23 Jun OWM People: Paul Fieldhouse
Meet our brilliant people as we share their opinions, knowledge and experience in our series of quick fire staff interviews. Our first interview is with Engineering Manager, Paul Fieldhouse.
Give us some background to your experience in the Industry
The majority of my time working within the industry has been spent on project work for offshore potable water systems and more specifically engineering, remedial and new installation scopes. I have vast experience in all the engineering specifications of offshore water systems and the general engineering requirements associated with offshore scopes of work.
Tell us about your role at OWM
I provide engineering support for the de-risking of water systems and help the OWM team by developing engineering solutions to any identified gaps and risks.
What type of products can you create for your customers, which will reduce the risks in their water systems?
The engineering team acts as an advisory source when clients are selecting products through sharing knowledge on all of the options available in the market, such as all types of dosage control systems, water maker packages or distribution network installations and available material types. We ensure that the best option is selected by checking it is fit for purpose and suitable for the client’s requirements.
What is a typical example of a solution you have implemented for a client, which the industry could benefit from?
Assets periodically bunker water from supply vessels and it is a requirement to test the supply water prior to acceptance. However, the setup on many sites prevents testing the water without passing it into the main storage tanks. If the water test identifies problems, the water has already entered the system. To avoid this issue OWM have developed a three-way discharge unit which allows for water to be tested while restricting it from entering the system. Every site which bunkers water can reduce the risk of contamination by implementing this solution. This ensures only pre checked approved water is accepted and any risk of “bad” bunkered water entering the system is eliminated.
What would you change about the industry?
As water does not fall into its own discipline, it is often the case that non-specialists, through no fault of their own, are asked to run corrective action projects. Without specific expertise in water management, such projects can be ineffective, expensive and time consuming. Therefore, to avoid all these problems, I believe it is always necessary to have a suitably qualified resource with specific water systems experience included in relevant work scopes.