MSc(Eng)/PGDip Process Safety and Loss Prevention

Why did you choose Sheffield?

I chose Sheffield because it had the unique Masters course in Process Safety and Loss Prevention. Bonus points for being a great city to live in and on the doorstep to the Peaks.

Why did you decide to do the PSLP course and what did you enjoy about it?

My background is in mathematics. I chose the PSLP course because I wanted to gain technical/engineering experience so that I could get a job in industry. The PSLP interested me because it teaches a combination of safety engineering and safety management, as well as loss prevention techniques. I enjoyed being taught by industry experts, felt confident applying what I was learning to real life situations, and meeting people from all over the world and learning about their experiences.

How did the Department support you?

Before I applied for the course, I had expressed an interest in doing it. The Department invited me along for a day to sit in on the lectures so I could gain an understanding of the structure and type of work we’d be doing. While a lot of students on the course came from an engineering background, myself and some other students did not. The Department helped us all by running a day before the course started which taught us about Chemical Engineering basics, run by the Course Director and Deputy Course Directors.

Tell us about your current job

I currently work in a process safety role at a sweet manufacturing plant for an international organisation. The work is focused on dust explosion and fire hazards and I am enjoying seeing and working across all areas of the plant. I work with the engineering, safety and maintenance teams, to manage and improve the process risks across the site.

Did your degree help you in what you are doing now?

Absolutely the degree helped me in what I’m doing now. One of the modules, Process Safety in the Pharmaceuticals, Food and Consumer Products Industries gave me the grounding I needed to succeed at interview and in the job I am doing now. The course only piloted this module last year, and it was a fantastic eye opener into the types of niche hazards these industries face. I have since applied this and also continued to learn so much, in what I am doing now.