The RailStaff Awards 2024

Nominations for Apprentice of the Year

Jessica Andrews

Said the following about Billy Welch:

“Billy is one of a kind. He has been gifted with an inquisitive passion for what he does and possesses an affable personality which allows him to quickly establish fruitful working relationships with his peers.

Day-to-day Billy works on the ‘London Dungeons’ section of the London Bridge Station Redevelopment (LBSR) project as an Apprentice Civil Engineer for Costain. Acutely aware of the scale and importance of the entire project, he commented about the project “There are so many issues that come to light when trying to demolish and rebuild one of the busiest stations in the country while it’s still operational. Dealing with the shear amount of people and trains that go through the station each day is just one of the remarkable aspects of this project.”

Through the application of knowledge and hard work Billy has gained the respect and admiration of his senior colleagues. An important task that he undertakes is the responsibility of producing reports that contribute to Start of Shift (SoS) briefing presentations to all operatives working onsite. SoS briefings raise the awareness profile of any specific risks onsite that day, as well as the identification of any opportunities for efficient working. To accompany the SoS, Billy also produces Task Briefing Sheets for each activity, these documents provide instruction on safe methods of work and must be read by every operative prior to work taking place. In order to further ensure a culture of safe working, Billy is responsible for creating and issuing permits to work to operatives who may be drilling, digging, demolishing or moving heavy loads. To do this, Billy checks the certifications of each operative and assesses any engineering risks that may occur with the Works Manager. Where a Permit to Work cannot be raised, Billy works across different teams to source a solution that will ensure that a task is completed safely and expeditiously.

In addition to the aspect of safety being a paramount consideration, Billy is also very keen to ensure that the quality aspect of all work is second to none and meets with Network Rail’s ‘Whole Life’ quality criteria. He achieves this by using Inspection Test Plans (ITPs) to ensure that work has been completed in accordance with project design documentation and engineering/construction specifications. Billy signs off the ITPs with a Quality Manager and a Network Rail representative and is responsible for arranging inspections prior to visitation.

In addition to his work onsite, Billy is also completing a variety of courses and training that will contribute to his career aspirations of becoming a fully certified Engineer. Currently he is studying for a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Construction in the Built Environment at East Berkshire College.

Billy takes a holistic perspective on the mechanics of the project by enquiring why different interdisciplinary roles interact at different stages. Billy is also aware that the work that he does has a profound effect, not just on the project but the experience of the end user too. It is doubtless to say that one day Billy will walk through London Bridge station and be proud of what he has achieved.“