to outside of work?

– Yeah, well, it depends on the camp situation out of work. Here, where you and I, we’re free to go, we can go surf on the weekend. We could kite surf, or go on a motor boat ride. We can take off and do that. But other camps, particularly W.A., you’re restricted to just camp, so really gym and sucking pieces is really the only outlet for most people.

– [Jason] Yeah, gotcha.

– Which is hard, because everybody needs an outlet.

– [Jason] Yeah, of course. You and I know, we go surfing. And we’re all right, we’ve got our outlet. So it’s very tough to be motivated on a camp. The gyms are always packed out.

– If there was one thing that someone could’ve told you before you started to make it easier for you, what would it be?

– Don’t restrict yourself to just your trade, you’ve gotta have a crack at something else. What do you like achieving, mate? Come do this. Are you any good at this? And you just say yeah, I’d like a crack. You can’t just prolong, just to try. And longevity on jobs is another one. If you’re gonna get onto it, you gotta push through and do a year minimum. Companies don’t want to see guys hopping around, doing like two months here, two months there, and then a little here again. You’re trying to go for a four in one FIFO geek, they want to see that oh yeah, this guy’ll stay on the job for a long time.

– Thanks for tuning in. On next week’s episode, we have part two of Steve’s interview where he digs into a topic about secret organization in Western Australia that rates FIFO work as it can only be accessed by employers. Don’t forget to leave comments and feedback in the box below. Subscribe, share and like. Here’s a preview of next week.

– What makes you decide that? That’s exactly what everyone says. No one really knows in a lot of their heads, it’s like secretive. It’s funny.