Work Experience: Day One.
Well my two weeks of Work Experience began today. I went to the reception, filled in the form to get my visitor pass and had to wait to be 'escorted' to the building I would be working in. Instead I had to wait for the health and safety woman to bring me to a room with a television to watch the 'Staff Induction Video'. I didn't watch it because I was joining them, but because it had some safety stuff. It seemed a bit of a waste really, the man was blabbering on about the 'Official Secrets Act', and only spent a small amount of time talking about actual safety.
I finally was allowed to go and start and was shown around by the person who I am 'shadowing'. I was shown around the actual building I'd be working in, and was told all the dangers. I hate this part. They only have to do it because people sue each other when something goes wrong. Well after this I was given my own office. Yes, I know. My OWN office. Well to be honest it leaves a lot to be desired, but it is mine for the next two weeks.
After this I actually began doing something. The antenna in the anechoic chamber had to be taken out and replaced with a truly massive radar thing. Well this involved taking a large part of the chamber apart, wheeling in a huge trailer, bolting the antenna to the trailer, wheeling the trailer back out, taking the antenna apart and then taking the trailer apart. This all seems pretty easy, but it took all morning to do. Also it required the use of the massive crane in the room outside the chamber. The crane runs along the ceiling and the hook comes down and picks the heavy stuff up. I say heavy, and mean heavy. It can pick up 100 tons, and there was this small metal bracket which looked really light to me - but on the side it have 300kg!
Well it was time for lunch in the canteen. My Dad told me the food was dodgy and so did the people who I was working with, so I chose to be safe and have a sandwich. I was lucky to chose this, as I was told the food was in fact dodgy. After lunch we had to assemble the ma-hooousss-ive radar dish thing, using more of the 100 ton crane. It's pretty funny because the radar thing is so large that it has to go into the chamber sideways - or else it will take the doors off. Well it finally got in there, and the trailer was taken back out and the chamber was 'rebuilt'. Interestingly the radar antenna that was being tested is actually going to go on the top of a Swedish battleship, so if someone mucks up with the testing Sweden could fall.
Then they did some tests on the radar thing, which involved sealing the chamber off, swearing every time the computer bleeped and a lot of waiting about. They let me go early, and I walked back to the reception to hand in my pass - alone. This is 'strange' because it clearly says on my pass 'To be escorted'. Well, another nine days of this to go...
I finally was allowed to go and start and was shown around by the person who I am 'shadowing'. I was shown around the actual building I'd be working in, and was told all the dangers. I hate this part. They only have to do it because people sue each other when something goes wrong. Well after this I was given my own office. Yes, I know. My OWN office. Well to be honest it leaves a lot to be desired, but it is mine for the next two weeks.
After this I actually began doing something. The antenna in the anechoic chamber had to be taken out and replaced with a truly massive radar thing. Well this involved taking a large part of the chamber apart, wheeling in a huge trailer, bolting the antenna to the trailer, wheeling the trailer back out, taking the antenna apart and then taking the trailer apart. This all seems pretty easy, but it took all morning to do. Also it required the use of the massive crane in the room outside the chamber. The crane runs along the ceiling and the hook comes down and picks the heavy stuff up. I say heavy, and mean heavy. It can pick up 100 tons, and there was this small metal bracket which looked really light to me - but on the side it have 300kg!
Well it was time for lunch in the canteen. My Dad told me the food was dodgy and so did the people who I was working with, so I chose to be safe and have a sandwich. I was lucky to chose this, as I was told the food was in fact dodgy. After lunch we had to assemble the ma-hooousss-ive radar dish thing, using more of the 100 ton crane. It's pretty funny because the radar thing is so large that it has to go into the chamber sideways - or else it will take the doors off. Well it finally got in there, and the trailer was taken back out and the chamber was 'rebuilt'. Interestingly the radar antenna that was being tested is actually going to go on the top of a Swedish battleship, so if someone mucks up with the testing Sweden could fall.
Then they did some tests on the radar thing, which involved sealing the chamber off, swearing every time the computer bleeped and a lot of waiting about. They let me go early, and I walked back to the reception to hand in my pass - alone. This is 'strange' because it clearly says on my pass 'To be escorted'. Well, another nine days of this to go...
posted by Craigb6 at 9:00 pm
1 Comments:
What exactly does this company do? Aside from moving around big antennas, I really can't tell...
Post a Comment
<< Home