At the Global HSE Group, we believe it is essential for work experience students to gain knowledge within the fire safety industry, so that the next generation can explore the various career paths available. Last week at our Bingham Head Office, we were joined by Olivia Brears as part of her Year 12 work experience.

Here’s what Olivia shared about her reflections on her work experience:

‘During my week at Global, I closely followed and developed an understanding of various departments to see how they interact and align, which has enabled me to grasp how a business works together to provide their service.

Monday – I started my week with Chris and Zak in health and safety, which gave me a new perspective on its importance throughout projects and within the business itself. I was able to understand the process of the BSR (Building Safety Regulator) and the importance of the legislation behind it, as well as the necessity of accreditation and audits for onsite work to be carried out safely. Additionally, I had the opportunity to attend my first meeting, which was delivered by Chris as a safety briefing to new employees. For the remainder of the day, I did my research and attempted to answer a NEBOSH NCG practice paper to gain a better understanding of the basics of health and safety on a construction site.

Tuesday – Was spent with Helen and Mollie in procurement. I discovered what their day-to-day work involves with an emphasis on ensuring traceability of all the stock they order and purchase, including having a reliable list of sources that have been approved to provide stability and to check due diligence. It is also their job to source subcontractors and ensure that they are reliable through PPGs (pre-qualification questionnaire), as well as creating purchase orders for labourers to carry out their work. I spent some time shadowing and understanding the administrative process behind this work, in addition to having a tour of the warehouse and the Global Academy training area. I was able to see first-hand what goes into the production behind fire stopping and passive fire resistance so that containment is achieved through devices such as fire collars and ablative batt. This has sparked a genuine interest for me in the technical side behind it all and something that I may wish to explore in the future.

Wednesday – I moved onto contract support, and although I was left to do a lot (I mean, a lot) of laminating signs that will be used on sight in projects, I was able to gain a complete understanding of what the role of their department entails which includes keeping track of current reports, admin, organisation, evidencing of everything and building reports. I also helped create PMS folders for future projects and was invited to attend their monthly update meeting.

Thursday – Was spent with the Sales Administrator, Eloise. I assisted her in responding to emails and generating quotes for future products by collecting contact details. Part of her role involves prospecting, which I discovered was actively looking for future potential projects. Another aspect of her job involves a branch of Global HSE, which is the Global Academy, and her job is to correspond and set up these fire-stopping courses. Social values is another important part of the essential frameworks at Global, such as an internal company newspaper, supporting the local community and many other aspects. In the afternoon I spent some time understanding the process of estimating and what the role consists of within the company.

Friday – My final day at Global HSE was spent with Global Technical Services (GTS), a sector of Global which is involved in fire engineering consultancy. The day started with sitting in a meeting with the Operations Manager Jobie and the Project Manager for works about an update for future proposals for a variety of projects that Global will aid with, along with the input from the fire engineers about what adjustments need to be made for the site to align with fire regulations. Following the meeting, Jobie introduced me to his job role and explained what it entailed, including liaising with clients, creating quotes, providing fee proposals and much more. I then sat in on a meeting with Keith, one of the Fire Engineers, and Henry, the Marketing Team Leader.

The purpose was to provide Henry with information on what a technical note entails, so that he can effectively communicate it to potential clients, highlighting the importance of collaboration between different departments and the key central role of marketing in a business. Keith then went on to explain how he puts together a FRAEW report, taking me through the process of constructing one by collecting evidence and evaluating it. Finally, we went to see the training rooms for the Global Academy, where I got to see some more of the varied materials involved in fire stopping, such as an intumescent cavity barrier.

To sum it all up, over the week, I have gained an understanding of the depth that goes into fire safety and preventive measures through compartmentation and passive fire stopping, including remediation, mitigation, and various technologies such as fire collars, intumescent cavity barriers, and ablative batts. This week has benefited me immensely, not just by understanding how a business works and interconnects, but also through speaking to all the employees here and discovering the different pathways that led them to Global through everyone’s varied experiences.

I discussed my future interests in further education, and the ways this can lead to a job, with Global employees who did similar degrees or education pathways to the kind of areas of work I’m interested in, and also the variety of different skillsets that are gained which are beneficial in many areas of work and job roles. This reassured me of the various routes available to work, even if I change my mind later on, and helped me narrow down my options for further studies, providing a basis for what to research and occupations to explore when considering the degree I wish to pursue.

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Beyond the Classroom: Real-World Learning That Shapes Futures

Olivia had the opportunity to experience several different aspects of fire safety at the Global HSE Group. Getting involved with exploring health and safety, procurement, contract support, sales, and technical services gave her a glimpse of how the business operates. By delving into the details of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) and understanding the need for accreditation to observe the production of fire-stopping materials, Olivia gained hands-on experience with relatable real-life examples.

Talking with Global employees, who openly shared their career paths, showed her just how many different professional routes are possible. Offering work experience opportunities where students like Olivia can learn, acquire practical skills, gain industry knowledge, and develop a deeper understanding of the vital role fire safety plays in people’s lives. By continuing to provide such experiences, we are not only building careers but also building a safer future for everyone.

If you are interested in having work experience at Global, visit our career page

About Global HSE Group

Global HSE Group are industry leaders in comprehensive fire safety, specialising in passive fire protection and technical fire consultancy, as well as delivering sustainability and MEP building services, and our own in-house training academy.