A Day in The Life of an Asbestos Technical Manager: Denis Morgan

How would you sum up what you do on a typical day?

As a technical manager of SOCOTEC's asbestos team, my time is generally split between quality control and training. In terms of quality control, it’s about ensuring that any laboratory analysis or surveys are carried out to the highest possible standards. SOCOTEC offers asbestos services from six locations across the UK, and some of our larger clients are served by all of these sites. This means that delivering a consistent high level of service is essential.  

Providing asbestos training is the other big part of my role, and this typically involves the preparation and delivery of courses for clients. If managed correctly, asbestos poses little risk to workers or the general public. We help facilities managers and duty holders understand the associated risks, and how to maintain a safe environment for the users of their buildings. As we offer a nationwide service, this can mean a considerable amount of travelling.

What would you say is the best bit about your day?

The best part of my day is directly assisting clients with inbound queries related to asbestos management. This is something I really enjoy, as there is great satisfaction in helping a client find the solution for a complex problem.

Producing specific training requirements is also something I find rewarding. Every client is different and they all face a diverse set of issues. Some have vast estates with buildings of various types and sizes, which were built and modified across a number of eras. Every factor needs to be taken into account so that the training one delivers properly equips their staff to deal with a wide range of scenarios.

And what is the biggest challenge?

Making sure all training courses meet the demands of clients is probably the biggest challenge. As I mentioned earlier, the needs of every client are different, so simply delivering a fixed standard course would not be effective.

Setting the content of any course requires a great deal of research into the requirements of the client, as well as the type of business they operate, and how people use their buildings. In addition to being rigorous and informative, the courses need to be accessible, engaging and well-paced in delivery, otherwise clients will not get the most from them...

To read the full article, visit The ENDS Report: http://www.endsreport.com/article/55086/a-day-in-the-life-of-an-asbestos-technical-manager-denis-morganpol