Meet our Process Safety Engineer: Craig Paterson

What is your job title and responsibilities?

My job title is Process Safety Engineer and I’m responsible for a portion of the engineering consultancy work. For me, this includes tasks such as scribing workshops, writing reports and procedures, and more. I am also responsible for contributing to the development of our product, HAZOP.AI.

What does a normal workday look like for you?

A typical workday for me starts with a quick check-in with the team and checking my emails and other communication channels for any updates or new tasks. I then take a few minutes to prioritise my work and create a rough plan for the day ahead.  One of the best things about my job is that no two days are the same. I am involved in a range of tasks and projects, which keeps things interesting and means that I am constantly learning and growing. So, while my day starts with a plan, it often needs adapting to accommodate this.

What talents or skills does someone in this job need to have?

The following skills and talents are critical for someone in my role as a Process Safety Engineer:  Problem-solving: The ability to analyse and find solutions to complex problems is essential. Eagerness to learn: Already in my short time here I have learnt a lot, and being keen to learn is crucial. As technologies and processes evolve it is important for someone in my position to continuously learn and stay up to date. In addition to these skills, self-motivation and the ability to efficiently manage working on multiple projects simultaneously are very useful.

What do you like most about your job?

The thing I like most about the job is probably the variety of work that I have been involved in. It has been great to just get stuck into the work and it has already led me to contribute to some fascinating projects. The variety of the job has meant that I’m always learning, and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. It also doesn’t hurt that I’m working with a great team.

If you had an unnecessary superpower, what would it be?

I already have an unnecessary superpower to instantly stop my own hiccups. So, if I could expand my unnecessary superpower, I’d like to also stop others’ hiccups with the same ease.

What do you want to achieve by 2028?

There’s a lot happening in the near future that I’m excited about, I’m submitting a paper for and presenting at the process safety conference Hazards 33 and we’re continuing development of our AI products. There’s a lot going on and I honestly don’t know what I might achieve even by the end of the year.

However, by 2028 I’d like to be chartered and at senior engineer level. I’d like to see where our work with AI takes us and to still be working with it. I’m also looking forward to our small team expanding further to include more engineers and as a result working on some larger projects that require a larger team.

What has been your favourite project to work on so far?

Although I’ve worked on some very interesting engineering projects so far, my favourite project has been my work on HAZOP.AI and other related AI work. I have learned so much in a very short time and it’s giving me the opportunity to do a lot of things, like submitting a paper for and presenting at Hazards 33.