A post in a series written to share my experience working as an engineer in structural testing....
I did not plan on becoming a test engineer. I had not heard of the role when I was at university studying civil engineering. And yet here I am, 30 years on.
If variety is the spice of life, a test engineer's life is a spicy one. No two days are the same and no two sites are the same. Some projects begin with detailed inductions - role play, actors, the full production. Others drop you straight into a live environment where work must happen at night or over a weekend to avoid disruption. We have worked in data centres where every person and piece of equipment is logged on entry, in luxury buildings with gorgeous lighting, artwork and finishes, and in workshops, underground stations, airports and supermarkets. Some days you are outside in hail and driving rain, others at the top of a skyscraper with the best view of London in glorious sunshine. Our work takes us across the UK, and we meet people from all walks of life.
It is brilliant.
Across every site, however different the setting, there is a common thread. The need for independent assurance that work has been carried out to meet the standards and specifications it was designed to.
Next time you are out and about, look up. Look around. The load bearing beam above you, the facade panels on the building opposite, the air conditioning units suspended overhead, the flag poles, the signage, the sculptures, the paintings - all of these have a means of connecting them to the structure they are part of. Test engineers like us will have checked they have been installed correctly - for your safety and peace of mind.
Melanie Scholes, Co-founder, London Fixing Testing Ltd
