Andrew joined Statera Energy Operations from Evero Energy, taking on the role of HSEQ Manager. He brings a wealth of experience from his work across oil and gas facilities and chemical sites. “I’ve come to SEO with that high-hazard industry mentality and thinking—from my time on oil rigs, gas terminals and chemical sites,” he explains.
“I’ve worked in settings where substances were either toxic, flammable, explosive, or environmentally damaging—or a combination of all those things. That meant we followed COMAH regulations, which impose a much stricter duty of care than currently exists for BESS site managers.”
He continues: “I’m responsible for bringing the most effective best practice and relevant processes from those environments to our sites. We want to set new industry standards and benchmarks for HSE best-practice in what’s essentially a new and developing sector—giving extra assurance to clients and the wider public when operating and maintaining lithium-ion batteries.”
Andrew’s appointment is part of SEO’s strategy to lay the groundwork for sustainable growth, keeping health and safety as a top priority. From a practical perspective, this means he’ll be reviewing existing health and safety processes over the coming months and evaluating the company’s Control of Work systems—digitalising and updating them where necessary. He’ll also carry out regular risk and fire assessments at each site.
“We put a lot of responsibility on our team,” Andrew tells us. “They’re working on sites, often with heavy machinery, including gas engines and banks of batteries running on new technologies. It’s a lot to take on. My aim is to make sure everyone follows safety procedures because it’s the right thing to do; not because they are told to or because they think we’re checking up on them.”
Andrew is also leading a consultation programme with fire brigades that are local to each company site, inviting them to visit and bringing them up to speed on potential risks.
“We provide firefighters with information packs and tactical response plans so they have all the information they need to tackle a blaze. I think this really differentiates us from other O&M service providers, and I’m sure the firefighters appreciate it too,” Andrew tells us. “But it’s not something we want to ringfence. A battery fire is bad news for our whole industry, not just the O&M service provider who manages the site. So I hope ideas like this gain traction and raise standards for all of us. We can all learn from each other in terms of site safety—and that has to be a win-win.”
Away from work, Andrew likes to stay active. He coaches the Swanland under-9s football team, where his son plays. “I think they’re more exciting to watch than Hull City,” he jokes. Andrew is also a keen triathlete, a passion that stems from his success as an amateur time-trial cyclist. Last year, he hit the golden 30-mph goal and finished a 10-mile trial in under 20 minutes.
“After that, I was looking for a new challenge and thought I’d have a go at a triathlon,” he recalls. “I entered the national trials and finished 17th in my age group. I’ve entered again this year and aim to get into the top ten. So, I’m doing lots of swimming, running and cycling right now—and trying to balance that with work and home life.”
It looks like 2025 will be a busy and challenging but ultimately rewarding year for Andrew, and we wish him all the best in his new role.
