If Sam Ncube could plan his working day, he probably would. The problem is that his plans rarely survive the first maintenance call.
“I wake with day plans every morning and then suddenly find myself running around all over between villages and centres every day, chasing after sudden faults and problems,” he says with a smile.
That unpredictability is all part of the job for Rand Aid Association’s maintenance, health and safety manager, a role Sam took up on July 1. Fixing a broken component or responding to an unexpected fault may be the most visible part of his job, but Sam’s work goes beyond keeping things running. It helps create the environment Rand Aid residents need to enjoy a carefree lifestyle.
Sam oversees maintenance across Rand Aid’s portfolio, from planning and scheduling preventative maintenance to ensuring that faults, breakdowns and other reactive maintenance issues are attended to.
“One part of my role is managing occupational health and safety, which some stakeholders view as a role for exposing others,” he says. “Yet the role is meant for providing them and others with protection against safety risks and injuries.”
As Rand Aid’s appointed Section 16(2) health and safety representative, Sam also helps the CEO fulfil responsibilities under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. This includes managing significant risks, monitoring compliance and reporting health and safety performance and non-compliance to the executive committee.
His approach to the role is shaped by more than two decades of experience in facilities management, security and operations. He has worked in facilities roles for organisations including Johnson Controls Facilities Management, Momentum Metropolitan, Media24, Anova Health Institute and FNB.
That experience has given him a broad understanding of what it takes to keep large, complex environments functioning – but Rand Aid has added a new dimension to his career.
“I am learning a lot of things that are new in my career, and the environment is exposing me to change in career and life,” he says.
He has also built on his practical experience with formal studies, including an MBA and postgraduate qualification in project management, as well as qualifications in facilities management and occupational health and safety. He is currently studying towards an Advanced Diploma in Facilities Management.
Being part of the Rand Aid team
He describes Rand Aid as a purpose-driven organisation with a long-term commitment to service. “Every management decision, including the decision about the management of maintenance, health and safety, has huge potential in contributing to residents’ well-being, dignity and quality of life,” he says.
Since joining the organisation, he has been struck by the long-standing relationships between Rand Aid, its residents, families, employees and service providers, with some people contributing to the organisation for decades.
“I view Rand Aid as a people-centred working environment,” he says, referring to the collaboration and support he has experienced from colleagues across the organisation, as well as residents and service providers.
Sam lives in Witpoortjie, Roodepoort, with his wife and their four children – three daughters and a seven-year-old son. Away from work, he enjoys spending time with his family, shopping and attending church services.
And while his days at Rand Aid may rarely go according to plan, Sam seems to have found the right mindset for the job. “Expect the unexpected, solve the problem and keep things moving.”
