Extracted Feature
Andy Fairless CEng, BEng (Hons) MIHEEM, MIET is an Authorising Engineer Electrical HV/LV and Lifts for Eta Projects, and also sits on IHEEM’s electrical technical panel, as well as the North East Branch. ‘I’ve always been interested in electrical engineering since being at school,’ he recalls. ‘Having a dad that worked in electrical maintenance, he was always bringing things home from work to repair.’
Andy pursued this interest, getting his electrician apprenticeship in 1992, working his way up through the management structures within the NHS to Operational Estates Manager – Higher Level. He has worked alongside Authorising Engineers who carry out audits and assessment for his Trust as an Estates Manager, as well as with potential AP’s developing their knowledge base and mentoring them through their electrical careers.
His responsibilities require careful balancing of availability to clients and ensuring work schedules – including on-site audits, peer design reviews, witness testing and or commissioning of switchgear, AP assessment – are met. Further to routine duties such as review and production of site safety policy, carrying out electrical incident investigations, attendance to client meetings and providing both high level and detailed technical guidance, major projects also feature. A notable career highlight for Andy, outlined in a HEJ article August 2020, was replacing the HV infrastructure and the provision of a new Primary HV Sub-Station on-site at the RVI Hospital in Newcastle, all without any impact on patient experience.
Andy was inspired to pursue AE status after noticing the shortage of Electrical AEs in the NHS. He was keen to share his 30 years’ experience within the NHS, and knowledge gained from having worked on most electrical systems found in acute hospital settings, with other like-minded engineers and estates officers. As a result, Andy has broadened his knowledge, been involved with multiple Hospital Trusts, and built up a network of electrical engineers and estate managers.
Long term, Andy hopes to expand his professional network, career development within Eta Projects, and cultivate a more positive work life balance. In the more immediate future, his professional ambition is to get registered onto the IHEEM AE E register. Of his journey to achieving AE status, he says, ‘[It’s the] best thing that I have done. There is a lot of travelling involved, with lots of time away from home. However, the positives of the role far out way the negatives of the role.’
Original Interview
Full name and post-nominals
Andy Fairless CEng, BEng (Hons) MIHEEM, MIET
Email address
Current role/position and employer
Authorising Engineer Electrical HV/LV and Lifts – Eta Projects Ltd.
City
National – Based in North East England
What first interested you in your role and how did your career develop from early stages to where you are now?
I’ve always been interested in electrical engineering since being at school, having a Dad that worked in electrical maintenance, he was always bringing things home from work to repair. Then getting my electrician apprenticeship in 1992, then working my way up through the management structures within the NHS to Operational Estates Manager – Higher Level.
Working alongside Authorising Engineers who carried out audits and assessment for my Trust as an Estates Manager, taking advice from them and system operations. Working with potential AP’s developing their knowledge base and mentoring them through their electrical careers.
Describe your role and a typical day within your current workplace.
A typical day can be carrying out on-site audits, carrying out a peer design review for a client, witness testing and or commissioning of switchgear. Carrying out an AP assessment.
Review and/or production of Site Safety Rules/Policy, carrying out electrical incident investigations including the production of a report, attendance to client meetings and providing both high level and detailed technical guidance, and of course the emails when you get back from site.
What are the most challenging and most enjoyable aspects of your role?
Managing the work diary allowing all of the clients to have access to yourself, whilst completing all of the works that are scheduled.
Tell us about a proud career moment or professional highlight.
Highlight, replacing the HV infrastructure at the RVI Hospital in Newcastle. Including the provision of a new Primary HV Sub-Station on-site and the replacement 10 HV Transformers and associated HV switchgear, along with several LV switchboards, all without any impact on the patient experience. (previous article in IHEEM Journal Aug 2020)
What were your motivations to pursuing AE status?
Working in the NHS, I realised that there was a shortage of Electrical AE’s. becoming an AE was something that I had thought about doing later on in my career, I wanted to be able to share my knowledge and experience that I had gained in the NHS with other like-minded engineers and estates officers.
In what ways has becoming an AE benefitted you and/or your career?
I have been broadening my knowledge base of electrical and lift systems, being involved with multiple Hospital Trusts and building up a network of electrical engineers and Estate Managers.
What advice would you pass on to someone considering becoming an AE?
Best thing that I have done. There is a lot of travelling involved, with lots of time away from home. However the positives of the role far out way the negatives of the role.
How do your employers or clients benefit from your AE status?
By myself having 30 years of experience within the NHS prior to taking this role, and by having worked on the majority of electrical systems that would be found in an acute hospital setting, I am able to pass on my knowledge and experience.
Where are your long term professional ambitions?
My short term professional ambition is to get registered onto the IHEEM AE E register. With long term professional ambitions of improving and expanding my professional network, career development within Eta Projects, and creating a more positive work life balance.
Please feel free to note anything else of relevance to your professional development for inclusion in your Spotlight feature.
I also sit on the IHEEM electrical technical panel, and am part of the IHEEM North East branch.
Further to that I am a mentor with the IET and am also a Professional Registration Interviewer, also with the IET.