Perspectives

Coffee with Kai: first serving

This month, Kai gets to grips with fire, Phast and the mysterious world of R

Twenty-year-old Kai Henderson originally started as our digital marketer and has since moved into a junior risk consultant role - and novice coffee drinker. Alongside his work at Marex, he is studying for a graduate apprenticeship in data science.

In his monthly journal, he gives us a peek behind the office doors…

Well, this month has gone quickly.

At work, I’ve been on fire. Well not literally, as I’ve been working on a PFEER under the guidance of my colleague Neil.

It’s a prevention of fire and explosion emergency response and I’ve been working through as much of the document as I can. I really like this way of learning – I’m shown how to do a specific part and then I go and complete the other on my own. It suits me.

I have also been reading rig plan diagrams for the first time. I have a basic understanding of them now, although it took a little while to understand them. I quite enjoy being able to read rig plan diagrams as it gives a different perspective and view of the rig while not physically being on the rig itself.

They’re also PDFs which mean they are easy to access. I have to be able to read rig plan diagrams for many projects but currently it’s to calculate measurements and draw out the escape routes from specific points.

We’re based at neospace which is the ideal place to expand my horizons through the medium of coffee, which the rest of the office find hilarious.

I like it though and it creates an entertaining atmosphere for everyone. And I’ve decided I do like a flat white.

Second week found me hard at it with assessments due in for university in the business analytics module. For one of them I had to create a presentation and record myself presenting, it was a weird experience. Another assessment had me creating a report with text and code. I found this assessment cool as I was creating graphs and charts through coding.

Meanwhile, the PFEER work has me learning Phast. That’s the industry hazard analysis software tool that examines the progress of a potential incident. It’s really interesting and complex because it looks at it from the initial release to far-field dispersion and models spreading and evaporation, and flammable and toxic effects.

And I’ve been experimenting. This week, I tried a full coffee (two shots) instead of half. That kept the concentration focused for a good two hours. I needed it for using the Phast software though because there is a high possibility of human error.

With the assessments out of the way at uni, we’ve moved on to a new module. It’s learning new coding language called R. It’s a programming language and environment used in statistical computing, data analytics and scientific research.

And I moved on from my usual flat white to a latte. It adds a touch of adventure, I think - and also keeps the focus when I’m trying to pick up R.

Perspectives