As a generator technician within the field service department of Alstom Power you are expected to work on the tools as well as supervise. My duties would include signing on to relevant safety documents for my working parties, setting each working party to work, making sure all relevant risk assessments method statements and point of work risk assessments are filled out and accurate. I would also be responsible for liaising with the client, peer checking, interpreting actual and design figures to check for deviations from specification, acquisition of spares and completing complex mechanical fitting & measuring tasks.

During a particularly busy period in the working year I was asked to work as the lead engineer on Heysham 2 Nuclear power station. The job was to complete a statutory inspection of all bearings within the train and a hydrogen seal inspection. Due to site spares issues & both hydrogen seals failing critical inspections, it made the work scope very difficult to complete with the allotted time frame. However, working together with the client we were able to implement some quick turnaround initiatives and we were able to bring their machine online, with no issues on time. My duties within this role included, advising the client on ways forward, completing reports with recommendations on which is the best way forward, supplying technical feedback on any components out of specification, logistics, estimation of timescales for emergent work, acquisition of specialist external contractors aswell as all my other duties as a generator technician.

Junior engineer within the generator department of Alstom Power. Within this role i was trained as a nominated competent person and a nominated supervisor which allowed me to be responsible for working parties and sign on permits/safety documents. My job involved the complete repair, overhaul and maintenance of large industrial generators ranging from 350MW-600MW. This included strip down, inspection, overhaul and refitting of all components associated with a generator and its auxiliaries.

This was a formal apprenticeship with Alstom Power which consisted of 4 years training. During this 4 years I would gain a level 3 national certificate in mechanical engineering, a level 5 higher national certificate in mechanical engineering and a level 2 & 3 NVQ in engineering technical support. During this apprenticeship I spent a lot of time working on clients coal & nuclear power stations learning how to strip, inspect & overhaul large steam turbines. I also spent some time in various sections of the workshops including research & development, valves, rotors, diaphragms & blading. It was during this apprenticeship that i honed my skills in precision measuring, fitting and machining.