Importance of the items are presented in sequence:
1.0 POCKET SIZE NOTEBOOK
The most important thing to have with you all the time during on shift. It is the bible for you to succeed.
Reason – Record the activities happening during your shift because when you are on shifts as Field Engineer you are responsible person to report everything to the barge foreman/deck foreman or Offshore Construction Superintendent/Offshore Construction Manager.
2.0 CAMERA
Level of importance is the same as the pocket size note book. This was the first thing I purchased with my 1st salary and so far it is the best investment I have taken offshore. Plus, snap every photo that you think it will make you as a better Field Engineer.
Reason – no camera, this website would have been impossible.
3.0 PEN
Obviously to write in the note book
Reason – unless you are planning to write with blood
4.0 FANNY POUCH
To store all your gadgets when you are on deck. Although the coverall has plenty of pockets everywhere, I still do not prefer to use them.
Reason – you tend to forget to remove things out from the coverall and the next thing you know is it destroyed during the laundry service. Good example is a memory stick and a cigarette lighter for the smokers where it can turn out to be a HSE issue. Imagine a cigarette lighter ending up in a dryer!!!!
5.0 BELT
To secure your fanny pouch to your waist.
Reason – the pouch is too big to be inserted into the coverall pockets
6.0 CALCULATOR
Does have to be a scientific calculator. You would not want to be scribbling all over the deck floor/ tunnel wall to add, subtract, multiply and divide numbers.
Reason – some SIMPLE calculation needs to be perform straight away on deck
7.0 KNIFE
To open boxes, cling wraps and goods on deck. Be careful, you might lose this at the airport check-out customs in certain country or even the port customs. Some port you have to go through the security gates for luggage scanning, they might confiscate it.
Reason – you may not want borrowing a knife from a rigger all the time. Plus once you have borrowed, you may forget to return it and you may sometime misplaced it on deck and may never be found again.
8.0 WALKIE-TALKIE
Do not need to purchase. Get it onboard the vessel. Normally the brand is Motorola VHF GP328
Reason – make you look like an important field engineer
9.0 PAINT MARKER
Again sometimes you need this chalk to do permanent markings on the material such as steel plate, pipeline and etc.
Reason – Pen does not work on all surfaces all the time
10.0 CHALK
Sometimes you need this chalk to do temporary markings on the material such as steel plate, pipeline and etc
Reason – Pen does not work on all surfaces all the time
11.0 USB MEMORY STICK/THUMB DRIVE/PENDRIVE
Reason – You do not want to go up and down the stair just to get you USB thumb drive. Some vessels the QAQC offices, HSE office or subcontractor office are at lower decks compare to your field engineer office on the vessel