A day out to site is always a good day, especially if you are office based and the closest you get to a piece of plant machinery is typing up a purchase order for hire! Together with our HSQE Manager, Lewis Hunt, our Hire Desk Co-ordinator Janice Anderson visited our site in West London, here’s what she had to say:
The new Soilfix branded workwear (introduced in January) was one of the first things I noticed. The high visibility of the yellow was really eye-catching, and I have to admit the Soilfix brand stood out better than the site security guard! Not only did it look professional, but it made an excellent impression in front of the client on-site that day.
Having joined Soilfix in November 2021, it was almost a year ago that I visited our site in Rochester, and I have to say how beneficial it is to return and improve my knowledge in the important role that I have in facilitating each site. As we view ourselves as an internal ‘customer service’ to our operations teams, having better knowledge on our service on the ground is invaluable. Over the course of this time, I really feel that I understand our sites on a deeper level, especially when ordering plant and materials. Instead of just words on a purchase order, I can better understand what I am ordering, why and what that piece of equipment does. Seeing a piece of equipment in real life, for example, a site generator with boards and leads etc, really brings a sense of size and understanding of how all the collective pieces work in relation to that generator. I was permitted to sit in Matt’s 20-tonne excavator – the size was incredible, and just sitting in the cab gave me a deep respect for anyone driving these magnificent beasts. I was quite surprised by how clean and tidy it was – the machine drivers really do look after their equipment! Another advantage point looking back at my visit now is that when it comes to processing plant damage reports – I now understand these a lot better. I found it fascinating to peek inside a Bunker Bin. When I place an order, I only see a description. These words alone do not convey that this will become someone’s living quarters, with their own bedding and personal effects such as a TV or small kitchen appliances – I hadn’t expected it to feel so cosy. I was shown how a land survey is undertaken, which I found intriguing, and our Remediation Engineer Ed also explained the procedure for testing soil samples.
Overall, a fascinating second site visit. I no longer felt like a stranger, which is a positive step forward, I feel, within my role!
