Job title and company: Retired. Previously Head of Maintenance and Shift Charge Engineer at Sizewell ‘A’ Nuclear Power Plant Number of years in the Nuclear Industry: 38 Number of years on the NPC: 10 Role within NPC: Past Member of Safety & Reliability Group
On leaving school, Roger joined the Central Electricity Generating Board as a Student Apprentice and undertook a four year Mechanical Engineering Degree Course at City University London. As an Apprentice Trainee he was based at Richborough Power Station (oil fired) in Kent and undertook work based training in the full scope of electricity supply disciplines including System Operation, Transmission Maintenance, Power Plant Operations and Maintenance, Chemistry etc.
Subsequently Roger spent the greater part of his career in the nuclear sector of the industry supervising plant operations at Dungeness ‘A’ Nuclear Power Station, Kent and Sizewell ‘A’ Nuclear Power Station, Suffolk. Nonetheless, throughout he regularly took the opportunity to gain experience of project activities. At Dungeness he undertook the supervision of a contract for the decontamination and refurbishment of irradiated fuel pond equipment and at Sizewell he undertook two periods of work with the Outage Planning Team of 6-12 months duration, the second of which included the co-ordination of installation and commissioning work for a replacement Generator T/X1.
For Continuing Professional Development, Roger undertook Modern Power Station Practice distance learning courses, completed an Open University MBA in Technology Management and participated in Institution activities.
Roger currently enjoys retirement, but is open to further involvement in industry.
Favourite engineering innovation: The Tidal Barrage at La Rance (50 years of reliable energy and it’s a bridge!) and Magnetic Levitation (MagLev). Person I most admire: Ed Wallis, as he knew how to run a successful Electricity Supply Business. Top tip for a career in the Nuclear Industry: Learn the basics of management and apply your teamworking skills as very little can be achieved without the assistance of others.