Maggie Rawling, Health and Safety Advisor at our Port Clarence site, is awarded runner up for The Women in LPG (WINLPG) ‘Woman of the Year’ award.
The Women in LPG (WINLPG) ‘Woman of the Year’ award is designed to acknowledge an individual who has distinguished themselves within the sector, demonstrating a number of traits such as leadership, success and influence in her community.
We spoke to Maggie to find out about her role at Calor, what drew her into working in this industry and all about the WINLPG Award.
How long have you worked at Calor?
I started as a Temporary Plant Admin 6 years ago and have been at Calor permanently for 5 years now.
Describe your role at Calor
I’m the Health and Safety Advisor for Port Clarence. I help keep the site working within our policies and the law and ensure everyone leaves in the same, or better, health as they came in at the start of their shift. A lot of my role, through its development from SHE (Safety, Health and Environment) Lead to HSSEQ (Health Safety Security Environment and Quality) Advisor North, has been about educating the staff on WHY we need to do things a certain way and influencing a modern culture of working safely and being transparent. I believe it is integral to manage safety dynamically as this allows for trust to develop across teams to the Health & Safety Team.
What drew you towards this role in this industry?
I wanted to work in an industry where I would be challenged, specifically putting me out of my comfort zone. I was inspired living in New Zealand where it is common for women to build roads, etc. and I wanted to bring that back with me. Getting a start in the LPG industry as an administrator meant I could find the perfect route to follow and build a career, whilst fully submerging myself in what it takes to run a plant by asking questions and working closely with the plant management team, helping out where I could.
How did you hear about the award and what was the process for applying?
Our Corporate Responsibility Manager, Kelly Bailey, first told me to apply, and it wasn’t long before many of my other colleagues were encouraging me to enter as well. Initially, I was reluctant and lacked the confidence to do it. I felt I’d be an imposter to apply! But after much encouragement and support from colleagues, I decided to bite the bullet. I really didn’t think I’d hear anything back, so I had nothing to lose. I just had to fill out a short application form online explaining: what my role was, my main achievements and contributions towards the LPG industry so far and any mentoring I’ve been involved with. I included some internal articles I’d featured in, along with some colleague testimonials. It didn’t take long to apply!
What was the award in recognition of specifically?
In my application, I included a number of highlights and achievements of my career to date, such as:
• Rising through the ranks from a Manpower admin assistant to my current HSSEQ Advisor role. Notably, I was seconded to Assistant Plant Manager (Finance and Safety) as part of this progression and was the first woman within Calor to have this position (as well as my current one).
• Changing attitudes towards accident reporting, hazard spotting and improving quality of reports at site - making our safety our number one priority.
• Alongside studying a master’s degree in Oil and Gas Management, I also achieved a NEBOSH General Certificate last year.
• Leading the way for other female colleagues in the operational areas of Calor, offering coaching and mentoring, as well as supporting colleagues with dyslexia (drawing on my own experience living with the condition).
• Creating Calor’s WIN initiative ‘Women’s Innovation Now’ with other colleagues – a blog-based tool to encourage more people into engineering in the energy sector.
How did it make you feel when you got the news?
Really amazing! I was so honoured to receive this recognition. My initial admin role was the foot in the door that I needed and I’ve never looked back. I hope this inspires others around me to come forward and celebrate their achievements too.
Why do you think awards and organisations like Women in LPG are important?
They remind us that everyone can do things that feel extraordinary. With only 3% of the engineering industry’s roles occupied by women, there is still a small platform for voices to be heard. However, if diversity is continuously championed by strong role models, this helps to inspire and motivate others, sending a strong message that anything’s obtainable.
Do you have any advice for colleagues that might be considering applying next year?
Do not let ‘imposter syndrome’ influence your decision! Have confidence and go for it.
Click here to find out more about the WINLPG Network.
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