Meet Paul, our Employee of the Year
Joining Robertson over two years ago, bricklayer Paul is part of the team maintaining the grounds and buildings at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI). As he and colleagues were on their way to a job one morning he noticed a woman trapped beneath her wheelchair. Little did he know his swift actions would later earn him our Employee of the Year Award at the Robertson Outstanding Contribution Awards.
We caught up with Paul to find our more about the incident, his career with Robertson, and what motivates him to keep learning and progressing.
Tell us about the day of the incident: Myself and two colleagues were driving through the main entrance of the hospital when I noticed a woman caught between her wheelchair and the tail lift of her van. We immediately stopped so I could help. She had two carers with her who were visibly alarmed – the tail lift had malfunctioned causing what was a heavy electric wheelchair to tip over, but they were unable to move it because of the weight. It was a distressing situation and raining too which only made it more desperate.
Was the woman injured? Yes, to the back of her head, arm and shoulder. She also let me know she was paralysed from the waist down. I managed to safely manoeuvre the wheelchair just enough so she could rest her head on my knees, then covered her with my jacket to protect her from the rain and make her more comfortable.
What aspects of your health and safety training kicked in? A lot of it was instinct, when you see someone who’s in distress you’re going to stop and help. But yes, I’ve done first aid at Robertson so was aware I shouldn’t move her too much if at all – I was extremely careful to listen to her.
Her carers had called an ambulance but, despite us being at the ARI, it still took a while to arrive. The woman was understandably upset and worried about missing her hospital appointment, so I distracted her to make her laugh and keep her morale up. When the crew came, I helped them release her from the wheelchair and into the ambulance then secured the wheelchair and tail lift back into the van.
How did you feel afterwards? I was fine and got back to work, it was just good being able to help. The woman involved wrote to Robertson to say thank you which was a nice thing to do, and it was good to know she was well.
Let’s talk about your career and what brought you to Robertson: I’ve been a bricklayer and joiner for over thirty years. In the year running up to me joining Robertson I’d held temporary positions with various employers, but Robertson was the one that really stood out to me. In what way? When it came to training and wellbeing, it was clear to me they really cared about their employees.
You’ve completed the 5-week Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS) – how did that go? Well, the last time I studied was back in the 90s when I was at college! But I loved doing it and had great support from my people leader and team. Plus being in the trade for so long I’ve gained a lot of site knowledge which I was able to draw on. I want to progress to site manager so next up will be the SVQ Level 4 Site Management Course.
What’s your motivation? I want to better myself every day, for my kids and family. I lost both my parents to cancer last year and really wanted to achieve something, to show them I’m doing well. On top of that, my people leader is always 100% behind me when it comes to my development which is a real motivator too.
What do you enjoy most about your job? All of it, working at the hospital I feel like I’m giving something back to the community I was raised in. In terms of our maintenance work, it’s so varied which makes every day different and enjoyable.
How did it feel being named Employee of the Year? It was very emotional. When I got to the event and heard about the other nominees’ achievements, I didn’t think I'd even be in the running. My mum was still with us at that point, she was so thrilled when I showed her the award which will forever be a great memory for me. I just want to say thanks to my team and everyone at Robertson – I never thought I’d be that guy.
Top image: Paul receiving his award from Aidan Carr, Regional Director - Scotland, Careys