Women in the Construction Industry

Women in the Construction Industry

It's national career week!

Earlier in the week, Now U Know Training interviewed Samantha Durber, a prominent female figure in the construction world. In honour of International Women's day, Sam has described her career path, experiences and thoughts of women in construction. 

• Describe your career path and how you got into the construction business.

My back ground since leaving school is accounts, I started as a purchase ledger clerk back in 1986 – yes, I really am that old! I worked for several large companies within the potteries including Portmeirion.  However, during my last role before joining Orme Midlands Ltd I was being victimised, bullied and sexually discriminated against.  To the point that I started the internal grievance procedure.  Unfortunately, I could not go back to this role as it was impossible for me, with the help of ACAS, the grievance was found in my favour. 

I started as Office Manager back in 2000, and at the time there was only myself in the office.  But as the company grew and we moved offices, the last being our current HO in Stone, where there are approximately 20 people in the office and 150 employees out on site throughout the West Midlands.

Andrew Orme (the boss!) did have his concerns, as I had told him why I had left my previous employer, yes, I did start a grievance due to bullying and sexual discrimination, but I knew the difference between friendly banter and bullying. 

As the office grew, I employed more staff and passed over my roles one by one whilst studying to look after the H&S for the Elite Maintenance side of Orme Midlands Limited.  Three years ago, I left the comfort of the HO and set up a home office, and three days out of the week I go out to various sites,  completing inspections on the maintenance lads.  Are they wearing the correct uniform, safety boots, and have they put enough dust sheets in a new build property, are they keeping their van tidy?  Or I am scaling scaffold to inspect before our lads start work to ensure that it is safe for them to work off.

• What's it like working in this industry, how is it different from any previous jobs?

I love working in the construction industry, everyday can be different and I love not being stuck behind a desk for five days a week.  My role takes me all over the West Midlands and further afield if needed, often to Gloucester and Oxford.

• What happens on a day to day basics onsite?

I do hold the SMSTS (site managers card), so I can run a site if I am needed, sometimes I do  cover at weekends and if a site is open due to tight deadlines.

Most of the sites that Orme Construction, the side of Orme Midlands which employees' labourers, telehandler drivers and machines, work on mainly Bellway West new build sites.  All new build sites however big or small with have an array of different trades on site. all often trying to work in the same plot at the same time, this can sometimes cause a row as each trade has a job to do, and a very small amount of time to compete the task…so it can sometimes end in handbags at dawn!

• Have you any experiences you'd like to share?

One of the last times I was covering a site as the manger, it was a Monday to Friday as the original site manager was on holiday. During this time most of the trades had got to know me, but one morning someone turned up at the site office, a young man however I cannot remember what trade he was.  He came into the site office; "can I see Sam he asked"

"Yes, that's me" I said. 

 "No, I need to see Sam" he said,

"Yes, that's me", and this went on for a while until the penny dropped.  

"Then he said, but you're a girl…." 

"Yes, I am" as I pulled down my polo top and looking down it, and we both laughed. He didn't mean any harm he just couldn't understand why a woman was called Sam, how she was running a site! 

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