FIFO or Residential.....the Pros and Cons.

For those of you looking to get into the mining industry, you may have considered whether it's worth doing a FIFO (fly in fly out) type roster as opposed to living the residential lifestyle.

Well, having done both for a number of years, we can share with you some of the pros and cons of each.

At the end of the day it really depends on your personal situation and preferences. Whichever option you consider, DO YOUR RESEARCH!!! Make sure that you - and others impacted by your decision - are going to be comfortable whichever way you decide to go. Some of the pros and cons of each are:

FIFO ( Fly In - Fly Out )

PRO'S

• Living costs are essentially taken care of whilst away, ie accommodation, meals and leisure activities are provided for.
• Rosters allow for time off travelling, spending time with the family and friends, study or pursuing other interests.
• You typically receive an additional allowance in recognition of being away from family and ‘home'.
• More rosters are typically becoming ‘even time', meaning you spend just as much time at home as you do at work - but in concentrated periods. For those happy to endure the separation from family, children and friends, it is often a preferred option to have such extended periods of quality ‘down time'.

CONS

• Working an extended number of hours and period of time which can be tiring.
• Working a set roster means you are away from family and friends, and can miss out on activities and events which are personally important to you and others.
• If you have a family, the separation from children and a partner can be difficult for you and them.
• Depending on your location (i.e.-offshore or remote inland), sometimes it can be hard to get home or get in contact with loved ones in the event of an emergency.

RESIDENTIAL

PRO's

• Home every night with your partner/family.
• Positive community camaraderie - working and living in a residential mining location enables you to make new friends.
• Residential locations offer a country lifestyle - often with the same quality of educational and other services you would find in city locations.
• Can be a positive environment in which to raise children.

CON's

• Living away from the city, and potentially some distance from other family and friends.
• Limited facilities, activities and social options.
• Work options for partners may be limited.

Generally, companies have infrastructure and various facilities in place, designed to attract and retain people whether FIFO or residential. They realise that it's important to make employees' time comfortable and enjoyable whilst they're away from home, so you don’t have to miss out on too much of the comforts of home.

Make sure you ask the recruiter and hiring manager about the facilities at either the camp or the town. Sites, camps and facilities can differ so you will need to ensure that wherever you are going to be, that it will be the right fit for you personally.

BHP Billiton Nickel West has both FIFO and residential sites. Our camps have great facilities (gymnasium, swimming pool, tennis, cricket, basketball etc) while the residential locations are well established for families to get the most out of (cinemas, shops, sporting facilities, restaurants etc). Our operations include:

• Mt Keith Nickel Operation - FIFO open cut mining operation, located approximately 720kms northeast of Perth.
• Cliffs Nickel Mine - FIFO underground mining operation, located approximately 12kms south of the Mt Keith operation, camp facilities shared at Mt Keith.
• Leinster Nickel Operation - FIFO or Residential option, located approximately 645kms northeast of Perth.
• Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter - Residential, located approximately 600kms east of Perth.
• Kambalda Nickel Concentrator - Residential, located 55kms south of Kalgoorlie.
• Kwinana Nickel Refinery - Residential, located approximately 30kms south of Perth.

Further information about BHP Billiton Nickel West and current vacancies across all sites can be found at www.bhpbilliton.com