Today, we learn more about Paul Garesse, an inspector currently working as a Regulatory Technical Advisor, in ONR's Executive Support Office (ESO).
The 36-year-old joined ONR six years ago within the civil engineering specialism after past posts within the nuclear supply chain, many connected to Sellafield, and other roles linked to nuclear facilities.
Now with 15 years’ experience, Paul started off working for Atkins in Cardiff before transferring to Cumbria. He relocated to Australia for a year before returning to the UK nuclear sector in 2014.
His current role with the newly established ESO sees him liaising closely with some of ONR's senior executives, including Chief Executive and Chief Nuclear Inspector (CNI) Mark Foy, Deputy Chief Executive Sarah High and Executive Director of Regulation (EDR) Donald Urquhart.
Paul supports Donald in regulatory leadership meetings that guide the strategic focus of our regulation and is involved in the dialogue between ONR, UK government and other international nuclear regulators to enable effective working on joint priorities.
In the last six months, for example, Paul reviewed the regulatory response of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), who were responsible for the UK’s COVID-19 vaccine roll-out programme – recognised as the first country in the world to issue an approved dose.
Learning from other regulators and stakeholders is a fundamental part of our Strategy 2020-25 to improve our effectiveness, so looking at the MHRA to better understand their practices and ways of working and regulating at pace, when required, was a valuable source of insight.
Paul is also significantly involved in the foundation and planning work for some of ONR's key reports – this year’s annual CNI Report and the CNI Themed Inspection.
The CNI report is scheduled for publication in October and the preparatory work to start engaging with industry on the next topic for the CNI Themed Inspection report earmarked for this summer.
Paul is part of the team that identifies the regulatory priorities that Mark Foy will concentrate on during a particular calendar year and helps to select the chosen topic for the themed inspections.
In previous years, the dad-of-two was part of a small ONR team for the early work in our Generic Design Assessment (GDA) of the UK Hualong Pressurised Water Reactor (UK HPR1000).
More recently, Paul was the lead civil engineer at Hinkley Point C and proposed Sizewell C power stations between 2019-2021.
Paul lives in Liverpool with his wife, who also works for ONR as an inspector specialising in internal hazards, and they have two young children, the most recently born eight months ago.
He also likes to travel and keep fit by running, playing squash and scuba diving and has just signed up to take part in the Tough Mudder challenge this September.
Paul said: "One of the main attractions of working for ONR, and now with the Executive Support Office, is getting to see across the whole nuclear industry, and not simply being focused on one project or sub project as previously when working as a consultant and contractor.
“I’ve developed a wide view of the industry, and since 2015, worked on a diverse range of important projects and portfolios to help ONR continue to enhance public safety within this country’s nuclear sector.
"And to top it off the people within the organisation are friendly, knowledgeable and a pleasure to work with."