Fire risk engineer

Neil Gravestock on site checking out the fire risks at a business premises. Picture / Graeme Sedal

Name: Neil Gravestock
Job Title: Fire risk engineer
Working Hours: 40-50 hours per week depending on projects and client work
Employer: Marsh (risk and insurance specialists)
Salary: Industry average between $80,000 - $120,000
Qualifications needed: Engineering degree or science degree with postgraduate qualification in fire engineering

What do you do?

I work closely with clients in a wide range of industries, from food distributors to supermarkets and property construction firms to energy companies to identify any potential risks they face from fires and explosions and then manage these to make their workplace safer and their business less vulnerable.

A typical day involves visiting client's warehouses, factories or production lines to review the fire protection systems that are in place. I will then provide recommendations to improve the systems - these recommendations can include installing sprinklers, hoses or a different type of wall cladding.

To ensure I provide accurate advice to clients, I can sometimes be found setting fire to objects to find out how quickly fire will travel in certain circumstances. I have been known to do this in the garage at home much to my wife's concern, however there is an important reason for my seemingly strange behaviour. The information is entered into a computer programme to provide a 'real time' calculation for client reports.

Why did you choose the job?

I moved into the fire engineering field because I thought it would be an interesting line of work. I applied for the role at Marsh because they have a fantastic client base in New Zealand and Australia and there are opportunities to work with Marsh engineers from other offices around the globe.

I also knew that Marsh placed a lot of emphasis on building long term relationships with clients which meant I would have the opportunity to develop strong client relationships and see the positive results of good fire management.

Why is the job important?

I think everyone appreciates the destructive potential of fires and explosions. Many years ago I worked as an oil and gas engineer in the North Sea. During this time the Piper Alpha disaster happened which had a big impact on me and made me more aware of the importance of putting in place fire protection measures. The disaster was caused by a massive explosion and huge fire which engulfed the oil platform in the North Sea in 1988. More than 150 men were killed as a result of serious deficiencies in the plant isolation procedures.

My job is about ensuring our clients are getting good value for the money they spend on fire protection and putting in place protection that is suitable for their unique circumstances.

What is the best part of your job?

The variety of work is interesting. Since I have worked for Marsh I have been involved in assessing oil refineries, mines, military bases and power stations.

I love the fact that I'm constantly learning - as Marsh provides services to different types of organisations, I have to understand their business which can include anything from processing paua to handling money in the Reserve Bank vaults.

What are the main challenges of the job?

It can be a physically challenging job. Although I spend time in the office, I also get out and about, climbing around factories, going into mines and working in a wide range of environments and working conditions. I have to learn about new environments very quickly and understand client-specific information, often in a new industry in a very short time frame

What are your strengths?

I learn quickly and can generally think on my feet - this is vital as often I only have a short time to form an opinion about the best way to help a client.

Being naturally inquisitive is important - it helps me to find out more about the business, and sometimes come up with a solution for a client that others haven't considered before.

What experience / skills do you require to do the job well?

The ability to listen, to ask questions which result in revealing answers, and to pull together all the pieces of the puzzle, which makes it sound a bit like detective work. It is important to be able to pick up information and grasp new ideas quickly.

Where would you like to be in five years?

It's a very interesting time for this type of work. New Zealand legislated the use of fire engineering as a way to design safe buildings in 1991 and now the rest of the world is catching up which means there are fantastic opportunities for New Zealand engineers to teach others around the world.

This is already happening in Marsh - I work closely with colleagues in Europe and the United States to apply what we have learnt here. There is potential in the next five years for a global fire engineering group to be developed in Marsh and I would like to think that I could play a leading role in such a group.

Job hunting advice?

Become qualified and the work will come looking for you. Fire engineers are increasingly in demand and scarce on the ground. It's possible to study part time or full time through the University of Canterbury and there are correspondence schools offshore.