Building services engineers are responsible for the planning, installation and maintenance of building services. As such, these professionals have to be familiar with utility systems such as water, electricity, and gas. Building service engineers must also be familiar with mechanical and electronic systems like air-conditioning, lifts, and escalators. These building services, which are essential to the people who use the building, must be kept in proper working order at all times.
Common Tasks and ResponsibilitiesDesign, installation, inspection, and maintenance are the key tasks of a building services engineer. Working with the architectural design of a building, the services engineer is required to make a design that best fits the building. Once the design has been made and approved, the engineer then installs the systems and tests them to make sure they are working properly. Inspection periods are then scheduled to keep track of the wear and tear on the systems and their parts.
When necessary, building services engineers are asked to repair or replace systems or system components that do not reach the standards of operation. Preparation and presentation of reports is also required in order to properly inform clients, co-workers, and building owners. Cost control, design schemes, and specifications are other aspects that building services engineers must be aware of.Requirements and QualificationEngineering is a highly technical field, therefore education is a must for most employers who are looking to hire building services engineers. Applicants are usually required to have college education in an engineering related course. Certification is also important in order work on a building job as a services engineer. The ability to read, understand, and create engineering designs, such as AutoCAD designs, is a must. Likewise, experience is highly required depending on the services that the applicant wishes to work with. Compensation is scaled to the qualification, experience, and needs of the company.
