A day in the life of Kelvin Williams

Left to my own devices I like to rise late and work late, however, I’m up for whatever circumstances dictate. It can be a 2am start if I’m catching a shift in a bakery.

Having no idea how many days are left before I slip off the mortal coil, so there's on time to waste.

As far as possible I make time for breakfast and some quiet before the day kicks off.

I’m an independent occupational hygiene consultant, serving a wide range of sectors.

From an office at home, a nearby lab, and in every type of workplace you can imagine.

There's no such thing. A typical week would probably include meeting clients to see what support they need, researching the occupational hygiene issues on my desk, planning and preparing site visits or training, data analysis, report writing and running the business.

Apart from making time for breakfast and a quiet moment, there’s no routine.

Occupational hygiene practice requires working closely with a client’s management and staff. I also collaborate with others on projects from time to time. Otherwise, I have very enjoyable days quietly sat at my desk, surrounded by home comforts and a nice view of the garden.

Any piece of kit that allows me to visually demonstrate a solution – or a problem. This would include smoke tracers, dust lamps, noise meters and the like. If I can show folk what I’m talking about and get them to nod as I do a demonstration we’re usually home and dry with getting something done.

Pathological curiosity. I love seeing what the rest of the world gets up to at work. I’m endlessly fascinated at how things are made and the amount of thought and engineering that can go into making the simplest of things. So site visits are usually a lot of fun. As a consultant, you often have no more than one day with a company – during which time you must evaluate exposure, assess control measures and figure out what happens when you’re not there. Unless you’re inquisitive by nature, you’re lost.

 

Most every day – people are great. The site surveys are normally a novelty for staff, so there’s usually a lot of fun and banter.

Dinner sat round the table with the family.

Do not underestimate the requirement for good scientific knowledge and an inquisitive nature. You’ll need to be an excellent communicator with a good 'bedside manner', but be unafraid to impose yourself when necessary. Hard work must be a source of satisfaction – forget office hours.