Airfield Engineering & AGL Competency Working Group Update

The 8th Annual ADB-AGL Seminar

Stephen Warland is Technical Director, Jacobs UK Ltd with extensive international experience of power generation and distribution, uninterruptible power supplies, power system analysis, petrochemical, industrial, railway, airport engineering and building services design.

He is an author of a number of technical papers, which have included “Combined Heat and Power Systems for Lloyds Bank†and “Reliable Power Supplies for Pharmaceutical Facilitiesâ€. Stephen is Chairman of the IET Power Generation, Conversion & Utilisation Technical and Professional Network and a former Chairman of IEE Professional Group P4 - Industrial Applications & Processes.

Steve Martin BSc (Hons) I Eng MIET LCGI AIfL

Currently working as an Electrical Authorising Engineer and the Principal Authorising Authority (PAA) for Aeronautical Ground Lighting (AGL) for EMCOR Facility Services Ltd, Steve has also been Chair of the IET AGL Competency and Safety Working Group from 2006 and a member of IET’s Power Generation, Conversion and Utilisation Network since 2010.

Following an electrical apprenticeship, in the contracting industry, Steve joined Essex County Council as an Electrical Technician. In 1980 he joined the Property Services Agency and progressed via their comprehensive training and development programme. He worked on a variety of interesting and demanding projects in UK and overseas, especially enjoying time spent on MOD Airfields. Following four years attached to British Forces Germany, he was persuaded to return to PSA’s Residential Training Centre at Cardington, where he discovered a flair for technical training, remaining there until its closure in 1993.

Moving north to WTI Training, he was heavily involved in developing the Mechanical and Electrical Business Unit into a significant training provider for safe systems of work training and then the provision of consultancy services. Steve also returned to academic studies and completed a BSc Honours degree with the Open University. Originally responsible for evolving AGL training for the MOD Estate’s airfield technical staff, Steve was then asked to develop a standard AGL qualification for Civil Airports and a BTEC Certificate was launched.

He has also been a regular presenter of papers on AGL Competency for the IEE, the Illuminating Engineering Society of America and at MOD’s International Airfield Conferences.

WTI Training was acquired by the Longhirst Group in 2004 and became Develop Training in 2005, moving from a charitable trust to become a commercial enterprise. Professionally, Steve continued to participate on industry wide working committees, including MOD Defence Estates’ Electrical Working Group. In 2005 he was also asked to chair a new AGL Competency and Safety Working Group working with a number of key figures from the Airport industry.

Steve became a Technical Director in 2006 and continued to provide consultancy and training services, whilst changing the business model to meet the demands of a commercial organisation. Develop’s Electrical, Mechanical and Building Services Division grew significantly during the next four years and achieved exceptional technical and financial success. However, in 2010 Steve decided to accept a new challenge and return to the practical side of engineering.

Moving back into the field with EMCOR has provided Steve with the opportunity to contribute his knowledge and experience to the central Compliance Team, developing and producing new standards and ensuring their implementation at site level.