Profile

I am from Upminster in Essex originally but have lived in lots of places in the UK including Exeter, Grimsby, Falkirk in Scotland and Cambridge.

I now live near Bath in Wiltshire with my family. We have a very hairy dog who loves to go on walks in the fields or near the river. I love to watch Race Around the World and hopefully go to the places they visit. I like camping and holidays near the sea especially Greek islands. In the lockdown I am learning how to bake cakes.

I am interested in space especially recent Space X launch to the International Space Station and also more recently learning more about history which I never did at school.

My job is as Senior Manufacturing Engineer for Johnson Matthey manufacturing hydrogen fuel cells used to power cars, buses, forklift trucks and also back up power for hospitals and shopping malls with no harmful emissions to the environment only water.

This involves making new products, improving quality, reducing cost and increasing throughput. I have to talk to many different people from around the world eg. Korea or USA.

Another major part of my role is Process Safety since we use chemicals and processes which have risks that need controlling so no one is hurt.

When I arrive at work at 8.30 I now have my temperature checked and put handgel on my hands before entering the factory. I have to leave my mobile phone in a locker due to security. I speak to the people on the production lines to see if they have any problems. The factory works 24 hours a day. I check my emails and then work on my projects which vary from improving the quality of our products,  to improving the safety of making a catalyst. I have lunch at 1pm keeping a distance of 2m from my work colleagues. I then have meetings on Microsoft Teams which is like zoom with work colleagues, some of whom are at home.

I have then to review data on our raw materials which we buy from suppliers around the world eg. Japan. We have laboratories in the factory to test this.

I then have meetings with one of our customers in the USA near New York. We sell fuel cells to them and they then put them together, in another factory, into units to sell to customers around the world. I finish at 5pm and have to pass through security like in an airport to check I have no precious metals (platinum), which is used in our fuel cells and drive home again.