Over the years I’ve done hundreds of projects,” Phil explained.
“But even now there are times when you come across something you’ve never encountered before.”
Christmas party in a Lithuanian
castle.
“Recognising the skill and
dedication of all our workers, we
show our appreciation with a
bonus and of course there was a
Christmas do here in the Midlands
too.”
Safety and risk assessments
Looking back to his early days in
the industry, Phil remembers a
time when health & safety was far
less stringent.
“When offloading a tank,
you would see crane operators
climbing up the jib and abroad,
welders on bamboo ladders whilst
welding!
“Times have changed
and when looking at any new
job, we question everything
and always ask is this the
safest way to operate?” When
cranes are required for lifting,
risk assessments are critical.
With every new job I spend at
least a day on site to get the
necessary paperwork done and
to assess everything before work
commences.”
Although Phil has worked
with a national crane company
for many years, he also likes to
use smaller independents. He will
always specify exactly how the
tank should be lifted, stiffened,
strengthened and attached to
hooks, with the company’s staff
trained to direct the crane driver.
“Every single job starts from
scratch on risk assessment – a risk
assessment was also necessary
with respect to working with our
non-English speakers.
“I get a real buzz when we’re
setting up a new site contract,”
said Phil who particularly enjoys
working on site.
“Over the years I’ve done
hundreds of projects, but even
now there are times when you
come across something you’ve
never encountered before.”
In the future
“I may have been in the tank
world for over 40 years, but I still
get a lot of pleasure when I talk to
people about a contract; it’s great
to be able to help by sharing the
knowledge and experience I’ve
gained over these years. I don’t
ever want to wake up and feel that
I’m not useful.
“The tank construction
market is very competitive but if
we make money and pay the bills,
we’re happy. We started the year
with five jobs and a geographical
spread from Middlesbrough to
London. There’s a lot of juggling
to do – when it comes to labour,
there’s never just enough, it’s
either too much or too little but we
get through.
“I’m getting on a bit now
and I do need to find someone to
assist me,” said Phil who is now
looking for a second in command
which would perhaps enable him
to devote more time to his other
passion – cooking.
Before becoming an
apprentice engineer, Phil worked
in fish and poultry establishments
and very much enjoyed working
on tanks in Guernsey and Jersey
where he took time out to try the
islands’ restaurants. When Fuel
Oil News visited, Phil had just
completed a cooking experience
course at Raymond Blanc’s Le
Manoir Aux Quat Saisons. When
Phil finally hangs up his tank hat,
look out for him on MasterChef!
Fuel Oil News | March 2019 15