Flying helicopters to work

A boyhood dream. That is how Terje Sjursen, 35, describes his job. He lives in Narvik in northern Norway and work as a facility manager, often in extreme environments where few others manage to go, unless you do not have an important job to do.

   - We handle four wheel drives, boats, snow scooters, we get to fly in a helicopter, and we use 20-ton excavators. In addition, we blow up stone! That is all that many children dream of when they are small. Well, at least I did. This is the coolest job I can imagine - even cooler than the military.

Terje anchors brackets for power line masts in the Norwegian mountains. Just getting out to the various sites is an adventure in itself.

   - A helicopters picks us up and carries us to the sites we are going to. It is often dramatic. Not least because of bad weather and heavy fog. If the visibility is really bad, we have to fly along the power lines to find the way. The wind is another dangerous factor for us. We lift excavators, rebar and concrete by helicopter, so sudden wind change is something you do not want to happen.

Terje and his colleagues handle everything that has to do with foundation – all groundwork. Among other things, they dig deep into the ground, drilling into rock to attach rebar where the masts are to be installed.

   - We are currently working to build a new power line next to the old one, which are going to be complemented. It shall be two lines alongside each other. The old one has full power all the time. That is also a risk factor for us, because it is very dangerous if we get too close. To work with this you need to be properly trained. I have worked in the construction industry for 17 years - my whole career. Therefore, I have much experience to lean back on.

Facts

Name: Terje Sjursen.
Age: 35.
City: Narvik, Norway.
Employer: Visinor.
Occupation: Facility Manager.

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