Technical Advice
About me
Following a career in the RAF as a Marine Engineer, I moved to the National Centre for Mountaineering, Plas-y-Brenin, as an instructor, becoming highly qualified in a range of outdoor activities in particular mountaineering & kayaking.
My skills in a marine environment allowed me to design, develop & manufacture in GRP a number of sea kayaks & surf craft from my company base in Anglesey before moving to Nottingham and working with P&H and VCP. I still undertake specialist repairs and modifications.
A change in direction found me working in Higher Education as a Safety Officer and then on to the Princes Trust, managing their outdoor centre in Pembrokeshire.
To date, I remain self-employed working as a kayak and canoe guide during the summer months, along with running kayak courses, carrying out H&S inspections and specialist composite repairs during the rest of the year.
Health & Safety and Technical Advice
During the late 90’s I became a member of the BSI technical committee developing safety standards in canoe design and construction. I have represented the British Canoe Union in a number of legal cases as an expert witness and have sat as member on a number of Technical Committees.
As a qualified practitioner in Health & Safety (IOSH) I became a Safety Officer for Sheffield & Oxford Universities and was instrumental in setting up the Student Activities Safety Association (SASA).
Within the outdoors, I am a Technical Advisor for a number of Outdoor Centres/Providers. I have undertaken H&S inspections for all the UK inspection regimes, and continue to do so for AAA, BAPA & LOtC direct, as well as specialist audits of clubs within a Higher Education environment. If your Club or Organisation could do with an equipment audit or safety check, then please get in touch.