Steve Marsh

Since I took up my post in January of 2010, my general duties were as follows

1. To assist the Electrical Coordinator, in the overall management and development of the Welsh Assembly Government’s (WAG) electrical asset across the Trunk Road and Motorway network in South Wales in accordance with the Assembly’s requirements.

2. To assist in the management of the routine maintenance and condition inspections of the electrical asset, including street lighting, illuminated signs, traffic signals and aids to movement using the Mayrise street lighting management system to ensure efficient execution, cost control and quality of service delivery.

3. To prepare works briefs and provide technical advice and support to service providers and other SWTRA teams.

2. Main Duties and Responsibilities

i. To assist in the management of the service delivery, through the supply chain, of the street lighting asset condition inspections including electrical and structural testing programmes in accordance with the Assembly’s requirements.

ii. To assist in undertaking the following key functions:

· Management of the electrical related asset including street lighting, illuminated signs, tunnel lighting, traffic signals and aids to movement.

· To identify and prioritise works arising from the annual maintenance programmes to maintain safety, serviceability and sustainability of the electrical asset.

· Liaison with key stakeholders including Welsh Assembly Government senior management, local authority lighting managers, service providers, private sector consultants, statutory undertakers, direct works organisations and contractors on all trunk road electrical asset related issues.

· Review of designs for new or modification to existing assets in accordance with WAG and national technical standards.

· Acceptance inspection of all new street lighting schemes on the SWTRA highway network and incorporating into existing electrical maintenance management regimes.

· Management and development of the electrical asset to ensure delivery of service in accordance with WAG requirements and performance indicators.

· Dealing with issues relating to street lighting maintenance from design service providers and contractors, raising task orders, supervising works and certifying payments

· Dealing with correspondence, complaints and enquiries from Assembly members, MPs, Assembly staff, councillors and members of public etc

iii. To assist the Electrical Coordinator in the preparation of the annual forward programme of electrical renewal and upgrade schemes for inclusion in the Assembly’s bid process

iv. To assist the Electrical Coordinator in the collation and submission of bids through the provision of condition information and inspection records.

v. To assist in the data management of the street lighting and traffic signal inventory and works programmes via the Mayrise database

vi. To attend meetings and conferences as required in relation to the street lighting assets of the agency

vii. Ensure that all works are carried out on time and within budgets

viii. It is the responsibility of every employee within the South Wales Trunk Road Agency to comply with the Health and Safety, environmental and quality policies as defined within the SWTRA Integrated Management System.

ix. Any other duties required to deliver the Asset condition management commensurate with the grading of the post.

3. Standards of Performance

i. Satisfactory level of achievement of agreed deadlines and milestone objectives.

ii. Achieving and maintaining the highest standards of Trunk Road Agency management

iii. Undertake any necessary training in relation continual professional development

iv. Ensure that Health and Safety at Work policies are strictly adhered to.

v. Ensure good relationships through standards of customer care.

vi. Develop and maintain good team morale and productivity.

vii. To assist in the implementation and monitoring processes and procedures to ensure that there is adequate provision for out of hours response to failures of lighting, illuminated signs and traffic signals in order to meet the Assembly’s performance requirements.

viii. Undertake personal Health and Safety responsibility at all times.

Since 2015, when my line manager left his post and moved to Welsh government, I have assumed the Principal role, that he had vacated, I now mange not assist with the following

I now manage the financial element of street lighting and traffic signals, raising orders for works to be carried out

I instruct 3 members of staff within our section, on work to be carried out on a daily basis, maintaining the street lighting database, inputting jobs from the monthly night time inspections of all lighting columns and road signs, that have been picked up by the inspectors

The one member of staff, is on the network daily and I instruct him to observe all street lighting associated works with the contractors, to ensure that all Safe systems are adhered to whilst the work takes place

I am responsible for the lighting budgets, set by Welsh Government, and ensure that work is programmed to the monetary constraints that are set.

I manage all aspects of work carried out by the street lighting contractor, with my colleague on the network, who liaises with them, for any traffic management required for each job, in each case scenario

I am responsible for liaising with the developers of our street lighting database to ensure smooth running of all inputting and exporting of any changes made, so accurate energy reporting to the DNO, is achieved

Any maintenance and replacement works are also updated, to keep the system fully up-to-date as is possible. I also work closely with the developers and a colleague to assist with any necessary developments in the processing of street lighting asset inventory

I liaise with consultants on any design briefs given, to check that the design is of a maintainable suitability and is obviously to the up-to-date standards required to maintain a safe working system on the network

I attend meetings with the client, Welsh government on any matters arising with both our street lighting and traffic signal systems we maintain

I advise on designs on Major Projects for Welsh government and will update all assets that have been installed onto the database as required

I form part of the essential teams, that work within SWTRA and advise on any technical matters that may arise

I advise on all aspects or Health and safety and Risk Assessments to do with both street lighting and traffic signals

I would like to think that I am an integral part of the organisation, ensuring that all works are carried out safely and to the correct specification where necessary

I would like to also think that the people that work closely with me, can rely on me for support and help when and if required with complete confidentiality and integrity

I had transferred from South Glamorgan to the Vale of Glamorgan council when re-organisation of the boundaries between councils

My duties carried on as from South Glamorgan Council

Over the years in the Vale, I had obtained my Large Goods driving licence, so I was driving the Hiab lorry, installing new street lighting columns, assisting the electricians with their work. I also went onto the winter maintenance rota, having obtained City & Guilds in Winter Maintenance through Lantra Awards

We had undertaken as a group, the ILE Level 1 & 2 in Highway Electrical Works and then went straight onto NVQ Level 3 in Electrotechnical Services (installing Highway Electrical systems) where I took the lead in all aspects of the necessary Portfolio building to gain all the necessary Matrices, in all aspects of street lighting required to gain the knowledge and skills required

We had also undertaken and gained the ASLEC Practical Performance assessment

We had a ceremony in the Millennium Stadium from Lantra, as we were the first people in the country to obtain this award

In the last few years of being in the Vale, I was asked to work from the office a few days a week, as the experience would be a big help for me going forward

I was assisting in the updating of reports from surveys and inspections, that had been carried out on the network, but also had my own projects, that I had suggested to my manager, to carry out a full feeder pillar location and circuitry inspection and condition survey, which I had instigated and updated all necessary data onto the system

I was also learning about basic traffic signal systems and assisting prioritising work and necessary maintenance works with the upgrading of the signals as required, as this was integral to my future plans

My general duties within the post of street lighting electrician included the following

General maintenance tasks, which included bollard and sign light lamp changes and fault finding, street lighting column maintenance, fault finding and lamp changes

Installation of new lighting luminaires, wiring of cut-out units and installation of lighting columns

Finding street lighting control points and adding them to the database

Attending courses relating to street lighting aspects, to include all Health and Safety, Risk assessments, work instructions and Method Statements

I started my apprenticeship when I was 18 and my then boss, was a good friend of my brothers, so he looked out for me from the start, so I had a very good start from a very knowledgeable man, who had years of experience in the industry.

He taught me all the right skills and knowledge that I would require

I was 18 months on site, carrying out basic installations in houses, offices and in some industrial settings

I then went into Barry College of Further Education one day a week for 3 years to start my City and Guilds Part 1 & 2 in Electrical Installation Works

I had then passed my exams to become a Qualified Electrician

I continued doing the same sort of work, but then run a few of my own jobs, having other electricians working under my supervision

I was unfortunately then made unemployed for a few months, before seeing an advert for a street lighting electrician for South Glamorgan Council and eventually being awarded the job, where I was to start in 1994