Meet: Ronell Kelsey – A Remarkable Draftsperson
A draftsperson is a skilled professional whose main task it is to produce detailed, accurate technical drawings based on the designs of architects or engineers for various sectors within the engineering field, ensuring final designs are compliant with prescribed standards and regulations.
The engineering field is vast with many disciplines, and each discipline requires design drawings for projects to be funded and executed from inception stage to as-built stage.
A draftsperson, in the civil engineering field, is a key member of the project team, and work closely with other professionals like architects, engineers, and scientists, on projects that produce buildings, roads, bridges, infrastructure, etc.
A successful draftsperson stays up to date with new drafting software and advancements. An exceptional draftsperson demonstrates impeccable attention to detail and have solid knowledge of the disciplines they draft for.
The draftsperson responsibilities include tasks like following standards, specifications, and calculations to create various technical drawings and preparing detailed work.
In some cases, draftsperson are required to step out of the office to gain information on site, such as taking measurements, or to identify and communicate potential challenges and how to overcome clashing of theory and practice.
The benefit of high-quality drawings, make it possible to calculate the project’s budget before it is even implemented, and without a conscious and professional approach towards blueprints, construction errors can cost lives.
Although an Engineer must check and sign off drawings produced, it is still the draftsperson responsibility to ensure the correctness of information, like specifications, dimensions, etc, and most importantly the revision and date displayed.
here are so many different disciplines, such as mechanical, electrical, electronics, instrumentation, civil, structural, architectural, geotechnical, piping, etc., each with their own industry-specific types of drawings, such as schematics, layouts, diagrams, typical details, etc.
It is the task of the draftsperson, to create and maintain a drawing register, to allocate drawing numbers and to keep track of revisions, etc.
The draftsperson must also ensure that drawings are issued with detailed issue slips and must retain a signed copy as evidence.
The draftsperson must comply with the company’s QMS system.
A draftsperson must have the ability to work well in a team and on his/her own.
Finally, it helps to have the ability to respond well to criticism and maintain a positive attitude. That’s why a draftsperson always look so happy.
