Since joining the fire industry in South Africa, Wayne Joseph’s professional career has been one of constant study. He‘s experienced in almost every aspect of the fire sector, from fire-fighting and protection, through design, installation, inspection, certification and servicing. His career-long commitment to study assures him he is current and relevant wherever he is tasked to work, assess or evaluate.
Wayne is a fire protection engineer with Origin. Like a number of his colleagues he brings broad-based experience to his role and can draw on a wealth of expertise to fully play his part in the team. He has been with Origin four years and is studying passive fire protection, he says, “to keep on top of the technology and the industry changes as well as building on his skill sets.”
“The more we discover, particularly in passive fire protection, the more we realise how much we don’t know, how much we have yet to be trained in, and how much room there is for much better solutions.”
“The industry is constantly changing,” Wayne observes. “The more we discover, particularly in passive fire protection, the more we realise how much we don’t know, how much we have yet to be trained in, and how much room there is for much better solutions.” We often spend a tremendous amount of time reading and researching to find solutions for specific and unique challenges.”
Wayne uses the evolution of the fire equipment register to highlight just how regulated and competitive the industry has become. “The register tells us what is required and what can be used in the fire engineering and protection industry and it now extends way beyond sprinklers and alarms to include passive fire technology. Whether we are recommending and delivering product and technology, or engineering, design and protection solutions, our thinking needs to be smart, it needs to be client and solution focused.”
“Clients should expect to receive options … they should be able to really focus on a solution that works for them, one that ticks all the boxes when it comes to considerations about space, aesthetics and price.”
Wayne Joseph is the fire protection engineer in the Origin team that managing director Michael James puts together for each project that comes into the company. Wayne’s colleagues also appreciate the collaborative team approach to fire engineering, protection and safety that their boss has established. It’s a highly satisfying way of working.
After consultation with the Fire Service, Wayne proposes the locations where all fire protection infrastructure might be located. He completes the water flow tests to ensure sprinklers will be effective, and turns manual calculations for hazard categories into hydraulic calculations to ensure fire can be adequately controlled. He then develops a full set of service drawings to support the team’s fire engineering and passive fire safety designs.
“Clients should expect to receive options,” says Wayne. “They should be able to really focus on a solution that works for them, one that ticks all the boxes when it comes to considerations about space, aesthetics and price. We invite our clients to collaborate in the same way we do internally.”
Twenty – one years have now passed since Wayne found himself in a building constructed from shipping containers in which a fire had been started. It was an experience that changed his life. “Seeing how the fire grew, how it moved, how it was put out, opened me up to a whole new world. Seeing how fire worked was the start to a career I love.”