A day in the life of Huw Kellett

Anything between 5am to 6am, sometimes earlier if I am on site.
 
What gets you out of bed in the morning?

Our seven year old daughter wanting to play, or our 11 year old wanting his breakfast!  If I have to go to a client’s site sometimes the thought of beating the rush hour(s) on the M25 is good motivation to rise.  On the weekend it usually revolves around dad taxi duties or sneaking in a run or cycle-ride before lunch.

What do you do?
 
Manage the occupational hygiene department of a small consultancy.
 
Where do you work?
 
Riverside Environmental Services Limited, based in Kent.
 
What does a typical day entail for you?

If  I am required to be on site, it will consist of meeting with the client, agreeing the job specification and conducting air monitoring, noise or vibration assessments.

If I’m in the office, it mainly consists of invoicing, pricing work and managing a team of 6 staff.  
 
What is your favourite piece of work equipment?
 
That’s a tough one as we have a lot of toys to play with.  We have taken delivery of new sound level meters with remote monitoring capability, that are a dream to set up and are very reliable.  
 
What would you be lost without in work?

Laptop and smartphone.   You can add sat nav to the list as well.
 
When did you last laugh in work? What made you laugh?
 
We are lucky to have great team at Riverside so there’s always playful banter and laughs going on.  A colleague and I had a meeting in London this week and got caught in a very heavy downpour and were drenched, which was not a good look when meeting a new client. We definitely had a laugh about it.  
 
What is the best part of your day?
 
Putting the equipment in the boot of the car after a long day on site.  The first coffee of the day is a close second.
 
What advice would you give a person thinking of becoming an occupational hygienist?
 
It’s a fantastic job and every day is different and challenging. Talk to as many people in the BOHS Faculty as possible, as there is a wealth of experience and knowledge to tap into.  

Invest in a good quality pair of site boots, you spend a lot of time in them so it’s best to have something comfortable on your feet.

Sometimes a sense of humour comes in handy, when things don’t go to plan on site.