Crane Safety 2020

Steve Bradby: Principal Engineer, Select Plant Hire

Steve Bradby studied Mechanical Engineering at Liverpool university and is a fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering.. He started as a graduate trainee in Kier Construction’s Plant department in 1995 and worked through the ranks gaining experience in both Electrical and Mechanical plant and depot management. In 2005 he moved to Manitowoc Cranes where he become After Sales director for Grove mobile crane and Potain tower crane products providing technical support and service for UK, Ireland Scandinavia and Baltics. In 2014 he moved to Select plant as Engineering leader where he pushes Selects and Laing O’Rourke’s ambitious innovation agenda with suppliers and customers as well as representing Select at CPA and British Standards committees.

Simon Marr: Managing Director, The Men from Marr’s

Simon Marr is Managing Director of The Men From Marr’s (Marr Contracting Pty Ltd) – a third-generation family-owned Australian business that is challenging the global construction industry to think differently about craneage solutions.

With over 35 years in the industry, Simon started in the family business as a yard boy cleaning bolts during the school holidays. Today, he is leading the business to challenge craneage methodologies and develop new craneage solutions for large scale, complex projects across the construction, mining, oil and gas, power generation, agriculture and public infrastructure sectors across the globe.

Simon has overseen the successful delivery of craneage solutions for projects including: the Chevron-operated Gorgon and Wheatstone LNG Projects (Western Australia), Sydney Metro (Martin Place, Barangaroo, Castle Hill and Central Stations), the ALBA Potline 6 (Bahrain), ICDB Brookfield Place (Dubai) and ALEC One Za’abeel (Dubai), and most recently the 1915Çanakkale Bridge (Turkey).

Jamie Davies: H M Principal Specialist Inspector (Mechanical Engineering), Health and Safety Executive

Jamie Davies is a Bachelor of Engineering having been awarded his degree in Engineering with Environmental Studies at Sheffield Hallam University in 1995.

He is a Chartered Engineer and a Member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.

His previous experience as a research Engineer in the Steel making industry between 1993-1994 and then he was the Field Engineer in the machine tool industry, specifically hydraulic press brakes and shearing machines between 1996-1998.

He then became an Applications Engineer and Project Manager for a hydraulic installations and nuclear handling equipment company, which undertook design, manufacture, commissioning and installation between 1998 until 2003.

He is currently employed by the Health and Safety Executive as a Principal Specialist Inspector, providing technical advice on the safety aspects of a wide range of plant and machinery as well as undertaking investigations to establish the causes of accidents and dangerous occurrences as well as holding the Portfolio for lifts, lifting equipment, cranes, hoists and pilling and drilling equipment.

Ben Dobbs: Head of Technical Services, Lifting Equipment Engineers Association

Ben Dobbs started a career in crane and lifting equipment design following graduation with a BEng (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering and a MSc in Design and Manufacture. He joined the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association in 2010 and is currently the Head of Technical Services.

He represents LEEA on numerous standards and legislative bodies worldwide, including CEN, ISO, ASME & AS standards. He currently stands as the UK principle expert on Bridge and Gantry Cranes, Hand Powered Cranes and Non-fixed load lifting attachments.

He is responsible for the LEEA interpretation of standards and legislation and provides its members with guidance and technical support in the lifting equipment industry.

David Borley: Lead AP, Skanska

David Borley began his first Lifting in 1977 in the British Armed Forces, he then joined Cementation in 1986 then part of Trafalgar House Group This later became Kvaerner then Skanska where he worked on improving lifting standards. During his reviews on Cross rail in 2015 it became apparent that the Lifting Industry needed better coordination and much improved consistency in training. So David formed the Industry Lifting Lead AP Group in 2016 with a mission to improve things. This group now contains many leading contractors and industry bodies all combining to bring improvements for all areas of lifting operations.

Mark Buckton: Executive Director, Awarding & Services, NOCN

Mark Buckton started in construction in 2005 managing a variety of projects and programmes. Mark managed the Exam Board, Cskills Awards, and transferred it to NOCN in August 2017 taking up the role of Head of Construction for the Organisation. He successfully purchased the CPCS Card Scheme for NOCN. When it was transferred to NOCN Mark became the Executive Director of Job Cards and Services. This also covers the delivery of the Scaffolding industry card scheme CISRS.

Craig Hook: Head of McAlpine Lifting Solutions, Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd.

Max Lepoutre: LOR Group Lead AP for Lifting Operations, Laing O’Rourke

Angus Jamieson: General Manager HPTech UK, Torquer

Angus Jamieson graduated in Civil Engineering from Heriot Watt University in 1979. He has worked in the Offshore Engineering Industry for 40 years in multiple disciplines including pipelaying, anchor handling, mooring, heavy lifting and directional drilling. A specialist in high accuracy positioning underwater and underground, Angus has been an adviser and trainer for all the major oil companies. He was hired as external positioning advisor for the BP Macondo blowout in 2010. He has a reputation for practical innovations that have led to commercial solutions in worldwide use in the Oil and Gas Industry.

Craig Mills: General Manager, Verton Europe

Teddy Holt: Operations Director, Radius Group

Teddy Holt is the Operations Director for UK base lifting specialist, Radius Group; who specialise in providing lifting, handling & installation solutions to various industries across the UK.

Teddy has been in the civilian lifting industry since June 2010, where he joined Radius Group after serving with the Army Air Corps as a Ground-Crewman and Landing Point Commander; operating across a range of theatres including Kenya, Iraq & Canada. 

He progressed his career with Radius, operating as an Appointed Person, Crane Supervisor and Slinger/Signaller, planning, executing and offering assurance on jobs across a range of environments, including construction, engineering, de-construction, retail and rail / infrastructure, now with over a decade of experience in the lifting sector.

Teddy supports the day to day running of Radius Group, holding an expertise in providing commercially advantageous mobile, crawler and tower crane solutions along with leading the helicopter works for the business, bringing the regimented helicopter experience with him from his time serving in the British Army.

James Banasik: CEO, Metswift

James Banasik (Applied Meteorology and Climate, MSc) is accredited by the prestigious University of Reading – ranked 2nd in the world for research in Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences. He co-founded MetSwift in response to the supposition that ‘you cannot predict the weather that far ahead’, drawing on the research and learning of his fellow graduates, who are now a part of MetSwift. Whilst in a previous role, James & his peers identified a notable gap in current commercial weather forecasting, he began developing MetSwift’s work in 2015: Utilising academic expertise alongside big data, artificial intelligence and data science to evolve the ways in which weather data is treated; predicting up to five years ahead.