I have worked in most electrical fields, from shop fitting to heavy industry and having worked for Agencies, very small firms and large international firms like GEC, C.B.M./ Media J.V, and John Laing. I have a wide working knowledge. And will try to expand information on the major areas, but since this CV is not tailored it can only include the major skills acquired, beginning with the least complex.

• Cable pulling on large sites, including petrol/chemical
• Alarm installation in BT Telephone exchanges.
• Shop fitting mainly large stores.
• Auto electrics mainly when working as an ex-pat.
• Pat testing including down-loading to PC
• Insulation testing and maintenance, mainly on commercial building
• Panel wiring mainly for power stations and petrol/chemical
• Pumps, from complete pumping stations to maintenance and repair of Pumps.
• Low and high speed production lines, installation and maintenance with PLC and Inverter controls plus older DC motors
• Unusual voltage controls i.e. Tunnel boring machines.

I have also worked on many systems, which are not normally covered by electricians because of location or special needs of the business. i.e. when working as a tunnel boring machine electrician I installed and repaired the telephone system and worked on the railway locos or, when needed have completed site repairs of PMR radios, and photo-state machines.

Laing O'Rourke

Working on the new Terminal 5 Heathrow Airport. I was to maintain the ELBA Batching Plant. But as with so many jobs this expanded, and I found myself again with computer biased work, looking after the ICS Black box system to control who could drive large plant, and data monitoring on generators for the many tower cranes etc.

Jeyes UK Limited

Low speed production lines for bottle filling and packing the solid and liquid toiletries and the mixing and delivering of gels, waxes, and crystal products using PLC, and inverters etc. Mostly to same standards as the food industry.   

Hertel Services( Ex Project Engineering)

Mainly within the food industry maintaining and modifying food processing machines from Powered milk and butter manufacture to cheese packing plants. Also working in process wood, paper, concrete and contractors plant industry.

Ruthin Precast Concrete

One of the hardest yet most rewarding jobs I have had. The company has changed hands and the old owners had let the premises go to ruin. No records had been kept and my first task was to set up PAT testing and Fixed Appliance Testing. Also new machines were being fitted in a new shed, which required lighting and powering, plus the programs writing for the new PLC. Although similar programs had been written for the other machines this was more complicated and required double the steps to control, having (720 steps when completed).

Bailey Telecom Ltd

I was originally employed because of my knowledge of containment methods, unlike most alarm systems we were not allowed un-contained cables, I was promoted to a No1 Alarm engineer and was then senior man on site. Our job was to install the OBASS system into BT building, replacing their original access and alarm system. There were of course many special problems working in live exchange buildings. The job included ordering materials, accounting for time etc. Each site lasting between 2 days and 3 weeks with 2 to 5 staff.

John Laing Construction plc. Laing G.T.M. Ltd. Laing-Mowlem-A.R.C. Joint Venture Ltd. (about 8 contacts)

My employment on the Falklands Airport began in May 1984 as a "Plant Electrician" repairing "anything electrical". The contract was very varied and I found myself repairing many different items of plant giving me a vast experience. I was initially on the main contract at Mount Pleasant Airport (although this is a military airport it has international status with baggage handling facilities etc), then continued on the Maintenance Contract working on normal airport systems such as A.G.L. I was often flown out to the remote parts of the Islands and expected to repair the plant mechanically, electrically, and weld if it were necessary on the other military installations. The contract was about to go out again for tender so when I was offered a transfer to Sizewell because of my specialist knowledge of Auto Electric's, I left to take up that post in Nov. 1988. At Sizewell I was solely responsible for their vehicles. I also worked on other plant, including maintenance of tower cranes, batching plants, placing booms, concrete mixers, re-bar, bending machines & concrete pumps. I later also took charge of first line repairs on the 300 site ICOM U16 PMR radios in use, attending a specialist course in Cardiff for this. On completion of the Laing contract I transferred to GEC at Sizewell. Moved back to Laing at their Seven Bridge contract to maintain their mobile plant electrical systems. In recognition of my special skills I was given charge hand status. Because of the site internal structure I was registered as a charge hand mechanic, not electrician, so that I could receive bonuses not paid to electricians. I was loath to leave this interesting job working on specialised plant such as 200 ton Straddle Carriers, but my wife's accident meant I had to find work close to home for a while. Returned in 2003 to Laing O'Rourke Services Limited at Terminal 5 Heathrow.

GEC Alsthom Turbine Generators Ltd. GEC A. Large Steam Turbines (2 contracts)

I transferred, on the completion of contract to Messrs. GEC in May 1990 as an "Advanced Electrician" (under the NAECI agreement). The firm was responsible for the supply and installation of the two 600 MW Turbine generators at Sizewell "B" nuclear power station. I was employed to repair and maintain various welding sets including Esab, BOC & Murex, and to carry out electronic card repair. As the contract progressed I undertook work on instrumentation and worked on the pre-heating and stress relief of the Cr/Mo steel pipes, calculating and preparing the wraps. As redundancies were announced I was invited to work for Laing GTM on the Seven Bridge. I returned to GEC on their Connah's Quay Power Station project, again involved with all aspects, but taking over the welding pre-heating and routine maintenance on the building of 4 combined cycle Gas/Steam 425 MVA generators, working on the steam and generator side of contract.

Convatec & Kimberly-Clark (main PLC and inverter experience)

I worked via an agency for Kimberly-Clark at their Sealand mill, and was employed to both run and maintain a PLC controlled conveyer system, manufacturing with paper, glue and plastics. I received training on these systems and the general factory air conditioning system, a large amount of pneumatic control was used both air pressure and vacuum systems for which I have a good working knowledge. On contract end I was made redundant. Working in Convatec via a Technical support specialist, (AT Group) . Employed in Convatec's factory in Deeside, working on a series of production lines with inverters and PLC control, mainly Satt, also using other makes, a mixture of heat and radio frequency plastic film welding units. Most of the machines ran with a series of compressed air rams and other pneumatic control systems so required a working knowledge of pneumatics. I have worked at Iceland PLC, FMT, GmbH, and Bradford Soap PLC, also via Agency.

A.O.C. International (4 contracts)

I moved to A.O.C., on a short contract, when needed at home as my wife had injured her back. I was employed as an installation electrician at the new Gas terminal at Point of Ayr and was involved in most installation processes, such as earth rod installation and testing, glanding, cable pulling etc. and was instructed in the use of the barrier glands used by the gas industry. I returned to A.O.C. on the Schiehallion Project in Harland & Wolff Belfast, where I spent a lot of time on computer related work, then I moved back home to work on a two Shut-downs, returning to the Point of Ayr, then at ICI Runcorn, working on 4 different Plants. For this I took my E.C.I.T.B. exam getting my Safety Passport (SCATS).

NACAP B.V. (about 10 contracts)

Algeria. Joining this Dutch company in 1980 I was employed on the lift and re-lay of 510 km of 42 inch pipeline. I was moved around Algeria both as the contract progressed and to advise and assist in other contracts, and was quite often placed on camps being erected or disassembled due to my ability to cover both electrical and mechanical faults. Employed as a Plant Electrician I worked on many types of plant. Initially employed on an 8-week contract, I spent two and a half years with the company transferring from the lift and re-lay to a refurbishment contract.

I started with S.L.D. in 1979 engaged on Submersible Pump and Forest City Traffic light installation and maintenance. Due to my extensive knowledge previously of traffic lights they were brought in from other depots for me to repair the logic boards. I was trained by this company at their parent depot to repair their fleet of pumps. The experience gained here has been added to in the years since, including concrete pumps. I have designed and installed de-watering systems with Laing and surveyed and designed modifications to many pumping stations for North West Water on their trench2 refurbish program working for the AT group

Working on the refurbishment of the "Next" shop in Chester, via Hays Montrose (agency). Employed to Remove 95% of existing electric's and replace. This was a part-trading refit so involved temporary supplies being installed to keep tills and shop lights working. I also worked on new shops, Sainsbury’s in Edinburgh, Super Shopper and Argos in Birkenhead.

This position was accepted on a twelve month contract, but within four and a half months the Contract had run into difficulties and the whole work force (over 100 men) was made redundant. A very challenging position where as a team of 5 engineers, working a shift system, we had to adapt an unsuitable tunnel boring machine to work in unfavourable conditions, and supervise the Cantonese work force on both surface maintenance work, and with the T.B.M.

Auto-Electric’s & Generation (a number of small firms)

Having gained experience on some of the large contracts, I have from time to time worked for small firms as an auto-electrician, since my apprenticeship with the County Council was multi-skilled I have been able to gain Collage qualifications in this field. This has also given me a very good insight into power generation, and I have worked on mobile generators from 1.5 to 750KVA on many sites including synchronous operation with as many as 10 of the larger 750KVA Petbow generators supplying a site via a 3.3 KV main distribution system. Plus simple 3.5KVA supply for site huts.

On contracts abroad I have been requested to use my skills to assist the local community. This has been very interesting where standard methods would not work, (as when I fitted lights to a farmhouse in the Falklands and used ex-bus lighting and Ni/iron batteries to ensure the lights worked independent of the generator). I have combined electrical and mechanical skills to correct mechanical faults with electrical changes, saving both time and possible return of the problem. I have learnt to think rather than follow standard procedures and adapt where special circumstances dictated and safety allowed. In all, I can say, I really enjoy a challenge!