David Jones

My daily roll at Shore Hire was as a transport driver, in the civil construction industry, using a crane truck to transport and offload materials.

This roll required great rigging and lifting knowledge due to the weight and shape of the equipment that i was responsible for. Being the civil works industry, most of our work was completed in the field on uneven surfaces. To be able to perform this duty safely, extensive knowledge was required in how to set up a stable crane on uneven, sometimes muddy surfaces.

During this period, the crane industry in Sydney went through a short down turn and having just returned from an extended stay abroad i found it somewhat difficult to find full time employment as crane crew. I was therefore forced to take on separate rolls at three different crane companies.

The rolls at each of these companies were identical in that i was required to transport the counterweight trucks to site, set up mobile cranes safely and rig loads safely so as to be able to lift into position.

My role at Uplift was as a tower crane dogman / rigger. This role is a super safety conscious roll requiring extensive knowledge of how to lift regular and irregular building materials safely on site without damaging structure or injuring other workers below. During this time i worked on sites ranging from 20-66 storeys high. Always a fast paced job so strong communication with my other two crew members was absolutely paramount.

My time at Construction Rescue was short due to Covid, but during that time i was trained on and operated Australia's largest truck mounted knuckle boom crane (Fassi). This crane truck had an optimal reach of 42m with my regular work day being made up of furniture lifts onto balconies, swimming pool instals and general construction lifts. This position required extensive lift and rigging knowledge due to the size and stability of the crane.

My roll with Cosmo was that of a rigger in charge of crane loading platforms. This roll required me to work alone and i was responsible for the day to day running of the business. My tasks included everything from bookings, liaising with builders, site inspections, maintenance and cleaning of equipment, transporting decks via a five axle Freightliner with a 26m fassi crane (second largest in Australia at the time). I was also responsible for the day to day maintenance of the truck and crane.

On weekends, i worked as a dogman as required.

Ten of my twenty one years in the fitness industry were spent as a business owner / personal trainer.

I was lucky enough to own my own PT business working mainly out of the Balmain / Rozelle areas but also mobile in the Inner West area of Sydney. My roll was to write training programs, nutritional programs and generally encourage, motivate and guide people to be their best self.

As a business owner, i was also required to have an online presence, writing articles and social media posts on a variety of topics, as well as all the marketing and invoicing for thousands of my clients.

My time with both Canberra Overnight Transport and Simon Transport required a good knowledge of both the Sydney metropolitan area as well as country NSW.

Whilst with both of these companies i was required to start as early as 2am and daily worked up to 14hr days in transporting anything from general freight to fragile and irregular loads. The highest importance was to ensure my loads were secured correctly, the truck weight dispersed correctly and all paper work filled out and filed correctly.

My role at Lifestyle Fitness Australia was to co ordinate and build the personal training department through client promotions and training the 26 PT's we had across three Sydney venues. Extensive reporting and KPI adherence was a big part of the job and recognising trends in the industry to ensure we were always current.

My role in the Australian Army was that of a tank gunner in a Leopard Main Battle Tank.

This role required extensive training and a very good eye for detail. As a gunner i worked as part of a 4 man crew where every members job was a matter of life and death, meaning performance was essential each and every day. The role required a keen eye for detail and a high level of fitness.