Print
Bookmark
Current Graduates on the Engineering Scheme
Mohammed Kassim - Year 4
Why did you choose to apply to BOC?
My first step into a professional career was of the utmost importance to me. I had a specific criterion which BOC scored highly in. This was especially the case for my two main criteria’s:
- Leading industry: With the merger of BOC and Linde groups, BOC became a member of the largest industrial gas company in the world
- Opportunity to excel as an individual: BOC’s graduate program was very appealing to me because it is accredited by IChemE, which means I could become a chartered engineer. The program puts emphasises on the importance of changing roles, which ensures I try something different every year and therefore maximising my exposure to all parts of the industry. Furthermore it was very encouraging to see that many of the senior managers at BOC started out as graduates, which is a good indication of things to come
What was your first placement?
Project engineer / SHEQ Co-ordinator at Motherwell: The BOC Motherwell site was quick to make me feel comfortable and helped me fit in to my first placement with ease. My first roles involved assisting in all things relevant to Safety, Health, Environment & Quality (SHEQ). From this a few Health, Environment and Quality assignments developed, which gave me the opportunity to project manage new projects as well as taking responsibility of the water treatment system.
What tasks have you been responsible for and what are you currently involved with?
As mentioned above I was responsible for the water treatment system in Motherwell which directly affects the performance of our compressors and therefore the efficiency of the plant. I was involved in the day to day running as well as improvements projects, e.g., the introduction of a new inhibiter.
I am currently involved in several projects based in Worsley such as installing a cylinder inverter system to safely allow the venting of N2O gas to continue, my role in this project is the project manager. I have also recently commissioned the new vent stack. Most of my time at the Guildford placement has been spent assisting the project manager in the new multimillion pound storage project. I am responsible for the pump controls, design and costing as well as facilitating the design of the fridge unit to be installed.
I was also involved with facilitating the Ethylene ISO container project for one of our customers. I ensured the ISO container was designed to our customer’s liking, dealt with any of our customer’s engineering enquiries and then commissioned the ISO container at the customer’s site with my manager.
What do you like most about working for BOC?
The variety of work at BOC covers such a wide range of tasks and roles which are helping me develop as an engineer. In addition the people working at BOC are remarkably friendly. The most common piece of advice I get is “ask when you are not sure” and everyone is more than happy to assist you.
What has been your highlight so far?
There have been many highlights in my two years at BOC and it would be difficult to narrow it down to one. The following are two diverse examples:
The Ethylene ISO container project had many ups and downs and at times it was difficult to juggle between customer needs and vender’s ability. I was involved in both design and commission, seeing the project through from start to completion, which made me feel that little bit more special once the project was completed.
One of my proudest moments was also remarkably simple. I introduced cardboard recycling to Motherwell using my own initiative. I also ensure no extra costs were incurred from this.
Simon Crossley - Year 3
Why did you choose to apply to BOC?
I chose to apply to the BOC graduate scheme based on two factors. Firstly it was a Graduate scheme accepting applications from chemical engineers, box one ticked; Secondly BOC was a company that I perceived to have a need for practising chemical engineers, I had no desire to be an accountant or a lawyer. My rationale behind accepting the offer of a place on the scheme without hesitation was slightly more complex. I applied in 2009 when many companies had simply axed their graduate scheme to cut cost or because they felt they no longer had the work load to support graduates. BOC had reduced its intake that year but continued to commit resources to the scheme. At the interview the reasons behind this became clear. The graduate scheme was portrayed as a long term commitment for both the company and the graduate. Many of the senior engineers had been on the graduate scheme and even members of the board. Although the graduate scheme is a four year program there was longer term vision. For me this was key - a stable secure job in a stable secure company that valued its employees. The presence and openness of current graduates filled me with confidence that BOC was a good fit for me. That first impression still stands three years later.
What was your first placement?
My first placement was as a central project engineer within the compressed engineering team based in Guildford. The project team are responsible for internal projects from £120K to £12million. I gained first hand experience of project engineering and management from front end engineering to execution and delivery. I was fortunate enough to be allocated a project to manage from start to finish. This enabled me to experience first hand the entire process from conceptual design through the build and commissioning phases to final hand over. As project engineer I worked closely with discipline engineers, procurement and third party contractors to design build and commission a new cryogenic storage facility.
What tasks have you been responsible for and what are you currently involved with?
During my first placement as a project engineer I was responsible for the design and implementation of a new business venture. I worked closely with the Business team throughout the project to deliver a facility to a medical grade finish to meet their needs. I was responsible for budgeting, design and the implementation of the project. I worked closely with other members of the engineering project team to develop P&IDs as well as plot plans and to develop a comprehensive scope to allow the project to be tendered. Once the contractors were appointed I was responsible for the scheduling of works to fit to a tight schedule and delivering the project on time.
During my second placement at Middlesbrough I was responsible for a major demolition project as well as being involved with the operation and maintenance of a major process plant. I was involved with plant starts and project handovers, challenging both my process knowledge and problem solving skills. I have recently moved to the Remote operating centre in Sheffield where I am responsible for power forecasting and operation of a process plant.
What do you like most about working for BOC?
The graduate scheme endeavours to place graduates at the forefront of the business whether that be in an operations or technical role. I have personally relished the opportunities I have been given. Although new to industry I have not felt completely out of my depth despite having been stretched and challenged. If I were simply shadowing a senior engineer or taking a back seat role, I would feel very disappointed however this will not be the case on any placement BOC graduate scheme.
As a graduate I have had the opportunity to work on or visit the majority of the BOC production sites. There is a recurring theme throughout BOC; people have time for you! We are all busy people with goals and targets but I have been genuinely taken aback by the openness and willingness of operators and managers alike to spend time explaining processes and systems. This is critical as there is a great deal of experience and knowledge to be passed on. Many people I have worked with have been with BOC for 20, 30 or even 40 years - that’s a lot of knowledge and experience.
What has been your highlight so far?
My highlight to date was the completion of the demolition project I managed in Middlesbrough. The project involved decommissioning and demolishing two 1970s air separation plants. The project program ran for 8 months and had a very significant impact onsite. This was at times challenging to manage as operations had to continue as normal throughout the project. The support I received from the maintenance and production teams onsite was invaluable and I felt part of a team committed to completing the project. I was very satisfied at the final completion of the project - the site was left clear and the finish was to a very high standard without major SHEQ incidents.
Mohammad Khan - Year 2
Why did you choose to apply to BOC?
When I was applying for graduate schemes, the main things I considered were the opportunity to gain chartered status, room to grow and generally feel comfortable in the environment I work in. BOC performs exceptionally well on all three. The four year Graduate scheme, supported by a chartered mentor means I have all the tools required to gain a chartered status. There is plenty of room to grow and plenty of support.
What was your first placement?
My first placement was 'Graduate Reliability Engineer' in Brinsworth. Very good first placement. I got a chance to visit almost all the major Tonnage sites, got involved with various projects on different sites and learnt a lot. Even though I was based in an office, I had significant site involvement.
What tasks have you been responsible for and what are you currently involved with?
The first task I was in charge of was the replacement of an Induced Draft (ID) fan during the St Helens Jan 2011 Turnaround. I was given all the tools and assistance to do this, the overall responsibility for delivering the project was mine - although I did not realise that until I was half way through the project. Room to grow from day 1!!!
Other projects in Reliability included: Putting together an inspection procedure for the non-metallic tanks based on guidance from the HSE; Identifying the critical cryogenic turbines required and putting together a project proposal to buy them; Putting together a contingency plan for the Hydrogen reformer tubing; Trying to locate a leak in the Scunthorpe NLU cold box; Planning the replacement of a 4.7 ton motor at St Helens and putting together recommendations to reduce maintenance times on Linde reciprocating oxygen compressors.
Currently, I am based in Motherwell. It is a great placement as there is a new Air Separation Unit (ASU) being built. I have many daily tasks such as checking cooling water systems, site waste management, as well as other site projects; EMOC updates, changing the Low Temperature Trip (LTT) settings, managing the upgrade of the mains water supply and sewer system. I have also been handed the responsibility to upgrade and refurbish the main office, it has been a lot of fun!
What do you like most about working for BOC?
No two days are the same...
What has been your highlight so far?
If I had to select one highlight it would have to be the ID fan replacement project. I had many highs and lows and with it being the first project of my BOC career I was pleased to see the project end on a high. Although, the Office refurb at Motherwell is catching up fast!!!
Richard Milner - Year 1
Why did you choose to apply to BOC?
I chose to apply to BOC because it is one of the largest industrial Gas Company’s in the world. It is a well established company that has a good reputation and a variety of job opportunities. The graduate scheme that is provided by BOC is accredited by ICHEME, which allows me the possibility to become a chartered engineer at the end of the program. The graduate scheme itself was important in my decision, as BOC allow the graduate to experience four different roles in four years. I felt this was particularly beneficial for me, as it would help with my development and my experience. BOC also provide each graduate with a mentor and a buddy who is already on the scheme.
The mentor is there to help you throughout the graduate scheme and supports the graduate to help them develop into a professional; they help by providing feedback throughout the year with regards to particular tasks you have performed and various highlights of the work you have carried out.
The buddy system allows the graduate to feel much more at ease prior to joining the scheme, they are incredibly helpful to the new graduates in terms of preparing them for their next placement, the work they will be doing and the people they will be working with.
I also noticed that a lot of graduates carry on working for BOC after the scheme is over. This was appealing, as it showed there are jobs available for the graduates at the end of the course and that BOC is an excellent company to work for.
What was your first placement?
My first (and current) placement was as a Project Engineer at BOC Immingham. The Immingham site is a very friendly site and I had some very helpful colleagues, who helped me fit in straight away. My role as a Project Engineer helped involve me with a variety of different projects that have taken place in Immingham. These ranged from the installation of analysers in Scientific Gases Facility to the construction of a Hazardous Trailer Parking area. This particular placement has provided me with a good amount of work and a large amount of responsibility.
What tasks have you been responsible for and what are you currently involved with?
I have been responsible for a variety of different projects based around the Immingham site. I am currently responsible for a number of different projects. These are:
- The installation of a Natural Gas Analyser and a Refinery Gas Analyser.
- The addition of a hazardous Trailer Parking area - this is to allow a place for our trailers to park prior to filling.
- The installation of extraction booths to our Non-Routine facility - these are a replacement of the current booths, however they have been specially produced due to the conditions around the area.
- The installation of a heater in the Test Shop - this is to recycle warm air reducing Energy costs.
- The addition of a separate section for Drum preparation - this is to save on traffic management and to provide space for Drum testing and cylinder painting.
- The addition of an automatic water top up for our Non Routine Scrubber - this is to stop excess build up of solids which cause damage to the scrubber unit and require extra maintenance.
Previous tasks also involve writing the minutes for a HAZOP of a chlorine scrubber, taking part in an audit for a contractor and providing inductions for contractors and visitors to the Immingham site.
What do you like most about working for BOC?
There are many things I like about working for BOC; however one thing I like in particular is the huge diversity in work that can come about - from working on analyser installations to the addition of a heater in the test shop. All the projects are different and all have their own individual goals to be accomplished. One thing I have found is that everyone is incredibly friendly and understanding at BOC and if you ask for help, there will always be someone there to help you.
What has been your highlight so far?
There have been several highlights that I have found from my placement so far, however the highlight that sticks to mind is the Hazardous Trailer Parking project. This project had many ups and downs, like many projects, however the construction ran as scheduled throughout the installation, despite problems arising involving contractors who have never worked on the particular site before, the relocation of fire hydrants and difficult weather conditions.
