At Summit Environmental, we are keen to provide opportunities for emerging talent to find out about the industry that we're so passionate about. Our latest work experience placement, Tamsen Redman, a student at Weald of Kent Grammar School in Tonbridge, shares the diary of her week working alongside Team Summit.
Monday
When I arrived in the morning, I met Mark, Louise and Lobke in the office. I started my day with Mark explaining to me the businesses’ plans for the year, which included reflecting on the previous year. This mainly focused on what went well and what the Business could improve on for this year.
Next, I spent time with Lobke, learning about how she manages new enquiries and directs them to the appropriate team members. I also helped research the details of a business requesting a Fire Risk Assessment and entered the information into Alpha. Later in the morning, Louise showed me how she reviews reports to ensure they are accurate and free from spelling, grammar and formatting errors before issuing them to clients and updating their status on Flow.
After lunch, the team held a meeting with colleagues both in the office and on site to discuss their plans for the week and raise any questions.
To finish the day, I carried out competitor research across Summit Environmental’s three main services: Asbestos, Legionella and Fire Risk. I compared the services offered, business locations and, where available, pricing. This task helped me develop my research skills and understand how competitor analysis can identify opportunities for business growth.
Tuesday
On my second day, I met Axel at Maresfield Recreation Ground Pavilion at 9 am, where we carried out two Fire Risk Assessments in a Pavilion and a Clubhouse. I found this particularly interesting as it allowed me to help apply skills in a practical way and gain a better understanding of the level of accuracy and the attention to detail required when carrying out a Fire Risk Assessment. Once we got back to the office, we wrote out the reports for this on Flow for both assessments. I also met Maddy when we got back to the office.
I later worked with Louise, who I helped with the Quality Control for the reports that Axel and I had written. This included checking for grammar and spelling mistakes to make sure the reports were up to the required standard before issuing them to clients.
To finish the day, I spent some time with Maddy, who showed me how to send off the invoices to clients and how to follow up with clients whose payments are overdue. This allowed me to see the financial side of the business and how important it is to keep the cash flow coming in.
Wednesday
On day 3, I started the day with a meeting with Ed. We visited 3 different sites to do Fire Door Safety Inspections. This gave me a better understanding of the inspection process, including the maximum permitted gaps around fire doors, the correct condition, the installation of the hinges, in addition to innumerable other insights. I entered this information into Flow whilst carrying out the inspection. When we got back to the office, Ed and I looked through all the information and pictures to make sure everything I had input was correct.
After this, I continued with my Competitor Analysis task where I focussed on looking at companies based in London.
Thursday
On day 4, I met Mark and Ed at a residential children’s home. When we arrived, I accompanied Ed on a legionella inspection around the property. This involved measuring and recording the temperatures of both hot and cold water outlets, including taps and showers, to ensure they met the required standards. After this, I worked alongside Mark to complete a detailed property description. This involved recording what the walls, ceilings, and floors were made of, as well as other structures. I then did some Fire Door Inspections with Ed. These inspections included assessing the gaps between the door and frame, checking the condition and security of the hinges, inspecting the smoke seals, looking to see if there was signage, and ensuring the doors complied with the relevant fire safety requirements.
Friday
Friday was an Office Team day, in which the team discussed the previous week and the month ahead. Our meeting was followed by a team lunch and a debrief with Mark to review my week.
Throughout this experience, I have learnt how to carry out various Health and Safety assessments. I have thoroughly enjoyed this experience.
We're delighted that Tamsen enjoyed her week with Summit Environmental getting some insights into the risk management of fire, legionella and asbestos, as well as the importance of quality control.
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