Sean Niemeyer

2022

Trade - Auto Electrical

Our environment provides us with the lifestyle we enjoy. Human behaviour that respects our land, our air, our resources is vital if we are to protect our environment. Our actions need to protect our ability to sustain our life on this planet. At work I deal with a lot of air conditioning jobs for our customers and that means handling refrigerants. The refrigerants are harmful to the environment. I make sure that an air conditioning system is safely and properly recovered so that the refrigerant gases are not released into the atmosphere. All refrigerant is safely recovered following standardised procedure, into a bottle where it is properly stored and then recycled back to the supplier. Being a mobile auto electrician means that I am always working out on properties. I have custom made a rubbish bin to fit the back of my ute so I can collect all the rubbish that a day of work generates. When I return to the workshop, rubbish is then sorted on type (separating recyclables) and properly disposed of. I make sure I take oil trays and storage buckets onto site which allows me to collect all oils and coolants if I have to drain them from a machine. I can then decant them into bigger pods back at the workshop and once full they are recycled by an oil recycler. Commitment to recycling all that we can is an important part of protecting our environment.  I understand these are all small things we can do in our day to day lives and I believe that every little thing we can do will gradually add up and it makes a difference. The small things we do for a long period of time compound into bigger change.

I really enjoy repairing equipment. It is a great feeling to be able to fix something so that it will not be wasted. Many times, I have been able to repair systems and save landfill because of my understanding of the individual components that make a whole system work. For example being able to properly identify the fault in a vehicle or machine and only having to repair or replace the necessary component that is at fault rather than replacing parts until the issue is fixed is one of many examples I can think of where this applies to my trade. Buying new is not always the best option or necessary. Repairing can lead to reusing components within a system that are still reliable, and this saves resources and reduces waste. This is all important to me because I appreciate the environment I live and work in. We rely on the resources that the Earth provides, and waste and abuse of these resources is not sustainable. We are responsible for our planet’s safe keeping so that generations to come can enjoy its resources and live a clean healthy life.

“Sean is very engaged in his work, has a good understanding of best practice and gave a lot of detail about his industry, the future of the industry and sustainable practices. Clearly passionate about learning and teaching others”

- Dean Hunter, Global Footprints Assessor