Spotlight on EngTech: Stephen Rafferty
At IGEM, we’re proud to shine a spotlight on our members and tell their career stories. This time, we hear from EngTech member Stephen Rafferty, who works as a Technical Support Engineer at Energy Assets.
After spending over 35 years in the gas industry, Stephen has a wealth of knowledge and experience that he is now passing on to the younger generation.
Now in his eighth year as a Technical Support Engineer at Energy Assets, Stephen reviews and offers advice to the next generation of engineers on callouts, meter exchanges and the DSEAR assessments attached to the works. Another element to the job is to review proposed designs for larger exchanges, ensuring they are IGEM/GM/6 or IGEM/GM/8 compliant which includes applying for network approval via the GT process when required.
IGEM membership has assisted Stephen in his current role by providing him with the most up to date guidance on meter installations and support.
He said: “The knowledge within the IGEM team is something I can always rely on and has been beneficial to my own personal progress within the gas industry over the years.”
He began his career in 1990 at British Gas, working as a Service Engineer on a three-year apprenticeship. Following some changes, he followed the Transco/SGN route and became a First Call Operative, dealing with gas emergencies. It was during this time that he received his first taste of industrial and commercial installations.
He spent 30 years in the role before parting ways and moving to Providor to work in metering. The field-based role involved meter installations, removals, exchanges and maintenance across all pressure tiers up to 7bar IP.
After this, he decided it was time for an office-based role and moved to Energy Assets, where he remains today. Stephen still gets involved with the occasional meter installation but prefers to take a backseat role, guiding others on best practice.
Some of standout career moments for Stephen include exchanging meters in the Scottish Houses of Parliament at Holyrood House and within a few meters of his beloved Glasgow Celtic football ground.
Throughout his expansive career, Stephen has used his IGEM membership to stay informed on the latest standard updates and to access the latest publications, keeping up to date on the latest sector news.
He values his EngTech status as it has allowed him to share his experiences and knowledge with other like-minded people in the industry.
He said: “IGEM is a great platform for sharing concerns and queries within our industry and can also lead to expanding your own networking circle.
“Having such a well-run institution to lean on for support is fantastic. I would suggest that, whether or not you have industry experience, joining is a must. With the chance to develop and such help at hand, it would be foolish not to take up the opportunity.”