INDUSTRY MOVERS AND SHAKERS
MEMBER FOCUS
5 minutes with... Ben Venktash, C.Build E FCABE, is a consultant Building Services Engineer and a member of CABEās US chapter
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Have you always had an interest in the construction and engineering industry? Yes, and I was lucky that a friend of my father was a New Zealand qualiļ¬ed Building Services Engineer. I consequently ended up focusing on building services engineering.
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Did you face any challenges joining the industry? The ļ¬rst two years, the challenges were more in the area of safety compliances on construction sites. But the tasks were a tremendous learning experience.
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What inspires you in your work? When I witness the collaboration of the multi-disciplinary engineering team
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What advice would you give your 20-year-old self? Do the right thing, be a good listener and follow the rules.
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What challenges do you see for the industry in the US? In the case of healthcare, the lack of training is a major challenge. I would like to see three-year, full-time training focused solely on healthcare facilities engineering. Itās a speciļ¬c discipline that requires the extra education.
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How do you think these will be overcome? By making it possible to educate and produce technically competent healthcare facility engineers.
49 BUILDING ENGINEER
What are the current challenges of your role? As a consultant, I have recommended that clients focus on appropriately qualiļ¬ed healthcare facility engineers for the beneļ¬t of the operations team. Having real experience in the ļ¬eld will help in eļ¬ective decision-making and safe outcomes.
come together on a project. Thatās truly inspirational.
JUNE 2020
Why did you choose your specialism? I had several discussions with my maternal uncle, a respected Radiologist and Medical Superintendent at a government hospital. He instilled in me to focus on one area and become a specialist rather than becoming a general practitioner. I decided to focus on building environmental systems because a few years after completing the engineering training I learned that my father died of lead poisoning from his employment in an auto body rebuilding shop. My uncle also suggested I move to the USA to learn
more about hazardous issues in the workplace, speciļ¬cally hospitals and industrial facilities. Ventilation infection control is my area of interest.
āHe suggested I move to the USA to learn more about hazardous issues in the workplace, speciļ¬cally hospitals and industrial facilities. Ventilation infection control is my area of interestā
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18/05/2020 16:10
