Institution news
Jennifer Gilmour is a Senior Mechanical Engineer at Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd, who is responsible for mechanical processes and procedures across the site and will be sharing her experience with attendees of the Institution’s upcoming Nuclear Materials seminar.
Q: Could you briefly explain your role, involvement and experience with regards to this seminar?
Jennifer Gilmore (JG): I’m the Senior Mechanical Engineer within the Technical & Governance Team and the Site Senior Advisor for Lifting and Pressure Systems. My role is to maintain the site mechanical processes and procedures, fulfil the Intelligent Customer role and support the various projects. I am required to advise on all areas from design of equipment and operation to maintenance and decommissioning with regards to mechanical engineering, lifting operations and pressure systems. We recently had to undertake a major programme of recovery after a material failure incident on-site. I was part of the initial investigation team and have been heavily involved with the recovery works. My presentation revolves around this Case Study; which I believe has lessons to share with wider industry.
Q: What are the main engineering challenges facing the industry at the moment?
JG: The industry is constantly evolving and technology is advancing at a phenomenal rate; software which has recently been installed can be out of date within months (if not days), trying to get hold of spare parts for older equipment is becoming increasingly difficult and ensuring knowledge retention is captured are some of the daily challenges faced by the industry. One of the major challenges we face is ensuring that we can continue to operate and carryout out day-to-day business with some of the aging assets we have on our site. I know this challenge is faced by all across the board and as such there is a great opportunity for us to pull our collective knowledge and resources to overcome these challenges. Ultimately we need to ensure the safety, security and reliability of our personnel, our plant and the environment.
Q: What key topics are you excited to speak about?
JG: I’m looking forward to passing on the lessons we have recently learned due to a recent material failure incident to the wider industry in the hope that we can reduce the possibility of a recurrence elsewhere.
Q: What are the most common issues you hear from colleagues?
JG: Aging asset management and the challenges associated with it are always high on the agenda. Material issues become more prevalent in poorly maintained assets and costs of recovery are higher – however evolving programmes, financial constraints, environmental conditions and time challenges all need to be taken into consideration. This is a very difficult balancing act to undertake. It is not impossible but a level of ingenuity is required, which only comes from a mixture of qualifications, experience and technical understanding. Getting the right mix can take time.
Q: Who else are you most interested in hearing from on the programme?
JG: I think the Panel Discussion could be very interesting and I’m intrigued by Paul Whiteside’s talk on long term design life.
Q: What are your top tips when tackling a new challenge?
JG: When undertaking a new challenge I always advise taking a few moments to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. It’s very easy to get tunnel vision and focus in on small details. Ensuring you understand how everything fits together will allow a more productive environment.
Don’t be afraid to have a Plan B, learn from your mistakes and those of others and always ask for help/advice if you need it. No-one knows all the answers but collectively we have a higher chance of success.
Finally – never be afraid to stop the job should you feel it is unsafe.
Q: Why is it important for engineers to join the Nuclear Materials seminar?
JG: I believe the Nuclear Materials seminar offers the opportunity for us to learn and share experiences which will benefit not only ourselves, our colleagues and companies but also future engineers. As engineers, we never stop learning.
Q: What developments are you most interested in for the future and why?
JG: I’m curious to see how all the advances in virtual technology shape design moving forward. Camera technology combined with drones is opening new doors for maintenance and inspection. New materials are making their way from research labs into everyday life. Things that were once Science Fiction are now Science Fact – who knows what tomorrows engineers will come up with.
About Nuclear Materials
This one-day seminar, which takes place on 3 October 2018 in Manchester, sets out to discuss in-operation materials challenges experienced by the current UK generating fleet and how to effectively manage them. Join to hear best practice and case study presentations from Office of Nuclear Regulation, EDF Energy, Rolls-Royce Submarines, UKAEA, Sellafield Ltd and more.
Attendees will gain key insights into the best ways to assess and investigate problems and take home effective solutions to prevent accidents throughout plants’ life-cycle.
Early Bird ends Friday 10 August 2018. For full event details and to book your place, please visit the event website.