Profile

I have worked for the same company for 25 years but have changed jobs a lot in that time.  I have worked in research and development of new glues and have looked after the safety of chemicals in our laboratories.

After work i like to run or walk on the beach or around our lovely countryside.  I also love a cake after these activities!!

Part of my work is classifying the hazards of chemicals, this means i identify how dangerous chemicals are and advise our development teams on safer alternatives that they could use.  There are lots of regulations around this so i have to check on the laws around this topic which are different for each country and change sometimes.

Another part of of my work is looking at the materials and chemicals we use and seeing if we can make some from plants or from recycled plastics.  I also work on the carbon footprint of our business and see if we can make products using less energy.

My work hours change depending if it is my turn to take our children to school.  When i start early at about 7am, i may have a meeting with colleagues in India or China.  If its a day i start later i will work later and have a call in the afternoon with colleagues in Mexico, USA or Canada.

Our materials are used to make wind turbines, trains, cars, bridges or even caravans!

I ask people how they are running projects to use less energy or use more sustainable materials.  They tell me what they are doing and i may offer advice and manage the project for them.

I may look at some data or perform risk assessments on chemicals to ensure we are handling them safely.  Sometimes i teach other people how to look at data.  Sometimes i set up new systems and processes to make work easier.