Fire Safety Engineer Review

I spent two months in the head office in Bath. The staff and engineers in the company were welcoming and friendly. The placement was challenging, in that I had not yet covered much of the work which was required to complete the projects given. This required that I spend considerable time studying at nights and weekends. though daunting, the work was both instructive and rewarding, these two being key factors in making the whole experience enjoyable.

I was not experienced enough in the work to hand to be of particular value to my work colleagues. They were very gracious in thanking me for work covered, but in truth they were much more valuable to me than I was ever going to be to them. The social side of the workplace was friendly and inclusive, so that I was never made to feel out of place as an individual.

My mentor and his colleagues were very supportive, and went to considerable length to explain in detail the engineering requirements of the projects undertaken. They were also able to provide guidance documents and further education materials and suggestions which were invaluable in utilising the placement as a learning experience. The support from the engineers and the administration staff who were involved in the placement was of a very high order.

There was never a day in which I had nothing to be getting on with. The nature of the placement, and my own lack of experience, meant that there was not always something new available which I could cover. However, it was always possible to tackle the projects given in a new or improved manner, and experimenting with differing presentation and reporting styles was both time consuming and instructive.

I was given responsibility for producing engineering documents for particular projects to the best of my ability. Like all documents produced, my reports were reviewed by senior engineers, with comments made. The work which I produced was however largely my own. I was a point of contact for one of the design companies, and responded to email and phone call queries regarding design issues. i was given responsibility to the maximum that my limited experience would allow.

The skills developed during the placement were several and different in type. I was introduce to software packages which I will probably use for the rest of my working life. I was trained to see a building in terms not only of building regulations and guidance documents, but as an individual property with potentially unique uses and management. The idea of a holistic approach to building design will remain with me. The lessons learned in varying report styles for different complexities of building will inform future practice and encourages future development.

The people in the office appeared to be relaxed, professional and quietly diligent. I was limited to meeting only persons on one floor, but the impression given is that the same attitudes pervade the workplace. There were occasions when individuals did appear to be under pressure, but this would fit in with the process of consultant engineering, and having to meet deadlines and cover the fees charged. I believe that most of the people there were happy to be in this particular workplace.

The administration staff took great care to set up the placement perfectly, so that the transition into the workplace was very smooth. There were absolutely no administrative hitches throughout my placement. The work provided was not planned for a placement, but could only be taken from the work which was available at the time. this perhaps meant that the initial work given was a tad daunting, but it also produced a more challenging and ultimately rewarding placement.

The company provided both a wage and a scholarship for the final year in college, so the financial investment was considerable. The persons with whom I was working were good enough to invest considerable effort in improving my skills and knowledge. I was given an excellent learning opportunity which was as unexpected as it was valuable.

The company has an organised group of young graduates who appear to put great effort into ensuring quality professional and social events. There were numerous emails which arrived from different groups within the company, mostly involving sporting events which tended to include meeting for food or drinks afterwards. I personally was persuaded to watch my first ever game of cricket, where the Bath BuroHappold office gave another team a sound thrashing. A unique event I am told.

Bath is an expensive city in which to take up even short term residence. The halls of residence for the universities are expensive enough, but these appear to be let out in the summer months to tourists at a premium rate. Any student taking up a placement here would be well advised to book early, or to seek accommodation from someone renting a room over the summer months. The restaurants are not cheap, but the bars appear to be much as anywhere else in price.

I do not frequent clubs, so cannot comment on the quality of the local "disco" scene. My preference is for live music, preferably traditional. I was able to join up with both a regular English traditional singers group, and a regular Irish session during my stay. Everywhere I went was within walking distance of the city centre, which appeared both vibrant and filled with music and restaurants.