A Day in the Life: Sandile Mkhwanazi, Occupational Hygienist
As an occupational hygienist for SOCOTEC UK & Ireland, Sandile Mkhwanazi carries out monitoring works at sites across Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Ireland.
After initially being reluctant about pursuing a career in occupational hygiene, Sandile has become one of the youngest in the industry and is passionate about educating everyone on the importance of the work SOCOTEC carries out. Having moved from South Africa to Glasgow to join SOCOTEC’s occupational hygiene team, we discuss his commitment to this field.
Sandile on… his journey to working for SOCOTEC
Sandile on… his journey to working for SOCOTEC
“I’ve been in Occupational Hygiene (OH) for six years, working for SOCOTEC for three. It was never something I had imagined pursuing, and my route to being here is probably different to most people I’ve met in this industry – it’s common to begin in a specific scientific field then come into OH at a later stage, but I started with it from the very beginning of my career.
“I lived in the small town of Newcastle in South Africa, and went to college for mechanical engineering, but dropped out very early in the course to work in a pub. My parents weren’t very happy about that, but I didn’t want to waste a year studying something I didn’t want to do. Fortunately, my aunt was an occupational hygienist with her own company. She invited me to her office, gave me a manual – essentially ‘occupational hygiene for dummies’. I sat there all day and decided it wasn’t for me. A couple of months later she convinced me to come with her to a week-long training course she was giving for new occupational hygienists. By the end of the week, I realised how much I had enjoyed it! Soon after, I learnt that I had passed the module and was ready to kick off my journey to become an occupational hygienist.
“I loved working for my aunt’s OH business, but needed something new, outside of being with my family. I couldn’t work for anyone else because it would feel as if I’m betraying them, working for the opposition, so I needed to leave South Africa.
“I applied for a job at SOCOTEC in Glasgow without knowing anything about the city – I barely knew where it was. Once I was offered the job, I packed my bags and moved here without any research. The SOCOTEC team were very welcoming and made me feel at home. They’re all very intelligent people with years of experience and I was happy to learn from them.”
“I’ve been in Occupational Hygiene (OH) for six years, working for SOCOTEC for three. It was never something I had imagined pursuing, and my route to being here is probably different to most people I’ve met in this industry – it’s common to begin in a specific scientific field then come into OH at a later stage, but I started with it from the very beginning of my career.
“I lived in the small town of Newcastle in South Africa, and went to college for mechanical engineering, but dropped out very early in the course to work in a pub. My parents weren’t very happy about that, but I didn’t want to waste a year studying something I didn’t want to do. Fortunately, my aunt was an occupational hygienist with her own company. She invited me to her office, gave me a manual – essentially ‘occupational hygiene for dummies’. I sat there all day and decided it wasn’t for me. A couple of months later she convinced me to come with her to a week-long training course she was giving for new occupational hygienists. By the end of the week, I realised how much I had enjoyed it! Soon after, I learnt that I had passed the module and was ready to kick off my journey to become an occupational hygienist.
“I loved working for my aunt’s OH business, but needed something new, outside of being with my family. I couldn’t work for anyone else because it would feel as if I’m betraying them, working for the opposition, so I needed to leave South Africa.
“I applied for a job at SOCOTEC in Glasgow without knowing anything about the city – I barely knew where it was. Once I was offered the job, I packed my bags and moved here without any research. The SOCOTEC team were very welcoming and made me feel at home. They’re all very intelligent people with years of experience and I was happy to learn from them.”
Sadile on.... being an Occupational Hygienist
Sadile on.... being an Occupational Hygienist
“Not many people know what occupational hygiene is – you’re constantly having to explain that no, it isn’t dentistry or cleaning. As an OH team for SOCOTEC, we cover a broad spectrum of work – exposure to noise, airborne pollutants, dust, as well as vibration assessments, thermal stress, ergonomics and lighting surveys.
“A typical job includes getting the equipment ready before travelling to a site – calibrating it and loading it into the car. Once we get to the site, you sit down with the employees to explain what’s happening and set up the sampling equipment. After a couple of hours, we get the samples back and send them to the lab to be analysed. Once the results are back, a report is written and we give recommendations to the client to improve their control measures.
“I enjoy the diversity in occupational hygiene for SOCOTEC – we cover a wide spectrum of sites, so you get to witness the production process of a lot of different things, from contact lenses to aeroplane components. With such a large variety of clients, you get to learn about a lot of industries.”
“Not many people know what occupational hygiene is – you’re constantly having to explain that no, it isn’t dentistry or cleaning. As an OH team for SOCOTEC, we cover a broad spectrum of work – exposure to noise, airborne pollutants, dust, as well as vibration assessments, thermal stress, ergonomics and lighting surveys.
“A typical job includes getting the equipment ready before travelling to a site – calibrating it and loading it into the car. Once we get to the site, you sit down with the employees to explain what’s happening and set up the sampling equipment. After a couple of hours, we get the samples back and send them to the lab to be analysed. Once the results are back, a report is written and we give recommendations to the client to improve their control measures.
“I enjoy the diversity in occupational hygiene for SOCOTEC – we cover a wide spectrum of sites, so you get to witness the production process of a lot of different things, from contact lenses to aeroplane components. With such a large variety of clients, you get to learn about a lot of industries.”
Sandile on… working in Ireland
“Everyone’s very welcoming and friendly when on site in Ireland. They’ll ask about your life story and half an hour later I’ve got a new friend, they’re good to work with.
“We have a lot of major clients in Ireland and Northern Ireland, with a wide range of different industries using our OH services, especially companies within the civil engineering and construction sector.”
Sandile on… advice for pursuing occupational hygiene
“I’d encourage the younger generation to get into OH. I got into it pretty young and up until now I’ve always been the youngest in the room. A lot of people fall into it after working in a different field, so I’ve been trying to get involved in school and university events to encourage younger people to explore this path, especially if they have an interest in health and science.
“It takes a lot of commitment. A lot of people lack the knowledge in how exposure to certain health hazards can affect their lives, and I’m passionate about educating everyone about those dangers to create a safer environment. I feel like when I do that, I’ve played my role in ensuring someone has their parent or grandparent in their lives for much longer.
“I’m really passionate about this – it’s not something you can do for a long time if you don’t have that passion. You need to believe in what you’re doing to enjoy it the way I do.”
Could you be our next occupational hygienist?
Join a team that protects workers' health on sites across Ireland and the UK, with the training and support to grow your career.
