Parker Australia Team Members “Mine” Extra Shifts Amidst COVID Pandemic

When you first encounter the wild terrain of the Pilbara region of Western Australia, you might think you’ve wondered into a movie set, or onto the surface of another planet. The red earth and ancient landscapes are striking. The climate is arid and tropical. Coastal plains and mountain ranges with cliffs and gorges stretch on as far as the eye can see.

But the Pilbara isn’t just one of the most exotic and oldest places on Earth. For many, it is a workplace. The largest iron ore-producing region in the world, the Pilbara supports a healthy mining industry, and the team members of Parker’s Pilbara Engineered Services Division support mining operations.

“We have about 40-50 mine technicians, and they come from all over Australia and New Zealand,” explains Supervisor Daniel Seaton with Parker Australia. “We’re very hands on. We service the big mining trucks, excavators and above-ground machinery. We handle their scheduled shutdowns, performing maintenance and changing hydraulic hosing during the downtime. And we go out into the field, with trucks full of stock and service vehicle parts to change out replace hoses and work alongside fitters.”

The team’s work is essential to supporting the operations of Pilbara’s three major iron ore producers: BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals Group (FMG). When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down most of Australia in 2020, the mining didn’t stop. Instead, Parkers West Australian Division were forced to get creative.

“With the lack of labor during the pandemic, our team members stepped up, raised their hands and took on extra shifts and swing shifts to ensure our customers would be supported,” explains Daniel. “Our guys are on a variety of set Rosters 16/12, 14/7 & 8/6 (days on/off), More often than not all our technicians including supervisors would put their hand up to stay longer to help out with our operation.”

For the vast majority of laborers who live remotely and fly in and out to do their shifts, that also meant spending more time away from family. Daniel reports that some team members in Western Australia were onsite for months at a time, and many had to endure the extreme heat and dust of summer on the Pilbara even as they performed their grueling, strenuous work.

“Our people stood up and did their part. They really took to heart this idea of leading with purpose and doing what had to be done. And, considering these were troubling times, we came through very well.”

With support from Perth and the other branches, the team did what many would’ve described as impossible. They stayed in near-constant communication with their customers and they showed up to the job sites, each and every day.

“We had support from Perth, from the branches, we all helped where we needed to in order to achieve close to 100% full coverage throughout the pandemic. We were there onsite for our customers when they needed us and we’re still doing that today.”