A RELIEF OPERATOR’S IMPACT

Disruption to treatment plant operations can occur at any time. Whether its scheduled maintenance, unexpected problems or a sudden lack of staff resources, it’s important to know where you can go to get the support you need.

Relief Operators can be called onto a site for many reasons, but the most common is due to leave, especially unexpected leave.

Dubbo Regional Council water and sewer treatment engineer Srinivas Yeepi explained how a recent loss of their coordinator and senior operators to new jobs and retirement, put the treatment plant under threat.

“We recently lost our coordinator and a couple of senior operators, as they secured new jobs, while another operator retired.” he said.

“We advertised the positions and searched the Labor market for suitable candidates but were unable to find qualified or skilled operators through our recruitment efforts.”

A Challenging Market

Finding suitable operators, especially at short notice can be challenging. There’s a natural market competition with mining and sometimes locally there’s just not enough resource. Dubbo had experienced this first hand, thus they called us to help.

Dubbo Regional Council is responsible for different water and sewer sites, spanning the region, all requiring different operations and chemicals. It was important to them to ensure appropriately qualified staff that could ensure health and safety.

The positions they were looking for included Treatment Technicians for both Dubbo and Wellington Water and Sewer Treatment Plants.

Connections for success

Simmonds & Bristow’s relief services manager Lorena Ortiz Mejia, believes that the key to successfully filling these roles lies in clear expectations – both in what operators can provide and in supporting their personal commitments.

Understanding that many of our operators are also caregivers, parents, spouses, or have other responsibilities, Lorena prioritizes work-life balance and ensures they have opportunities for both professional and personal growth.

“By maintaining open communication, we create an environment where operators feel valued and supported, which contributes to their long-term commitment to our team.” Lorena explained.

“Before placement, we discuss rosters and job conditions with each applicant, ensuring transparency. If an operator requires support, we proactively address it with our clients, working toward a solution that benefits all parties involved.”

This collaborative approach ensures that both our operators and clients feel heard, and that all operational needs are met effectively.

The Assignment

The operators initially assisted Dubbo for a three-month period around mid-2023. However, due to the council’s challenges in sourcing qualified staff within the region, our services were extended for consecutive six-month terms.

To date, we have provided experienced operators in the Dubbo region for nearly 2 years, supporting operations at the John Gilbert plant, Wellington, and Geurie. Throughout this time, our team has worked closely with the Dubbo Council staff, ensuring seamless collaboration and operational continuity.

“Lorena has been able to assist in securing applicants to fill the requested relief operator positions across all of our treatment plants…we have also requested a Coordinator position for the Dubbo Water Treatment Plant.” Mr Yeepi explained.

Simmonds & Bristow strive to ensure that our operators are fit-for-purpose and will fit in with your teams and process as quickly as possible.

“The briefing and induction process for all Relief Operators from S&B has been completed on-site.”

Reliable, Qualified, and Ready

Simmonds & Bristow operators come with a minimum qualification of Certificate III in Water Industry Operations and years of experience in the industry. It’s important to us that they are able to provide our clients with the help they actually need.

“All the operators from S&B are qualified and have strong technical skills. They consistently meet our needs and expectations.” He said.

So… Are Relief Operators Worth It?

“Working with the S&B team has always been a great experience. They are quick to train, have a strong understanding of water and sewer treatment, and bring valuable experience to the job. Their work ethic and time management are excellent. I would definitely recommend them to others.”