“You learn to look,” Colin says.
It is a good description of the experience he brings to his work. As he celebrates ten years at Salus, Colin reflects on some demanding projects, the satisfaction of helping colleagues progress and why the people around him have made him want to stay.
A conversation that led to something more
Colin was working as a building control manager when the sale of his previous employer prompted him to consider a move.
“I like to be within a much smaller team,” he explains. He already had contacts at Salus and approached them about joining as a building control surveyor. Then the manager of the Dartford office decided to leave, and Colin was asked if he would take over.
“It was quite flattering, don’t get me wrong.”
Having managed an office before, he was happy to accept. The timing worked, and he joined with responsibility for a small team covering parts of Kent, London and Essex. Now based in West Malling, Colin has seen plenty change over the decade. Technology and internal systems have moved on, while changes across building control have brought additional responsibilities and more detailed processes.
“Whilst I’m doing the same job, there is a lot more to it now,” he says.
One thing he has continued to value is being able to pick up the phone to a colleague, talk through a problem and draw on their experience.
Knowing where to look
During a recent inspection at a school, Colin noticed something about the external cladding being installed that made him question the cavity barrier arrangements. He raised it on site, then checked with the colleague who had dealt with the plans. That follow-up identified an issue while the work was still visible. For Colin, it was a familiar process: notice something, ask whether it is right, and investigate.
“It’s knowing where to look for the problems.”
Years of visiting sites give a surveyor plenty to draw on. They also provide examples that can help explain a requirement to someone who may not immediately understand the reason for it.
On one retail project, Colin asked the client team to walk an existing escape route. Further along, they found a locked gate. The conversation then became about how people would get away from the building once they had left through the exit.
He also remembers a former colleague with a significant visual impairment. Her experience has stayed with him, particularly when discussing why doors and their surroundings need sufficient visual contrast.
When a client questions the need, he can explain what that means for someone trying to find their way through a building.
A project to remember
Asked about a project he is particularly proud of, Colin recalls a large development in Watford: a 25-storey residential building and an 11-storey office building connected by two basement levels.
He had worked with the client on previous schemes and was approached to look after this one. His involvement ran from plan assessment through site inspections to completion, over roughly three years.
The connection between the buildings presented some of the biggest challenges, particularly the fire separation between the commercial and residential areas. The project also gave him the opportunity to learn more about sprinkler systems, smoke modelling and the fire engineering involved.
“It was quite an amazing building.” He enjoys that sort of variety. One visit might be to an office, the next to a school or a warehouse. Different buildings and different clients keep the job interesting.
There is satisfaction in seeing colleagues take on unfamiliar work, too.
Colin recalls supporting a surveyor’s development alongside another experienced colleague, helping with plan checking and site work. Early on, they gave him a theatre project to tackle, with both of them available to work through the questions it raised.
“It’s nice to be able to help someone move on in their career.”
Being able to talk
When Colin talks about what he values at Salus, the ability to speak openly comes up several times.
“You can raise ideas, you can raise concerns, and they are listened to. Suggestions can be discussed with directors, technical questions shared with peers, and difficult matters talked through with people who know the work.”
As Salus develops as an employee-owned business, that is what he hopes it will hold on to: being able to speak to anyone, at any level, and have a friendly conversation even when the subject is a difficult one.
Outside work, Colin likes to keep active. He and his wife enjoy travelling and scuba diving, although he admits his days of cold-water diving are behind him. More recently, they have taken up bowls, meeting new people and entering a few club competitions.Their travels have included Seattle and Canada, as well as a safari he describes as “absolutely mind-blowing”. Another safari is already something he would like to do.
Back at work, he is honest that there are difficult days. But when asked what has kept him at Salus for a decade, his answer comes easily.
“What’s kept me here is the people. We’ve got good team members, and we’ve got good clients, and that’s what really makes this job.”
Thank you, Colin, for ten years with Salus.