User:Denton Smith

Denton Smith is a Deputy Director: Head of the Engineering Department at Groote Schuur Hospital. The Engineering Department consists of both the General Engineering as well as Clinical Engineering Sections and has a total of 79 Staff. Groote Schuur Hospital became a member of GGHH in 2015.

 He started as a Student Industrial Technician with the Department of Health, Directorate of Engineering and Technical Support in 2002, aged 23.  Qualified as an Industrial Technician in 2003 and was used extensively as an Industrial Technician in the Electrical and Mechanical Fields as well as doing investigations into Boiler and Incinerator Efficiencies, Phase Balancing and conversions from Steam Heating to Electrical Heating.

 In 2006 Denton Joined Groote Schuur Hospital as a Chief Industrial Technician to run the Medical Gas Department.  He was appointed as Acting Chief Engineer in 2011, aged 33, and remains as the Head of Engineering to this day.

 He has a drive and passion that focusses on the motivation of his Staff by giving the Staff ownership as well as the freedom to explore the developments of their specific Trades.  This has resulted in the unifying of the Engineering Department as well as the development of Innovation and change. This in turn has resulted in the Savings on Utility’s Drive that Denton has.

 The results of the Utility Savings Drive has cut the Water consumption and Coal consumption, this has led to a realised savings of 60% and 55% respectively.  There are now more ideas that Denton will be chasing in order to realise more savings.

Denton has, over the last 8 years, presented papers and posters as well as spoken on Webinars on a wide variety of topics ranging from; Utility Saving through Correct Maintenance and How Old Hospitals can “Go Green” to Sustainability through Mind Set Change.

 Due to the universal problem of Short Staff Denton approached the FET Collages and Groote Schuur Engineering is now seen as an accredited Practical training Company and has to date provided practical training to would-be Artisans in the Fields of Electrical, Building and Mechanical Engineering.