Meet the team – Operations Manager Rorie
Rorie Henderson has been with our Egremont-based Radiography NDT team for 10 years, initially starting with the business as a Technical Clerk.
We chat with him about how his role and knowledge of NDT has changed over his decade in the industry.
You joined the business after completing an IT technician apprenticeship, why the move into NDT?
Honestly, NRL were advertising for a Recruitment Consultant, and I applied for the role. Unfortunately, I was not offered a job in recruitment but I was put forward for a Technical Clerk role in NRL’s NDT business – this was due to my technical background.
How has your role changed over the years?
When I first started with NDT my role was purely to input data to the ‘e-data’ system, print documents and type identification tags for the radiographers. There’s a lot more to my day-to-day activities now!
What does your day-to-day role look like now?
My day-to-day role differs a lot. The workload and compliance are ever growing, meaning I often work 10-to-12-hour days. I am most often in the Egremont office, managing the daily operations of the business – or out and about visiting clients or our different work faces, including works on the Sellafield site.
How has your practical knowledge of IT helped you over the years?
I have had input on many of the systems and processes we use today. NDT is not just about the physical non-destructive testing but also about data management. My IT skills have helped significantly in this department.
How does your role contribute to ensuring safety and quality in the NDT projects the teams undertake?
Safety and quality are two things we pride ourselves on and are of the upmost importance. Part of my role in the team is to ensure that NDT processes align with industry and client standards and regulations, procedure development highlighting safety protocols and assurance measures. As well as communicating this to the team, overseeing training and certification of our operatives and supervisors to make sure they are competent and qualified in their roles.
I attend stakeholder meetings with the clients and RPA’s and subsequently create risk assessments to identify potential hazards and challenges in the projects. I also ensure we maintain accurate and comprehensive records, investigate any discrepancies or non-conformities and take corrective actions, ensuring effective communication within the project team to keep everyone aware of safety protocols and quality standards, and encourage a culture of continuous improvement to enhance safety and quality over time.
This all plays a role in ensuring the success, safety, and quality of our NDT operations.
What project has been most memorable for you?
The current major site project is an ongoing project that will certainly be memorable for a long time. I have had many a shift carrying our radiography on the project with the shift start time of 04:00am – which is a hard get up time!
NDT in Cumbria
NRL’s NDT Services business has an extensive track record delivering NDT services to the civil nuclear industry in Cumbria for four decades. Specialising in Radiography services from our Egremont office, are well-respected in the region for our dedication to safety, innovation, and quality.