Aine mOLLOY

MY  SECONDARY  SCHOOL:  Mercy Secondary School, Newtownsmith, Galway

YEAR  I  GRADUATED  FROM  NUI,GALWAY:  2005

WHAT  I  DO  NOW:

I work as an Occupational Hygienist in GlaxoSmithKline (GSK),  pharmaceutical company based in Ringaskiddy, Co. Cork. I am part of the Environmental, Health and Safety team (EHS). My main responsibilities are in occupational hygiene (air monitoring, noise, vibration, radiation, physical hazards) but I am also heavily involved in the other safety aspects on site e.g. construction safety, lab safety and project design, to name a few. EHS interact with all teams on site and play an integral role with each team and their everyday activities and tasks. 

MY  FIRST  JOB:

My first job as a qualified B.Sc graduate was as a noise consultant with NUI Galway. I was retained by the AQTC (Physics Dept) to carry out a noise assessment in Valois, a company in Creagh, near Ballinasloe. Valois manufactures the plastic pumps and headpieces found in perfume and aftershave bottles. It was a short-term contract, to carry out a noise assessment covering all activities and shifts on the factory floor (days, night and weekends) and to make suggestions as to how to reduce the noise. The contract lasted approximately 8 weeks but gave me an insight into the manufacturing world and the types of simple solutions that can solve problems. Shortly afterwards I was offered my current  post in GlaxoSmithKline

THE  'IN-BETWEEN' YEARS!

Well, not so much in-between years, as earlier years! I had already completed undergraduate studies in GMIT - a certificate in Medical Device Engineering and a higher diploma in Production Engineering. During this period I had secured a placement in Abbott Vascular .. more on this below..

LOOKING BACK ON WHY I  DID THE BSc HEALTH & SAFETY:

After my GMIT studies I was unsure whether to continue into an engineering career or to revert to something more 'scientific' – my main interest in school, and what I enjoyed most. From my placement experience in Abbott Vascular, I decided that even though I enjoyed studying engineering, I didn't particularly want a career in the area. What I really did enjoy, was the health and safety aspect of engineering. Following this train of thought, I researched available courses in the field of Health & Safety and discovered a new course starting in NUI Galway, the B.Sc Health & Safety Systems, that has a basis in engineering and also a scientific foundation; an ideal combination for me. Based on my prior studies in GMIT, I was allowed to transfer into 3 ^rd year (in 2004). However, having not studied law, or the basic sciences since the Leaving cert, there was catching up to do! This was a little difficult at times, but with achievable targets, it was a challenge I gladly accepted.

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