operations engineer - march/april 2014 [pdf - 2mb]

OperationsMarch/April 2014 www.soe.org.uk

SOE, industry and regional news and events

Partners in development

SOE’s Corporate Partner scheme accreditscompanies’ and organisations’ in-housetraining programmes, ensuring they meethigh industry standards and deliverprofessional development to employees andstudents. The resulting recognition ofcompetence gives these individuals accessto professional registration with theEngineering Council, strenghtening theirstatus as engineering professionals.

SOE’s development manager, RogerO’Loughlin, explains: “Competent employersand training providers want to know thetraining they offer meets the high standardsthey expect their employees and students to

deliver. This is what SOE provides throughCorporate Partnership, which wasdeveloped from the Society’s olderAcademic and Industry Partnerships. SOEoffers its Partners independent accreditationof training schemes, giving them a mark ofquality assurance which strengthensorganisation-wide CPD. This accreditationresults in employees and trainees gainingstraightforward access to professionalregistration with the Engineering Council, aform of professional recognition that SOEhas long supported.”

First to sign up to the new scheme wasHSB Engineering Insurance. HSB has a

national network of engineer surveyorsproviding statutory inspections of equipmentacross all industry types in the UK andIreland. With HSB signed up to CorporatePartnership, the company’s in-house trainingwill undergo review and accreditation, andHSB engineer surveyors will have a directroute to professional registration atIncorporated Engineer (IEng) andEngineering Technician (EngTech) levels.

Peter Milton, managing director,engineering division at HSB EngineeringInsurance commented: “Operational

A new scheme from the Society of Operations Engineers is helping engineering firms and trainingproviders demonstrate competence and access professional development.

In this issue: meet your new membership manager, page 3; female engineers - are you out there? page 5,news from the regions, page 6; long service recognised, page 11, and more.

continued on page 2

An engineer surveyor from HSB Engineering Insurance on another inspection job

Engineer

2 March/April 2014 Operations Engineer

The Society of Operations Engineers (SOE) is a membership organisationencompassing the Professional Sectors ofIRTE, IPlantE and BES. SOE representsover 14,000 individuals and companies inthe engineering industry and is committedto the on-going growth and personaldevelopment of its members.

HEAD OFFICE�22 Greencoat Place, London SW1P 1PRT: 020 7630 1111 F: 020 7630 6677www.soe.org.uk

Patron: Sir Moir Lockhead OBE

Chief Executive: Peter Walsh

EDITORIAL�Dee McCurry: [email protected]

HEAD OFFICE CONTACTS�Membership: [email protected] 020 7630 6666To pay membership by credit/debit cardcall 0845 054 9944 (UK only)Regional liaison: [email protected] irtec: [email protected] Workshop Accreditation:[email protected]: [email protected] office: [email protected]: [email protected]/car park hire: [email protected]

PROFESSIONAL SECTORS�SOE Trustee Board 2013-2014President: Gerry FlemingImmediate Past President: Garry GilbyPresident Elect & Honorary Treasurer:Shaun StephensonVice President & Chair of the IRTE PSC: Michael SweetmoreVice President & Chair of the IPlantE PSC: Ian JacksonVice President & Chair of the BES PSC: Alan FitzpatrickHonorary Secretary: Howard SeymourChair of Membership & ProfessionalStandards Committee: Jim FullerChair of IRTE Services Ltd: Chris GrimeElected Board member: John EastmanElected Board member: Amanda FosterElected Board member: Peter Reed

REGISTRATION DETAILS�Registered in England.Company No.3667147Registered Charity No.1081753A Licensed member of the Engineering Council and Society for the Environment

PRINTERS�PensordPontllanfraith, Blackwood, NP12 2YA

© THE SOCIETY OF OPERATIONSENGINEERS ISSN 1743-3983The Society accepts no responsibility forthe accuracy of the articles in OperationsEngineer, which are received from manysources in good faith.

SOE NEWS

excellence and technical expertise are at the heart of ourbusiness and we believe that membership of the SOE CorporatePartner scheme recognises our commitment to the continual

professional development of our engineer surveyors, ensuring that they have the highestprofessional standards in the industry.”

SOE offers Corporate Partnership to companies and academic institutions affiliatedwith road transport, plant and engineer surveying. For more information [email protected] or call 020 7630 6666.

continued from page 1

SOE AGM 2014Please note that the sixteenth Annual GeneralMeeting of the Society of Operations Engineerswill be held at SOE’s offices at 22 Greencoat Place,London SW1P 1PR, on 22 July starting at 4.15pm.

SOE president, Gerry Fleming, pictured at last year’s AGM

Manufacturing superstars: Entriesfor the 2014 Best Factory Awards, theOscars of the UK manufacturing world,have now opened. Entrants mustcomplete a self-audit, which triggers afree benchmarking report from CranfieldSchool of Management worth over£1,500. Successful sites will be visitedby the Cranfield judging team to assesswhether the facts match the figures. Ifyou have a factory that can demonstratemarket-leading skills development,innovation and operational excellence,go to www.bestfactoryawards.co.uk tothrow your hat in the ring.

Celebrating military engineers:The prestigious Churchill Medal is nowopen for submissions. The medal isawarded on behalf of sevenProfessional Engineering Institutions(PEIs) including SOE, and the 2013/14award will recognise an individual orteam for engineering and technicaladvancement within military operationsduring April 2013 to March 2014.Nominations close on 30 April, go towww.theiet.org/armed-forces to findout more. Congratulations to the2012/13 Churchill Medal winner,Captain Pip Lines (pictured above) fromthe Royal Electrical and MechanicalEngineers (REME). Captain Lines wasthe electrical & mechanical engineeringofficer with the Kings Royal Hussars inHelmand Province where shecommanded the Combined Force

Lashkar Gah Light Aid Detachment.She was awarded the medal for herdelivery of unprecedented levels ofengineering support for militaryvehicles, weapons and other equipmentemployed across the Lashkar GahDistrict.

Shout about it: If you’ve entered orbeen nominated for the City & GuildsProfessional Recognition Awards we’dlove to hear from you and find out moreabout your achievements. The awardswere developed for those at the highestprofessional levels within their chosencareers, and include Licentiateship(LCGI), Affiliateship (AfCGI),Graduateship (GCGI) and Membership(MCGI). Email [email protected] call 020 7630 6666 to let us knowhow you get on.

Engineeringawards

Captain Pip Lines was awarded the ChurchillMedal 2012/13 for her delivery of engineeringsupport in Helmand Province

Do you know an exceptional SOEvolunteer who deserves to becelebrated by their Society? TheVolunteer of the Year award is open toall SOE volunteers excluding those onthe Trustee Board, and nominationsmust be made by another member ofSOE. If you’d like to nominate someonefor this year’s award go to My SOE todownload an application form.

Entries should include a briefsummary of why your nomineedeserves to be named Volunteer of theYear 2014, with examples of theirachievements. Return the completedform to Oliver Teasell [email protected] or call 020 76306666 for more information. The deadlinefor entries is 31 July.

Last year’s winner was John Gallenwho volunteers with BES in NorthernIreland. John was nominated by fellow

volunteers because of his enthusiasm inorganising and promoting events forBES across his region.

March/April 2014 Operations Engineer 3

Celebrating SOE’s volunteersNominations are now open for SOE’s Volunteer of the Year, the award recognising the hard work ofthe individuals within the Society committed to raising the profile and standards of engineering.

SOE NEWS

Meet your membership manager

My father was a science teacher so I wasconstantly exposed to chemistryexperiments, laboratories and site visitsfrom an early age. In high school I focusedmy studies on mathematics and science,but it was only after consulting a relativewho was a structural engineer that Idecided to pursue engineering as acareer. The thought of being able tocomplete a calculation in an office andthen see that calculation and design beingapplied on site was what attracted me.

My first role after graduating with adegree in civil engineering from theUniversity of Western Australia was withthe Water Corporation of WA within theasset management group. I assessedwater treatment, wastewater plants andan endless amount of valves: gate, globe,sluice…you name it, I looked at it. Fromthis position I moved into projectengineering, managing site constructionactivities first in the road transport sectorfor CSR and then the mining sector forThiess.

I moved to the UK seven years agoand gained structural design experience

working on the King’s Crossredevelopment project with Arup. Ireturned to the mining industry when Ijoined GBM Minerals EngineeringConsultants as a structural engineerbefore moving into the role of contractsengineer. Here I was responsible for thepurchase and expediting of plant,

materials and equipment for constructionactivities in projects around the world.

I now come to SOE with a broadrange of experience touching within eachof its three sectors – road, plant andengineer surveying. I’m excited about mynew role. The Society is going through aperiod of development and to be part ofthat challenge is a great opportunity.

I’ll be looking at membership growthand retention with a focus on membershipengagement through smoother customerservice, Continuing ProfessionalDevelopment (CPD) involvement andevents, and a more transparent andsupported path to competencyassessment. I’ll also be assisting insupporting SOE’s public image.

As a female engineer I’m also awareof the diversity challenges experiencedby engineering societies. I believeengineering is a fantastic career thatoffers so many different opportunities,and people, particularly parents, need tobe made aware of that. This issomething I look forward to contributingto in my new role.

SOE recently welcomed civil engineer Rachel Grace as the Society’s new membership andprofessional standards manager. Here she outlines her background in the engineering world and herthoughts on her new role.

Rachel plans to have a major focus onmembership engagement in her new role

Volunteer of the Year 2013 John Gallen addresses attendees of the SOE Lunch


SOE NEWS

The deadline is fast approaching to put yourself forward forelection to SOE’s governing bodies.

Beat the nominations deadline

Could you be the change you want to see at SOE? We’re seeking doers,thinkers and leaders to step up and run for election to SOE’s Trustee Boardand Professional Sector Councils (PSCs). Return your completednomination by Friday 18 April to make it count.

Joining SOE’s governing bodies means you’ll be influencing how yourSociety is run, and have direct input on issues that affect you and otherswithin the engineering profession. To stand for election, simply nominateyourself and name two voting members of SOE (i.e. Members, Fellows andHon Fellows) as proposers and seconders.

Nominations are required for SOE’s Trustee Board (two vacancies); andthe PSCs of IRTE (four vacancies), IPlantE (four vacancies) and BES (threevacancies). Those who are elected receive CPD credits for their time spentdeveloping their sector, and receive expenses for travel.

SOE’s election process uses the single transferable vote, and votingmembers may vote in the elections for the Trustee Board and their ownPSC. For nomination forms and supporting details, [email protected], call 020 7630 1111, or write to SOE, 22 GreencoatPlace, London SW1P 1PR.

Gearing up for the Challenge This summer’s IRTE Skills Challenge, IRTE’s annual competition for bus and coach technicians, isgathering steam as eight new companies have signed up to be first-time competitors.

London United training manager DerekMills attended the testing at last summer’sIRTE Skills Challenge to see what thecompetition involves. He liked what hesaw, and as a result the company decidedto take up the challenge in 2014. Dereksays: “London United sees the IRTE SkillsChallenge as an opportunity for ourengineers to compete with their oppositenumbers from other companies to allow forcomparison within our industry.Competitions like this allow us and ourengineers to gauge whether our companyis keeping abreast of technologies andbest practices within our industry.”

Fellow London bus company TowerTransit is also entering the ring this year.Engineering director Alan Coney explainswhy his company wanted to take up thechallenge: “The IRTE Skills Challenge hasbecome a must-do event for any bus andcoach operator keen to give theirengineering people the opportunity toshowcase their skills in a controlled andcompetitive environment. Tower Transit isvery new to bus operations in the UK and Iconsider it important that any progressivecompany takes the opportunity to activelyparticipate in events such as the SkillsChallenge.”

Steve Prewett, area engineeringmanager for Go South Coast hasentered teams in the competition for thelast two years running: “As an operator inthe public transport sector it’s essential ourvehicles are maintained to the very higheststandard. One way of judging the successof our training programme against the restof the industry is the IRTE Skills Challenge.The Skills Challenge has also ignitedinterest throughout the rest of Go SouthCoast Companies. I’m being asked tosubmit more than one team this year. Thatshould ignite some intercompany rivalrywithin the group.”

Other first-time competitors Abellio,Coastal Coaches, Gwyn Jones & Son Ltd,Paul Clark Services Ltd and TransdevLancashire United will join competitionstalwarts Arriva, First Group, Go AheadLondon, London Borough of Redbridgeand Translink. Sponsored by AllisonTransmission, Bridgestone, Knorr-Bremseand Shell Lubricants, the competition hasgreat prizes from Teng Tools up for grabsand will take place at S&B AutomotiveAcademy, Bristol in the first week of June.

As a Trustee Board member of the SOE,I’m making a plea for other femaleengineers to share their experiences andsuccesses with our readers. My aim is toget our younger generation, and femalesin particular, interested in engineering byinspiring them to strive for more. Over theyears I have been inspired by otherfemale engineers within various strandsof engineering but sadly we are still verymuch a minority.

I currently work as an engineeringofficer in the British Army. Serving withinthe Royal Electrical and MechanicalEngineers (REME) over the last 23 years Ihave largely specialised in automotiveengineering and engineering leadership.Operating within such a well-knownorganisation means I am fortunateenough to work with amazingly diversepeople on a broad variety of projectsboth in the UK and overseas. Comingfrom an underprivileged background myjourney to get to this point has beenchallenging but very rewarding; joiningthe Army was not an option for me but a

way of surviving. As one of the first five female vehicle

mechanics to join REME, I am still hereopening doors for others that share mypassion for engineering. I left school withvery little in terms of qualifications orknowledge about engineering; and mychosen profession has enabled me todevelop both professionally andpersonally. I now have an MSc inengineering and management and haverecently gained a Professional Certificatein Education (Cert Ed). Additionally, I aman ambassador for the Bloodhound SSCSTEM Project, spreading the engineeringword to children - what better way to dothat than with the world’s fastestsupersonic car?

In addition to my qualifications, beinga member of a Professional EngineeringInstitute and being registered with theEngineering Council as an IncorporatedEngineer (IEng) and with the Society forthe Environment as a CharteredEnvironmentalist (CEnv) have given methe credibility to make engineering

decisions in the most demandingsituations.

When I say “I’m an engineer” it raiseseyebrows, people want to know more. Ibelieve that an inquisitive mind coupledwith a have-a-go attitude and a hard-work ethos are vital to becoming asuccessful engineer. I have seen first-hand the benefits that engineers of alldisciplines can bring to society in termsof sustainable development and quality oflife. I’m also aware that the experiencesthat led me to choosing a career inengineering are not typical; I just grabbedan opportunity to better myself.

If you have a story that will inspireother females to become engineers thenplease contact me on the SOE FemaleEngineers Forum atwww.soe.org.uk/discussion-forum/female-engineers-forum


SOE NEWS

Addressing the gender gap

Female engineersare you out there?When it comes to the percentage of engineering jobs held bywomen, the UK lags well behind the rest of the EU coming inat around 8%. This gender imbalance is reflected in SOEwhere of some 13,000 members, less than 1% are female.Amanda Foster, Trustee Board member and Fellow of SOE andIRTE, is a long-time champion of female engineers. Here sheasks other female members of SOE to get involved inencouraging more women into the industry and intoprofessional membership.

National Women in Engineering Dayfalls on 23 June this year. The day isaimed at raising the profile of womenin engineering and encouraging moregirls and female students to considerit as a career. Governmental groups,educational bodies, companies,Professional Engineering Institutionsand individual engineers are allencouraged to promote theopportunities for women inengineering.

Businesses and educational

bodies can support the day byarranging visits or talks for localschool children and students or byholding a STEM careers event.Female engineers could arrange tospeak at schools or colleges, orvolunteer as STEM Ambassadors.They’re also encouraged to tweetabout their job (#whatengineersdo),write a biography for the WES She’san Engineer feature or blog about thework they do on the SOE FemaleEngineers Forum (see story above for

the web address).For more info on what you can do,

go to www.wes.org.uk/nwed or call01438 765506.

Amanda was one of the first five female vehiclemechanics to join REME


REGIONAL NEWS

The SCOTTISH AYRSHIRE CENTRE’s December meeting involved an enjoyablevisit to the Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust. Eighteen members of the centre weretreated to a presentation from Ian Walker, one of the organisation’s trustees, andexplored the workshops where vintage buses, trucks, fire brigade vehicles and carsare restored. The guests saw vehicles in every stage of restoration, from strippeddown bare chassis to complete restoration. Those present felt the work carried outby the Trust in keeping the history of vintage vehicles alive is commendable, with thecost of restoring one particular vehicle coming in at a total of £85,000 to date.

Vintage vehicles

The NORTHERN CENTRE began 2014with 46 members and guests enjoying aCPD lecture from WABCO field serviceengineer and technical trainer MartinMorris. Founded over 150 years ago,WABCO supplies technology and controlsystems for commercial and publicservice vehicles. Martin gave a breakdown

of major events within this history thatincluded the first commercial ABS systemin 1981, the introduction of EBS in 1996and the first EBS system to be used witha hybrid commercial or public servicevehicle in 2012.

Martin then moved on to present-dayproducts including clutch-driven aircompressors, tyre monitoring systems,intelligent trailer control systems andstability control programs. The part of theevening that had those present mostintrigued was the presentation onWABCO’s advanced driver assistancesystems including ACC Adaptive CruiseControl with active braking, the collisionmitigating system OnGuard, and the lane-departure warning system OnLane. The SCOTTISH AYRSHIRE

CENTRE’s January lecture took placeat the Fenwick Hotel, where local manJohn Kirkwood of Total Oils gave aninformative presentation on the subjectof lubricants to satisfy the requirementsof Euro 6 engines, explaining thecomplexities of meeting the emissiontargets of today and beyond.

The centre’s February lecture saw 15members and nine non-memberswelcome David Rae of WesternCommercials who gave an excellentpresentation on the new Mercedes BenzSprinter van range. Focussing on thehigh standards of safety and qualitywhich has come to be expected of thesevans, David explained the operation andbenefits of some of the high tech safetysystems such as ESP (electronic stabilityprogram), Crosswind assist and lanekeeping assistance.

Emissions targets andsprinters

Technology 2014 and beyond

(l-r) Martin Atkinson, Martin Morris of WABCO,hon Centre chair Scott Howard

Twenty-two members and guests, includingSOE chief exec Peter Walsh, attended atalk by Dean Watkins, general manager ofthe Midlands Metro at the MIDLANDSCENTRE’s February meeting. This 12.6mile light rail tram system opened in 1999and links Birmingham and Wolverhamptoncity centres using a combination of disusedrail and 'on road' tracks.

The 16 trams together with automaticticketing, signalling and ATP tram controlsystems worked well until wet weather ledto the malfunctioning ticketing and ATPsystems being abandoned. Operatingresponsibility passed to National Expresswhich now operates a 6- to 8-minutefrequency service 364 days a year. Footfall

at 5 million annual journeys has neverapproached the 20 million plus envisagedby planners, but it’s hoped a line extensionto Birmingham’s New Street station, due2015, together with 21 larger-capacitytrams will encourage greater usage.

Before Dean’s presentation, the centreheard from Peter Walsh. Peter remarkedthat one of his priorities was to encouragediversity of membership in age and gender,something with which the centre agrees.Peter then presented Brian Kelsall, thecentre’s former hon treasurer, with acertificate of appreciation. Brian has servedover 50 years of committee membershipmarked with his unstinting efforts topromote the interests of IRTE in general

and the Midlands Centre in particular. Brianhad a distinguished career in busoperations and has been a guiding light tothe Midlands Centre for longer than most ofits members can remember. Whilststepping down from the treasurer’s role hewill continue as a valued member of thecommittee where his dry wit and wisdomare much appreciated.

Midlands Metro

Man of the hour: Brian Kelsall receives a certificateof appreciation from Peter Walsh


It is with deep regret that the Society reports the passing of the following members.

OBITUARIES

HuntingdonMr E J Butler IEng MSOE MIRTE

North LondonMr M J Smith MSOE MIRTE

Sheffield & District Regional GroupMr L Hart MSOE MIPlantEMr I Scargill EngTech MSOE MIRTE

South EasternMr L E Chapman AMSOE AMIRTE

South Wales Regional GroupMr J P Thomas FSOE FIPlantE

SuffolkMr E C Burnham AMSOE AMIRTE

REGIONAL NEWS

The SHEFFIELD & DISTRICTREGIONAL GROUP once againsupported Sheffield Hallam University bysponsoring a student in their final year ofthe motor vehicle design technologycourse. The winning student was SardinianDavide Mellis (pictured below), who is nowemployed at the Advanced ManufacturingResearch Centre in Rotherham.

Both the NORTH LONDON andMANCHESTER & DISTRICT CENTREsreceived presentations from BernardClancy, of John Bruce (UK) Ltd, who spokeon the subject of MEI automatic slackadjusters. He described the developmentand operation of these devices, anddetailed procedures for installation,inspection and adjustment.

K Mulhall, sales engineering manager forMAN opened the February presentation toMANCHESTER & DISTRICT CENTREwith an introduction to the range ofvehicles the company produces. Hefollowed with a technical presentation onMAN’s answer to Euro 6 emissionslegislation.

Members of the NORTH LONDONCENTRE enjoyed a January presentationby Kelly Young of Motor Codes Ltd, theself-regulatory body for the automotivesector. Kelly explained the Code ofPractice for Service and Repair and theprocess of accreditation. She alsodescribed the Motor Code arbitrationscheme and its use in dealing withdissatisfied customers, explaining itssaving of cost and time by garages.

Vince Sharpe gave 38 members andguests of BES MIDLANDS a Januarypresentation on lift refurbishment. Vincespoke on consultant guidelinesincorporating relevant standards andlegislation, from initial inspection to witness

test and handover of a lift during and afterrefurbishment. He also gave examples oftypical unforeseen pitfalls encounteredalong the way.

Fifteen members and guests attended theJanuary meeting of the SCOTTISH FIFECENTRE where Gerry Leggat fromAutokontrol Ltd gave a presentation onspeed limiters and lubrication systems. Hehighlighted that many major fleet operatorsare saving fuel and emissions by controllingvehicle speeds and/or engine revs. Thelatest Geokontrol product was described,which allows customers to geo-fencespecific locations such as quarries, landfillsor even towns to prevent speeding in theselocations.

Reports in brief

Mervyn Alfred CharlesKeast “MAC” (1927-2014)Everyone involved with the original IRTE,and many from the present ProfessionalSector, will be saddened to hear of thedeath in January of Mac Keast at the ageof 86. The Western Centre, thepredecessor of the Brunel Regional Groupwas one of the oldest centres of theInstitute and after leaving the Army in 1968Mac became its hon secretary.

Mac showed enormous flair fororganisation and administration, ensuringthe Western Centre was a star in the IRTEfirmament, both technically and socially.He will be fondly remembered by thoseattending the annual Policy and

Administration conferences, not least forhis skill on the dance floor.

Mac started his career as an ArmyChepstow apprentice and served in REMEfor 22 years rising to the rank of WarrantOfficer Class 1, serving with distinction inGermany and other theatres. His servicegave him the engineering background thatenabled him to give such effectiveleadership during his time with the Instituteand the SOE.

On leaving the Forces he wasemployed initially with the Traders’ RoadTransport Association, which later becamethe Freight Transport Association nowcelebrating its 125th anniversary. He wasinvolved with the pioneering work settingup the Vehicle Inspection service of theFTA with Mr Brown, which continues to be

an industry standard.For the centre he organised various

visits such as to the Fleet Air Arm Museumin Yeovil and the bi-annual visit to theCommercial Vehicle Show at the NEC.When the call came from SOE head officeto reduce the number of centres thisresulted in the formation of the BrunelRegional Group, and Mac was central tothe transfer of allegiances.

It was shortly after this that he suffereda stroke and his recovery was a slowprocess. Thanks to the care of his wife,Joy, his health gradually improved and hewas able to take on further voluntary work,including becoming the secretary for thelocal railway club. Joy, his son Kevin anddaughter Karen survive him. He will besorely missed. Eddie Farley

Sheffield & District RegionalGroup treasurer DuncanWatkins presents Davide

Mellis with his certificate ofmerit and a cheque for £50


REGIONAL NEWS

At the WILTSHIRE CENTRE’s Novembermeeting Ian Gould gave an excellentpresentation to around 20 members andguests on his role heading a team ofcolleagues who form the WesternInvestigations Team of VOSA (sincemerged with the DSA to become DVSA).

Since joining VOSA in 1977 Ian hasheld a number of different roles, initially forvehicle taxation. From 1986 to 2004 hewas heavily involved in routine roadsidechecks and was often involved with othergovernment agencies under planned jointinitiatives.

He shared many examples ofstraightforward cases as well as unusualencounters and a diverse range ofexplanations for safety lapses or offencescommitted. He also praised the operatorsand service providers who demonstrate

professionalism in their desire to adhere tothe aims of OCRS (Operator ComplianceRisk Score).

Since 2004 Ian has led a team of 14responsible for an area west of a linedrawn from Southampton to Slough and,going north, all of Wales and on to Perthand parts of Scotland. The main purpose istargeting and combatting flagrant non-

compliance. The team is responsible forgathering intelligence and implementinglarger-scale investigations, and cases oftenrequire far more human resources thanwould be available at a lower area ofenforcement, with casework establishedover weeks, months or even years. Ian’steam curtails those operators or driversknown to seriously compromise EUdrivers’ hours, endangering other roadusers and the general public.

When questioned about the mostproblematic areas of enforcement, Ianstated that of all cases prepared andreaching court around 75% wereassociated with drivers’ hours, though heconcluded that the proposed nextgeneration of tachographs may be morechallenging to corrupt, even for the mostdetermined criminals.

Thirty members and guests attended theSOUTH WALES REGIONALGROUP’s joint November event with theIMI South Wales and RMI Associations.The lecture covered VOSA (now calledDVSA) regulations and updates on MOTtesting planned for 2014-2015, and wasgiven by Ian Marsh, VOSA policiesengineer (Bristol), and Chris Price, VOSAtechnical engineer modernisation.

Ian presented the latest changes toregulations for the new motorcycle releasewhich will be closely linked to regulationsfor motor cars. Further car amendmentsincluding tyre depths, locks and VINnumbers will be released 2014-2015. Firstto come into force are new brake in-balance calculations, road complianceHGV and PSV testing and inspection,roadside enforcement and compliance,licensing and bus regulations, and a lightvehicle MOT scheme.

VOSA recognises an urgent need forimprovement of class 7 vans in view of the

following figures given in its 2013publication Your van: best practice guide:• 93% found to be overloaded;• 63% found with serious mechanicaldefects;• 50% average roadworthiness prohibitionrate;• 50% MOT failure rate compared with30% for cars.

Top ten failures of MOTs are: lightingand signalling; brakes; suspensions; tyres;steering; body and structure; fuel andexhausts; seat belts; VIN numbers; andregistration plates. While light van failuresare a concern, HGVs have a goodstandard of pass rates and don’t requirefurther regulations.

The EU is also keen on mandatorymotorbike testing in 2016 and mopeds in2018, and light trailer testing category 02200kg, including all 02 caravans (not 01750kg). Testers will be excluded fromrepairing and testing the same vehicles,and negotiations are ongoing with EUmember states for a standardspecification for test equipment.

Chris Price presented on the newcomputer software being designed andhow VOSA is working with smallcompanies on the modules for the newsystem, to be online and running by late2015. This system will be availablethrough an app and will include: selectingyour testing station; registering yourvehicle for test; MOT test summary; VSI;BSI; brake test results; and RFR list.

VOSA regulations and updates

VOSA enforcement

The WILTSHIRE CENTRE’s 11th and finalvisit to Melksham House for its annualtransport quiz night attracted over 100members, guests, apprentices andsponsors. Aimed at everyone from 18 to 85and with John Luxton of City of BristolCollege acting as quiz adjudicator, theevent attracted 15 standard and sevenapprentice teams, the latter drawn fromCity of Bristol, Norton Radstock Collegeand Wiltshire College Motorsport.

Team ‘RIP Brian Griffin’ from City ofBristol DAF College, were declared well-deserved winners of the apprenticecategory. At half a point behind, the ‘12Pianists’ from Wiltshire College Motorsporttook second place. ‘Motorsport’ weredeclared in third place.

The standard category proved equallycompetitive, with ‘The Heavyweights’representing John Satchell Motor Servicesdeclared winners. In second place was the‘Caravan Club’ representing Norton-Radstock College/Wiltshire TransportTraining. Third place went to the local‘Flintstones’ team representing CooperTire/Avon Racing based at Melksham.

Team ‘RIP Brian Griffin’ from City of Bristol CollegeParkway; Mark Fisher, Jim Robertson and Craig Wood

Guest speakers Ian Marsh and Chris Price fromVOSA, Colin Allen IMI/ SOE, S Coles RMI andGraham Jones chair SOE South Wales

Transport quiz night


REGIONAL AND SOE NEWS

Following the IRTE NORTHERN CENTRE AGM the 51members and guests enjoyed presentations oncommercial vehicles of Lancashire past and present givenby hon. secretary Corneilius Mitchell. These covered thevariety of vehicles operated by numerous Lancashire-based manufacturers, haulage contractors andcommercial workshops within the red rose county, manyof which are sadly no longer trading. The presentationsincluded numerous British-built vehicles and stirred manymemories and a good audience interaction.

The Northern Centre hon. treasurer MichaelSweetmore also presented Corneilius with an award forhis dedication to the centre. Corneilius joined IRTE in the1980s as an HGV apprentice mechanic, progressingthrough to full membership over the years. He has servedon the committee for over ten years, and achieved apersonal and professional ambition when appointed hon.chair in 2006. He spoke of how honoured he felt to berecognised by the centre for his efforts.

Road transport past & present

SOE has long recognised that techniciansplay a crucial hands-on role in engineeringin the UK. As a result, the Society has astrong history of supporting professionalregistration of these skilled workers asEngineering Technicians (EngTech). Now,

SOE is lending its support to a newcampaign from the Engineering Councilthat will boost the EngTech title right acrossUK industry.

The campaign aims to reach 100,000EngTech registrants by 2020, and issupported by senior figures at Crossrail,BAE Systems, Bam Nuttall, Atkins and NGBailey who have committed to increase thenumber of EngTechs in their workforces.

Over 300 UK engineering firms havegraduate development schemesencouraging progression to professionalstatus as Incorporated Engineers (IEng) orChartered Engineers (CEng). TheEngTechNow campaign is urgingcompanies to recognise the professionalstatus of those from vocational andapprenticeship routes. This is somethingSOE already encourages in its Corporate

Partner scheme, which helps trainingorganisations and companies providepaths to professional registration at bothIEng and EngTech levels.

Peter Walsh, chief executive of SOE,says: “SOE is a big supporter of theEngTech title, recognising that techniciansplay a vital role in producing, maintainingand operating equipment, plant andprocesses across UK industry. Wewelcome this new campaign from theEngineering Council in the hope that moreemployers will recognise the value ofhaving technicians who are professionallyregistered and skilled to an industry-recognised level.”

Jon Prichard, CEO of the EngineeringCouncil, says: “We are delighted to see theProfessional Engineering Institutionsworking together in this way to address theemerging skills gap in the technically basedemployment sectors. Increasing thenumber of professionally registeredtechnicians is a vital step in deliveringfuture growth and prosperity for the UK.”

www.engtechnow.com

Technicians to get boost in statusSOE welcomes the new EngTechNow campaign promotingprofessional registration for technicians and apprentices.

M. Threlfall Transport of Freckleton operated a large fleet of SeddonAtkinson vehicles prior to the company’s demise

irtec, IRTE’s independent licensingscheme for road transport technicians, isaimed at raising standards right acrossthe transport industry. Through assessingskills and providing an industry-recognised benchmark of competence toindividual technicians, irtec standardisesand professionalises the role of thetechnician.

Now, the scheme has been given asignificant boost right across the roadtransport industry as it’s announced thatvehicle inspectors from DVSA, the agencyreplacing the DSA (Driving StandardsAgency) and VOSA (Vehicle and OperatorServices Agency), are to earn irteclicences in a new training and assessmentprogramme.

DVSA chose irtec as a way of givingits inspectors independent approval that’srecognised throughout the industry. DVSAchief executive, Alastair Peoples, says:“My vision is that our vehicle inspectorswill set the industry benchmark. We areinvesting in the future of our staff andtraining them to a very high standard.

“The industry has always valued theprofessionalism and integrity of ourinspectors and with the new qualificationsthey will deliver a first class service to ourcustomers.”

Ian Chisholm, head of operations &communications at SOE, adds: “irtec’sobjective is to raise standards across thesector and thereby improve vehiclemaintenance and road safety. As the

agency responsible for setting, testingand enforcing vehicle standards acrossGreat Britain, DVSA shares a commongoal with irtec of promoting rigorousindustry standards for vehiclemaintenance.

“In putting their vehicle inspectorsforward for irtec licences, DVSA is makinga commitment to ensuring a standardisedlevel of skills and knowledge among itstesters, and is promoting overall vehiclesafety and compliance across the roadtransport industry.”

Want to find out more about irtec?You’ll find a copy of the irtec Insider withthis month’s Transport Engineer, or youcan download an electronic issue fromwww.irtec.org.uk


SOE NEWS

DVSA backs irtec The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) gets behind IRTE’stechnician licensing scheme and announces the agency’s vehicleinspectors are to gain irtec licences.

Steam heritage specialist

Steam is alive and kicking in the heritage sector thanks to the efforts of a group ofdedicated enthusiasts. Bob Garnett from RSA Engineering Inspection &Consultancy has written a fascinating article charting the renaissance of steamand outlining the maintenance requirements of this specialist sector.Unfortunately the article is too long to reproduce in the limited confines ofOperations Engineer, but you can access it by going towww.soe.org.uk/resources and clicking the ‘BES topics and links’ heading.

A Super Sentinel steam waggonowned and operated by Bob Garnett

Check the registerVehicle operators cansubcontract their vehicleinspection, repair andmaintenance. What they can’tsubcontract is their responsibilityfor vehicle roadworthiness.

IRTE Workshop Accreditation waslaunched by IRTE as a way of recognisingand promoting best practice in workshopprocedures. This independent assessmentallows operators to be confident in amaintenance provider’s ability to repair andmaintain commercial and passengercarrying vehicles.

Maintenance providers who apply forIRTE Workshop Accreditation receive a visitfrom a specially-trained FTA auditor andIRTE member who thoroughly inspects theworkshop, focusing on seven key aspectsof: premises; tools and equipment;technical staff; management and clericalstaff; documentation; parts; and qualityand appearance.

The IRTE Workshop AccreditationRegister is an online database ofaccredited maintenance providersincluding information on location, services,facilities, vehicle test pass rates, RIDDORstats, HSE notices and more. Check ittoday for a reputable workshop near you.www.irteworkshop.org.uk/irte-workshop-accreditation-register


SOE NEWS

Years of serviceThe Society of Operations Engineers may be a young ‘un in institution years (13 years of age andcounting), but its three Professional Sectors IRTE (1944), IPlantE (1946) and BES (1965) go a long wayback. Some of our members have accompanied us for a lot of that journey. To mark their long-standing contribution to the industry we’ve sent certificates of service to the following engineeringprofessionals.

�40 year certificates�

Mr I W Andrew IEng MSOE MIRTEMr B J Aplin MSOE MIRTEMr T Apsley MSOE MIRTEMr R D Arscott MSOE MIRTEMr R C Babbage AMSOE AMIRTEMr T A Baker IEng MSOE MIPlantEMr D C N Bambridge MSOE MIRTEMr V J Bartlett IEng MSOE MIPlantEMr F C Beer IEng MSOE MIRTE GCGIMr J Bennett AMSOE AMIRTEMr L Bilsborough MSOE MIRTEMr I Bithell IEng MSOE MIPlantEMr G L Braund IEng MSOE MIRTEMr J W Brinton IEng MSOE MIRTEMr H A Bryant AMSOE AMIRTE MIPlantEMr G E R Burn IEng MSOE MIRTEMr E J Butler IEng MSOE MIRTEMr F Byrne IEng AMSOE AMIRTEMr J R D Choyce IEng MSOE MIPlantEMr A J Davenport MSOE MIRTEMr J E Eastman EngTech CEnv FSOE FIRTEMr G A L Ellis IEng MSOE MIRTE LCGIMr B J Emmett IEng MSOE MIRTEMr K A Firth MSOE MIRTEMr J Foster MSOE MIRTEMr C J Frake FSOE FIPlantE FIRTEMr G W Fry AMSOE AMIRTEMr G P Gardam MSOE MIRTEMr B Gilbert AMSOE AMIRTEMr C M Gordon MSOE MIRTEMr M Grace AMSOE AMIRTEMr A J Haddow IEng MSOE MIRTEMr G A Haigh IEng MSOE MIRTEMr F Halkyard AMSOE AMIRTEMr J H Harbottle MSOE MIRTEMr R Hepburn MSOE MIRTEMr G A Hindle MSOE MIRTEMr F G W Holmes IEng MSOE MIRTE GCGIMr R J Houghton AMSOE AMIRTEMr R Hurst IEng MSOE MIPlantEMr C Ibbotson IEng MSOE MIPlantEMr A G Imrie MSOE MIRTEMr R D M Ingham-Johnson IEng MSOE MIRTEMr S Isherwood MSOE MIRTEMr S R Jafari MSOE MIRTEMr A D Jolliffe MSOE MIRTEMr A B Jones EngTech MSOE MIRTEMr D J Jones AMSOE AMIRTEMr J H Jutson EngTech MSOE MIPlantE MIRTE

Mr D A Kelso MSOE MIRTEMr A Kerr MSOE MIPlantEMr J E G Kirby MSOE MIRTEMr W E Lakey MSOE MIRTEMr P B M Lawrence IEng MSOE MIRTEMr M Leeming IEng MSOE MIPlantEMr N Levenson EngTech MSOE MIRTEMr J M Lunt AMSOE AMIRTEMr S Markandu AMSOE AMIRTEMr J E A Marsh MSOE MIRTEMr A Marzan EngTech MSOE MIRTEMr J Mayo AMSOE AMIRTEMr W D McCallum IEng MSOE MIRTE MIPlantEMr T D McGuinness CEng MSOE MIPlantEMr S W McKee EngTech AMSOE AMIPlantEMr F R Merrifield IEng MSOE MIRTEMr R C Merrill MSOE MIRTEMr W K Millar IEng MSOE MIRTEMr C Mina IEng MSOE MIRTEMr M S Neale AMSOE AMIRTEMr E Needham EngTech MSOE MIRTEMr C E J Nieman EngTech MSOE MIRTEMr K M Ovenden IEng MSOE MIRTEMr J E Page IEng MSOE MIPlantE MIRTEMr A R Pamphlett MSOE MIPlantEMr S D Pedrazzini IEng AMSOE AMIPlantEMr S U P Perera AMSOE AMIRTEMr M P Perris IEng MSOE MIRTEMr J G Perry EngTech AMSOE AMIPlantEMr D B T Presley IEng MSOE MIRTEMr R R Rattray MSOE MIPlantEMr J A Reed MSOE MIRTEMr W J Rhymes MSOE MIRTEMr C H Rodley IEng MSOE MIPlantEMr E C Rowberry EngTech MSOE MIRTEMr S F L Rowe MSOE MIPlantEMr V J Scrivener IEng MSOE MIRTE

Mr P Sharman IEng MSOE MIPlantESiu Kuen Ah AMSOE AMIRTEMr H W Slight MSOE MIRTEMr G H E Snowdon IEng MSOE MIPlantEMr S J Sutton MSOE MIRTEMr R G Tame MSOE MIRTEMr T J Tate IEng FSOE FIPlantEMr G Tetchner IEng MSOE MIPlantEMr T Thurgood IEng MSOE MIPlantEMr G B Tidy MSOE MIPlantEMr W Todd IEng MSOE MIPlantEMr B M Townsend IEng MSOE MIRTEMr J Turner IEng MSOE MIRTEMr R V Vincent IEng MSOE MIRTEMr T H Wallace EngTech MSOE MIRTEMr J D Wearing MSOE MIRTE LCGIMr R T Wicks IEng MSOE MIRTEMr J B Widdop HonFSOE HonFIPlantEMr R D Williams AMSOE AMIRTEMr B M Willis EngTech AMSOE AMIPlantEMr S T Wood IEng MSOE MIPlantEMr M Wright MSOE MIPlantEMr R A Young IEng MSOE MIRTE

�50 year certificates�

Mr W Banks MSOE MIPlantEMr R C A Bettell MSOE MIPlantEMr S W Carter MSOE MIPlantEMr J Clayton IEng MSOE MIRTEEur Ing J E Farley HonFSOE HonFIRTEMr R C Goodwin IEng MSOE MIPlantEMr J R L Gray IEng MSOE MIPlantEMr E Gregson HonFSOE HonFIPlantEMr C W High FSOE FIPlantEMr A E Jackson IEng MSOE MIPlantEMr Y H Lim MSOE MIRTEMr W I T Ling IEng HonFSOE HonFIPlantEMr D B A Miller MSOE MIPlantEMr T Miller AMSOE AMIPlantEMr F B Mills IEng MSOE MIRTEMr R E F Pegg FSOE FIPlantEMr J Pickles HonFSOE HonFIRTEMr N H Sanders MSOE MIRTEMr R Smith MSOE MIRTEMr P F Tye HonFSOE HonFIPlantEMr D Venus MSOE MIPlantEMr B Walker IEng FSOE FIPlantEMr A T Walker MSOE MIPlantEMr C E Watkins HonFSOE HonFIPlantEMr F E Webber IEng MSOE MIRTE


SOE NEWS AND EVENTS

Commercial Vehicle Show29 April-1 May, NEC, Birmingham

The Commercial Vehicle Show is the largest and mostcomprehensive road transport, distribution and logistics event inBritain. From truck, van and trailer manufacturers through to forklift trucks, insurers, tyre, telematics and training providers, fuelsand lubricants suppliers and more. IRTE is a proud partner in theCV Show and will be holding free registration surgeries formembers to find out more about professional registration with theEngineering Council (EngTech, IEng and CEng) and the Society forthe Environment (CEnv). Or visit stand 5G71 at this year’s show totalk to IRTE staff about irtec, IRTE Workshop Accreditation,Corporate Partnership or individual membership.

Go to www.cvshow.com to register for your free ticket. Toregister your interest in the registration surgeries [email protected] or call 020 7630 6666.

WM Factory Health & Maintenance Conference5 June, Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon, Warwickshire

Effective maintenance is essential to a plant’s productivity, quality,competitiveness and safety; yet poorly planned maintenanceactivities account for around 30% of all factory and plant fatalities.Supported by IPlantE and BES, Works Management’s FactoryHealth & Maintenance Conference will bring together leaders inthe maintenance world to dispense advice and strategies to helpattendees identify and deploy maintenance best practice and stayon the right side of the law. Judith Hackitt, chair of the HSE andpresident of IChemE, will deliver the conference’s keynote speechon safe maintenance practices. Judith will outline why so manyinjuries and fatalities in the manufacturing sector are linked tomaintenance activities, a site manager’s minimum requirementsunder the Health & Safety at Work Act, and how safemaintenance can be made part of business culture. SOE chiefexec Peter Walsh will also be speaking at the event about theimportant role IPlantE and BES members play in keeping factoriesand plants running safely and efficiently.

Go to www.maintenance-conference.co.uk for more info.IPlantE and BES members get a members’ rate of £150 + VATper person (regular price is £175 + VAT).

If you want help promoting SOE at your regionalevents we have posters and other materials youcan use. To order your free copies [email protected] or call 020 7630 6666.

Promoting SOE in your region

Culham Centre for Fusion Energy18.30, 14 May, Culham Science Centre, Oxfordshire

Since opening as a purpose-built fusion laboratory in 1960, theCulham Centre for Fusion Energy has majorly contributed tointernational fusion research and development. This open eveninggives SOE members the chance to see the JET (Joint EuropeanTorus) and MAST (Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak) experiments firsthand and meet some of the scientists and engineers who work infusion research. The evening begins with an introductory talk andtours of the MAST and JET experimental facilities (cameras arewelcome).

To book your place on this FREE SOE event contact SheenaPatel on 020 7630 2174 or email [email protected]

Save the date

IRTE Conference16 & 17 September, Hilton at St George’s Park, Burton-Upon-Trent

RAF Museum Cosford member tour17 October, Wolverhampton, Shropshire

operations engineer - march/april 2014 [pdf - 2mb]

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