Safety Consultant
Welcome, young safety enthusiasts!
Welcome, young safety enthusiasts!
Here are the key aspects:
A safety consultant develops and applies safety management approaches under a range of safety regulations, policies, and guidance, across high-hazard domains. The approach to safety management follows the four-stage cycle. They ensure cost-effective and pragmatic compliance to rules, standards, and legislation.
The importance of safety is recognised by all but the sheer complexity of a platform or other resources, the number of stakeholders involved, and complex regulatory regimes and underpinning processes can all undermine the confidence in the safety of a design or a design change to a platform.
Safety engineering for ships is a critical aspect of maritime operations, ensuring the safety of the crew, passengers, and the environment.
What does a BMT Safety Consultant do?
Safety Consultants at BMT Provide safety assurance expertise to customers, working with novel and emerging technologies. Develop safety cases, particularly in the risk assessment phase of safety case development.
BMT's safety assurance team have seen an increased demand for their specialist autonomous and uncrewed systems advice to assure safety of life at sea, cargo, and the vessels themselves.
Our safety assurance team have seen an increased demand for their specialist autonomous and uncrewed systems advice to assure safety of life at sea, cargo, and the vessels themselves. Our safety consultant Matt Wylie reflects on the specific considerations that need to be addressed by designers, owners and operators to ensure the transition to new technology is a safe one.
The use of autonomous and uncrewed systems is increasing in the maritime industry; how is this impacting the safety considerations?
The increasing use of autonomous and unscrewed systems and in the maritime domain does indeed reduce the need for human involvement in certain tasks. However, this does not necessarily mean that there are fewer safety considerations! In fact, the shift towards automation introduces a whole new set of safety requirements that need to be addressed.
Entering a career in Safety Consultancy involves a combination of education, skill development, and professional experience.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to pursue a career in Safety Consultancy globally:
Degree route
Attend: Sixth form or college
Qualification:
Subjects:
Attend: University
Qualification:
Study:
Apply to BMT in your final year of university
Attend: BMT
Role: Graduate Safety Consultant
Experience:
Attend: BMT
Role: Safety Consultant
Experience: Choose a team and start developing your specialism.
* These timelines are indicative to give you an idea of the sort of path you might wish to take. There is some room for flexibility based on your academic aspirations.
Apprenticeship route
Attend:
Qualification: Level 3 Engineering Diploma
Subjects: Engineering related units/subjects
Attend: BMT
Role: Safety Consultant Apprentice
Qualification: Level 4 - HNC
Study: Engineering related units/subjects
Attend: BMT
Role: Safety Consultant Apprentice
Qualification: Level 5 - HND
Study: Engineering related units/subjects
Attend:
Role: Safety Consultant
Qualification: Part time degree
Study: Any course that’s applicable to work at BMT.
Attend: BMT
Role: Safety Consultant
Experience: Choose a team and start developing your specialism.
Gary is a Safety Consultant / Engineer at BMT within the Safety Capability Area. He has used his 22 years Royal Naval engineering experience across multiple projects to deliver high-quality outputs. He has a Master's Degree in Occupational Safety, Health and Environmental management.
What do you do?
I am a Safety Consultant / Engineer working within the Safety Capability Area. I author various safety related documents such as safety case reports and lead hazard meetings across multiple projects.
How did you get there?
I served 22 years in the Royal Navy as a Marine Engineer, carrying out various roles, but all with a safety element to them, and wanted to remain in the Defence sector upon leaving. BMT was a natural choice, especially as some former colleagues also work at BMT. I completed highly relevant MOD safety training before joining BMT which made my transition much smoother.
Who inspired, helped and supported you?
My family have always been avid supporters of mine and have helped me find the right direction for my career. Also, my former colleagues brought BMT to my attention, especially the one colleague who is a BMT employee and head-hunted me for the company. My former Royal Navy colleagues within BMT provide a constant support as I progress through BMT.
What do you enjoy about your role?
I have a passion for safety, and always want to find the best and safest solution for a particular problem or issue. BMT affords me the variety of challenges across multiple projects to both bolster my competence as a Safety Consultant / Engineer and utilise my wealth of military and engineering experience which comes to the fore in my mostly defence-related tasking.
Has your role provided you with any exciting opportunities?
Indeed, it has. In my first year with BMT I was part of BMT’s involvement in the Imagineering setup at the Bath and West Show in 2022 where we got budding young engineers to workout various engineering problems using our demonstration models. I have also had the opportunity to lead a BMT Team who took part in the Seafarers’ Charity 24 Peaks Challenge in the Lake District in July 2024. With regard to my job role, I have the honour of working as part of the core safety team on the next generation of Royal Navy support ships, and also I am the Safety Lead on a smaller, bespoke, project that is delivering the next generation of covert subsurface multi-role capability craft.
"I have the honour of working as part of the core safety team on the next generation of Royal Navy support ships."