Mick is an Engineering Compliance Manager at PSA Compliance, our specialist division that helps in auditing existing building services and life safety systems, identifying non-compliances, and providing tailored solutions to bring building services and life safety systems up to standard.
Mick works closely with our healthcare and housing clients and completes the roles of Authorising Engineer and Clerk of Works.
He has been an engineer for PSA for the past four years, moving over from the healthcare sector where he worked as an engineer for the NHS for 25 years.
How did you get into Engineering?
I always had an interest in science in school and studied all the sciences, Dual Award as it was back then alongside Control Technology GCSE. From there I left school and did an electrical apprenticeship at British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL).
What is your most favourite project you’ve worked on in your career?
I worked on Jubilee Gardens, an over 50s Extra Care facility in Leyland. I completed the Clerk of Works for the site. Seeing the site develop from conception to completion was a real highlight for me. Seeing a field turn into a fully functioning building.
Closely followed by seeing the completion of the intensive care unit at Royal Preston Hospital.
What does a typical day or week look like for you?
The joy of my job means that there isn’t a typical day. Every day is different. One day I can be doing Clerk of Works, the next Authorising Engineer. Some days I am at a site all day, others I’ll be writing up reports in the office. No two days are ever the same.
I’m particularly enjoying the Clerk of Works projects I’m working on. Going to site, seeing the project develop, working with the contractors and project managers on site and being able to be the middleman between our designers in the office and those boots on the ground. I’m never there to pick fault but rather be that problem solver to keep things moving swiftly.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of your role?
The people side. As an Authorising Engineer I work closely with the engineers in the hospitals to help them understand what they need to do to comply with the relevant standards. Seeing them develop personally and their internal processes.
I’ve also had the honour of taking out a few of our T-Level placement students recently and this was really lovely to see them genuinely interested and hopefully inspiring them a little in their career path.
What advice would you give to someone starting their engineering career?
Ask questions! There’s no more stupid question than the one you didn’t ask. You can’t be expected to know everything and you won’t learn anything if you don’t ask. Have a genuine interest in the subject and find a specialisation that interests you.
Having a general baseline understanding is so important but having a specialisation helps you stand out and hone your skills in one area.
