Introduction
Councils have a considerable investment in property. They
own the premises in which their administrative offices are based -
the town hall or civic centre , libraries, museums, leisure and
entertainment centres, theatres, schools, social houses, flats and
sheltered accommodation.
Someone has to make sure all this property is safe and in good
working order as it is being built and as it is maintained.
Building services staff are responsible for its maintenance. The
Building services engineer is a specialist member of that team with
mechanical and electrical engineering training. The work is similar
to that of the Heating Engineer or Technical Assistant -
Mechanical.
Work Environment
Part of the day is spent in the office but a great deal
of time is spent on various locations where council building or
renovation work is being carried out. Some evening and weekend
work is required to keep up with the progress of construction work
or responding to emergencies when fire or burglar alarms have been
activated. Protective clothing is provided and the engineer will
carry a selection of tools with him.
Daily Activities
In general, building services engineers participate in
housing projects and manage the services element - including
drawing up specifications and taking part in site surveys. They are
responsible forsupervising contracts involving the installation of
new heating systems, electrical wiring and electrical testing of
the council's housing stock. They also have oversight of existing
systems in built premises.
Their day may start in the office where they will prepare
themselves by studying housing plans, make calculations about
appliances and equipment needed and costs and attend meetings with
others involved in a building project. They prepare written
specifications saying how the electrical and plumbing work should
be done, what materials should be used and how long the work should
take to complete. They may then go to a site fora meeting with
managers and inspect work being done. On an on-going basis, they
will monitor the progress of the installations, identify defects
and, finally, certify that the specifications have been met. This
will include an assessment of how the budget has been complied
with. It is this signing-off that gives the local authority the go
ahead to pay everyone who has been contracted to the project,
either in direct building work or in supplying materials and
equipment.
But everything does not always go to plan. There may be an
emergency call from a council building where a fire has started
from an electrical fault or the heating or lighting has failed
throughout the building. They must respond promptly. This could
entail taking staff from an existing installation to put matters
right.
Building services engineers must keep sound written records of
all incidents and the general progress of all work that falls
within their responsibility. Managers must be informed if there are
any serious problems affecting other areas of the building project
and forewarned if it becomes apparent that the electrical and
mechanical work is going to be seriously over budget.
Skills & Interests
To do the job properly you need:
- drawing board skills;
- to be able to compile specifications;
- to be a team player;
- interpersonal skills;
- numeracy skills - to design services;
- technical competence;
- computer literacy including CAD;
- financial awareness.
Entry Requirements
You must be qualified to HNC level but a degree is often
required with at least five years relevant experience in a
similar role.
Future Prospects & Opportunities
You would have access to further training and with
suitable qualification could apply formore senior building
engineering posts or others in drainage, heating or maintenance
engineering. There are prospects of promotion to managerial posts
in building control, operations and technical and professional
services as well.
Further Information & Services
Asset Skills www.assetskills.org
Association of Building Engineers www.abe.org.uk
Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers www.cibse.org
Modern Building Services Online www.modbs.co.uk
Summit Skills www.summitskills.org.uk
Careers Wales have produced Spotlight articles on
careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and
maths): https://www.careerswales.com/en/spotlight-on-stem/ and
careers in construction: https://www.careerswales.com/en/spotlight-on-construction/
You may find further information about this area of work through
Careers Wales (www.careerswales.com/)
or in your local library, careers officeor school careers
library.