The MVP maintenance staff member of the early new year is Service Technician Shane Atchen.
Dual trade fitter and turner/boilermaker Shane ensures equipment is ready to go when the flag drops at the starting line every morning on dockside Townsville.
Prime movers, loaders, excavators, forklifts, reach-stackers and cranes among other vehicles make up one of the largest fleets outside of Brisbane.
When the engines fire and the wheels turn, you know that Shane has been at work.
His commitment to the job stood out, said NSS Asset and Maintenance Manager Jarrod Sawyer.
“It’s Shane’s integrity to ensure all the equipment is fully fuelled every single day, making sure that all our equipment is running, it’s what makes his effort stand out,” Jarrod said.
“If he finds any issues with them, he’ll certainly phone them in and let us know what’s going on. Shane doesn’t only just do the servicing, he’ll also look at doing minor repairs as well.
“Sometimes he’ll be welding, other days he might be helping the fitters attach hoses or driving a forklift. Shane will identify issues, report them and sometimes fix them. Whatever’s required, he’s up for it.”
In his 26th year in Townsville, Shayne has passed the ‘local’ test. The variety of the work offered at NSS was part of what’s kept him on site for four years, he said.
“I enjoy the job. The people, the surroundings, doing different things, which is always good.
“It breaks up the day. I could be doing anything on top of the jobs that I’ve got to do in the fuelling side of it. It breaks up the day.
“There’s a good team atmosphere, everyone is willing to get in and help each other to get jobs done.”
Shane’s CV includes working on a drill rig in a Pakistan desert.
It was good to be home each night with his partner and three children and have better access to see his adult son, he said.
Having the sea to look at every morning when coming to work was also a bonus, he said.