Geoff has been working in the instrumentation, measurement and control fields for over thirty five years, eventually specialising in Hazardous Areas and Intrinsic Safety applications. He began his career at Kent Instruments, becoming a service engineer in the UK and in East Africa after completing an apprenticeship. His experience ranges from system design, through technical and commercial product support to on-site trouble-shooting. During this time the industry has seen change from a generation of mechanical instrumentation towards sophisticated electronic analogue and digital techniques.
Geoff is mindful of these technological changes and its importance in the training and re-training of engineers and technicians involved in the practicality of equipment selection for a project, right through to its maintenance. He considers that his work in Intrinsic safety, in the interfacing of control signals between plant and control system, has inspired his fascination with these connected engineering disciplines and the appreciation of how they work must together.
He asserts that learning and training must be a continuous process and requires a balance between theory and practise, so as to develop an inquisitive and professional approach in students.