16 years | Deckman, Stevedoring Services Limited
Tracey Bean, in his second decade of working on the busy City docks, has grown accustomed to the unsociable working hours and holiday work. He shares how he and his family have learned to make the best of the time they have together, planning special family dinners on the beach when the work ends at a reasonable hour or simply enjoying quality time on the days off.
When asked what technology or equipment is most important in his function as Deckman, he said, “Observation is my greatest tool because we have to know what’s going on around us. I look out for the crew, and the Holdmen, and communicate with the crane operators.
In fact, as Deckmen, we are the crane operator’s eyes when he has blind spots.” Of his fellow stevedores, Bean said, “The guys that I work with are like family to me. When it comes down to safety, we all have each other’s back, there is no room for complacency.”