HSE Technician Review

I have found the Internship Program extremely beneficial and rewarding. I have developed many skills throughout this year and have gained a great understanding of Fluor corporation, in particular how the Construction Industry operates. I feel extremely grateful for all the opportunities that I have been exposed too and the support I have been given. I found the placement very enjoyable and made many friends. The office had many sports and societies to get involved with.

I felt valued and part of the department from the beginning of the placement. I was respected by colleagues and felt I was able to always give my opinion and have an input with decisions. I was given both praise and constructive criticism about tasks I had completed. Towards the end of the placement I felt I was appreciated as an asset to the team.

I have found the staff throughout the campus very helpful and approachable. I always felt there was someone I could speak to if ever I needed help or assistance with a task. The home office construction and HSE departments have been welcoming from the start of the internship whilst also pushing me to reach my full potential throughout the year.

During the placement I mostly had a constant workload with SMART tasks set for me to complete. I was given my own space to complete theses tasks and had regular progress meetings. On occasion there were some tasks that had strict deadlines which required me to be very busy over a couple of days which were testing.

I was given progressively more responsibility over the course of the placement. Most responsibility occurred during experience in the field. This consisted of being a Member of the field health, safety and environmental management team. Responsible for providing advice & guidance to clients and contractors alike. Roles included daily client/contractor safety meetings, providing HSE training and inductions to site staff, initiating Fluor’s Drug and Alcohol Policy through random testing, implementing Fluor campaigns and initiatives, reviewing permits to work, revising contractor Risk Assessment & Method Statements (RAMS) and preparing them for client approval. General duties also involved conducting audits and inspections which consisted of: weekly assessments, progress reports, site walkthroughs, environmental compliance inspections, safety perception surveys, reviewing of pre task planning, and closing out reported safe/unsafe hazards/acts.

A challenging training program has really pushed me to gain a broad range of skills & knowledge, not only within the HSE discipline, but in organisation and management that I am excited to carry forward. Within three months I am proud to have completed the Level 3 NEBOSH National General Certificate, allowing me to become an associate member of IOSH, the world’s largest professional health and safety organisation. Enrolling in Fluor University has seen me complete over 60 courses including the full HSE Field development curricula. Together with the GAP group and Mentoring Circles program I have gained an extensive understanding about how Fluor operates with its many departments within.

Being an office of over 1,500 staff, the home office had a great atmosphere. There were many professional activities as well sports and societies to get involved with on a daily basis. The graduate programme was professionally organised and it is a great way to meet people of a similar age and circumstance. Office life at project level was enjoyable with a real family spirit.

I believe the placement was well organised. gaining knowledge of Fluor systems in the home office for the first 6 months has made it far easier to understand what is required in the field. Working with the management systems and with corporate campaigns & initiatives has allowed be to gain a full understanding of their application at project level. I believe this is the most important aspect of the Construction Internship Program as it gives the interns fundamental skills to offer a project. If an intern began their placement based in the field, it would be extremely difficult to gain a full, broad understanding of Fluor systems requirements. The second most beneficial aspect of the program consisted of getting field experience. My placement with the Cytec Project allowed me to put all my knowledge into practice. I was exposed to the operation and challenges of the project enabling me to start applying what I had learnt throughout this internship. However, I would have liked to have spent longer on this project as it was such a great opportunity for me. I have a few minor negatives that I experienced which related mainly in the beginning of the year. I expect most of these were as a result of the handover to a new HSE Director shortly prior to my commencement. It took a few weeks to develop my internship program requirements for the year which left me a little confused with my current position. I was given little training about the Fluor systems to begin with and so I struggled when using ‘Knowledge online’ and ‘lotus notes’ mailing. Although Mike Bash was very helpful at training me, he was not always available to assist me. Specific training at the beginning of the year would have been very beneficial. It would also have been advantages to have in-depth training about HSE’s role within Fluor. Information on organizational charts, corporate & business line roles and regional areas would have made it clearer about how HSE operates and my position within the company.

Throughout the year, the company has invested in myself through different ways. Attending and completing the NEBOSH and IOSH Managing Safely courses at the beginning of the placement was a fantastic opportunity to gain a core understanding of health and safety. Being provided with the opportunity to gain experience on two separate projects as well as visiting other events has been invaluable.

I have been offered a contract to return to the organisation which has been a fantastic achievement after completing the program. There are lots of opportunities to work with different projects in both the UK and globally upon my return. I am working closely with the department to receive information for my final year dissertation project. This project will benefit the industry, the university and the company.

There was a great social scene amongst fellow graduates and the department. Regular events held by the office's sports and social committee provided many opportunities to meet other colleagues in the office. The graduate program organised monthly social events which were always well thought out and fun to attend. There was a good social scene when working with the projects also.

As I lived with my parents it is difficult to accurately rate the cost of living. Socialising was slightly expensive depending on the activity.

Farnborough certainly does not have the best nightlife however the surrounding towns; especially Reading, are good fun.

There were many opportunities to get involved with activities outside of work, these included professionally run events as well as events organised by the sports and social committee. There were several sports clubs that run daily and utilised local facilities. The graduate program organised monthly activities to get involved with.