Engineering the world
By Jim Leahy, Chair of Engineers Ireland Cork
In advance of students filling in their CAO choices, here is a glimpse into my career I've enjoyed since graduating in 1987.
Growing up on a farm near Crookstown, and with a dad who taught woodwork and mechanical drawing, there was always some type of ‘engineering’ project happening at home.
When I left school, where I liked maths and science subjects, I recall coming across a definition of civil engineering as being making the best of the earth’s resources. ‘Making the best’ sounded like a noble cause and so that’s the course I followed. Sustainability is a major part of engineering these days and, amongst many definitions, it can be described as the practice of using natural resources wisely to support present and future generations. Throughout my career I have been involved in many projects that aim to create a positive change for the planet so, in my own way, I like to think I have contributed as I had intended all those years ago.
When I graduated in 1987, I did what all my classmates did at the time - emigrated. I left for work in the north of England, working on sites in York, Manchester and Leeds for three years and then I came back to Cork to work with PJ Hegartys Contractors in Cork.
These first few years were the formative years of my career. I learned how to work with people on site and in design offices. I learned how to work with other people effectively and to get projects completed.
I have always liked interacting with people and I have learned a lot from the many site managers, foremen and operatives as well as the engineers I encountered throughout my career.
In the mid ‘90s I worked as a resident engineer, mainly on projects in Kerry including the Kerry airport runway and the Killarney sewerage scheme. I was in Limerick for two years on a very interesting water reservoir and water tower project. I also spent a number of years working as a project engineer in Eli Lilly in Kinsale which gave me an insight into life in the pharmaceutical industry where there are many engineers of different disciplines working together.
Engineers today have a wide array of career options across various industries, much more than when I graduated, where they can provide for a better future for us all. They work in the fields of Civil & Structural, Electrical, Software, Biomedical, Environmental, Aerospace, Electronic, Industrial, Manufacturing and Chemical. All in all, the role of engineering is very much involved in providing solutions to many of the problems of our everyday lives.
I completed a diploma in Safety and Health in the University of Limerick in 1996 and RPS Consulting Engineers gave me the new role of Health and Safety Manager. There weren’t many of us engineers specialising in safety and specifically design safety at the time but the first set of Construction Regulations in 1995 had created a need for people like myself.
I have remained in that position since 2001. This role enables me to have a view of many different types of construction projects.
My career has exposed me to many different types engineering projects as I have to have an understanding of how they are designed to constructed safely and maintained safely in the future. These have included roads, water, flood relief, rail, healthcare, education, and others.
I was very lucky to be involved in the reconstruction of the iconic Mizen Head Footbridge. When my parents were alive, they visited the bridge and came across the plaque on the bridge which had my name (amongst others) on it! For what was a low-level input compared to the people who carried out the actual reconstruction of the bridge I will always be grateful for that acknowledgement.
Because of the variety of work in the world of engineering I have been very fortunate to have had several highlights in my career like:
- Becoming both a chartered engineer and a chartered member of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health
- Becoming a technical director in RPS
- Being the principal author of the Construction Industry Federation book ‘Management of the Design of Temporary Works’
- My small collection of gifts from Engineers Ireland for providing a talks on engineering and safety topics over the years
- My Gold Medal from the Institution of Occupational Health and Safety Safety Practitioner Awards 2004
- Being involved in some large and interesting projects including Ballymore Eustace Water Treatment Plant, the largest water treatment plant in Ireland; the Port of Cork Ringaskiddy Redevelopment; Skibbereen Flood Relief; Dinish Island Wharf Extension; Castletownbere, Haulbowline remediation and the Glandore cancer treatment centre in Cork
- Being involved in the recent conservation and repair of the former Mansion House and Mercy University Hospital. It wasn’t a huge like other projects I was involved in but it was one that celebrated the engineers and tradesmen that preceded our generation
There were also lowlights:
- Having to manage the safety and health of my colleagues during the pandemic
- Taking the call early one morning to be told that two of my younger colleagues had died in a car accident after a day’s work
- Hearing of serious accidents on construction projects that could have been avoided
- Being laid off as a young engineer, although this turned out to be a blessing as it galvanised my intentions to ensure that this would not happen again. I used the time to prepare my Chartership application and resolved to expand my range of competencies, thus leading me to my alternative safety profession.
My role as Chairperson of the Cork Region has been one of learning - learning about the duties of the chair, becoming more involved in the organisation that is Engineers Ireland. The committee and I have organised some excellent CPD events with high attendance and we have contributed to the direction of the whole organisation.
In my final months of my tenure, I hope to continue to showcase engineering projects and engineering excellence in the Cork region, remembering that not all engineers work on large visible projects. Some are less visible. Some work on small projects, in small practices or work within large industries on projects that don’t get the same publicity of others. I hope to reach out to all our members in the Cork area to try and ensure their needs are understood and communicated to the larger Engineers Ireland organisation.