I worked in a remote environment, and now I have a new enemy

I pounced on the opportunity of working in the Falkland Islands without actually knowing where they were in the world.

All I saw was a company email calling for people interested in working on an international project, and that was more than enough to captivate my attention.

Working abroad has been a life-long goal of mine, so I put my name forward and next thing I knew, I was on a flight to the islands.

And it wasn’t just the location that was a surprise for me... No, there were plenty of those.

How to get there

All plants, equipment and tools were shipped from the UK to the Falklands.

The flight was approximately 18-20hrs. We had to stop halfway to refuel, which added another two hours.

This was by far the furthest I’ve travelled. Although I knew about it, I wasn’t mentally prepared for how long the flight was.

Upon arriving at Mount Pleasant airfield, a UK army base, we were greeted by 20-25mph winds and trained security dogs.

The greatest challenge wasn’t the cold

So I actually ended up going to the Falklands twice. The first time was in November 2023, and I was there to help repair a runway at the airfield.

We had engineers to assemble the batching plant – which would produce tarmac for the pavement – and lab technicians to constantly check the quality of the materials.

With average temperatures at that time between 5-12°C, the cold wasn't the problem.

No, there was one element that kept testing our patience.

The wind. It was a constant nightmare.

And November is one of the windiest months, with gusts between 30-50mph. Imagine having to move survey equipment across the airfield in that!

There’s a designated weather office at the camp where we got our daily forecast to plan our works. But in many cases, we had to pause our work or cancel altogether.

Sun burns near Antarctica

I returned to the Falklands in their summer – January to February.

Believe it or not, sunscreen was vital.

Not because of the temperature, but because UV radiation can spike and sunburn risk is very real, even when it’s chilly or windy.

In short, this is due to a thinning of the ozone layer in this area.

Expected yet unexpected disruptions

Another challenge were the scheduled and unscheduled appearances of the typhoon army jets (military aeroplanes).

At first, I was in awe of them, as I'd never seen one up close before.

They took priority and interrupted our works several times. We had to stop right away if there was any communication from the tower to our team.

A logistically challenging assignment

My visits to the Falklands posed remote and logistically complex assignments. To name a few:

• Providing field support to the lead survey engineer, facilitating the installation of pavement layers with control over finished levels and elevations across the site.
• Maintaining and submitting the site diary daily, capturing key activities and progress updates. I learned I had to step up my game in writing these!
• Conducting weekly plant inspections through comprehensive check sheets, ensuring compliance with safety and maintenance standards.
• Performing regular first-aid kit audits at designated locations, checking for completeness, availability of eyewash, and identifying any missing or expired components on a weekly basis.
• Carrying out twice-weekly site inspections, contributing to a culture of safety.

Fully experiencing the Falklands

But it wasn’t all work! Some of my personal highlights include:

• A solo marathon across the islands, from Mount Pleasant to the city of Stanley. I raised £500 to enhance social mobility for disabled people on behalf of Toucan Diversity – the wind was my worst enemy, once again.
• Presenting on equity, diversity and inclusion to the client, management, and the entire workforce.
• Being approached by the army football team to play for them against their rivals in Stanley. It was an annual derby game that’s been going on for decades. We won!
• Admiring wildlife and unleashing my photography skills. I saw penguins, sea lions, sea birds and more.
• Getting along very well with some of the locals – one even did a painting of one of my pictures as a farewell gesture!

Civil engineering is so much more than infrastructure

There’s more to civil engineering careers than just brains and infrastructure.

Mine is about people’s stories and purpose.

I was able to combine my hobbies (travelling and photography) with my work.

Granted, there were many surprises and challenges… but sometimes that’s what it takes to step outside your comfort zone!