Why it’s a good time to be working at INEOS Acetyls

ADVERTORIAL

John Cutting is an Operations Team Lead for global chemicals company INEOS Acetyls at Saltend Chemicals Park, on the outskirts of Hull. INEOS is a global producer of petrochemicals, speciality chemicals and energy.

The products made by INEOS in Hull are key building blocks for a huge range of industries we all rely on in our everyday lives, including the renewable power, automotive, textile, pharmaceuticals and packaging sectors.

Here, John discusses why he believes it’s such a great place to work…

I started my career at Saltend as an apprentice back in 2002. I’m a local lad and I knew that further education wasn’t for me. I wanted to stay in the area, and so I decided an apprenticeship here in Hull was the best route to take.

I was right. Coming to Saltend gave me an opportunity to focus on a new challenge and push myself.

Over the past 20 years, I’ve worked my way up through the INEOS operations development programme to become an Operations Team Lead.

My main accountabilities are around the day-to-day operations of the INEOS assets. I look after the safe operation of the A5 plant, which makes acetic acid and acetic anhydride.

A lot of people aren’t really aware of what we do here, but essentially, we’re making chemicals which go into a whole range of industries such as pharmaceuticals and textiles. Without the products we make here, you would not have aspirin or solar cells.

As a team leader, I look after five shift teams who cover the INEOS site 24/7 on a rota basis, as well as members of our operations team who look after the asset.

Safety is the number one priority in everything we do at INEOS, so my main responsibility is making sure the plant is operating within the correct limits and people are working safely, with the right procedures in place. Coaching and training is core to my role; we provide this to all our technicians and supervisors to ensure they remain fully competent in all the tasks they undertake.

The work is really varied and interesting, no day is the same. One day we might be implementing an engineering improvement on the plant, and the next, working on what our planned shutdown work scope involves. We have planned shutdowns to carry out maintenance on key equipment - everything needs to be shut down to a safe state and my team are the first line response for that.

INEOS gives us a lot of responsibility. It’s clear what our priorities and targets are, and the company helps us achieve them. And there’s a ladder of progression - if you put the effort in, the company will support you and help you get to where you want to be.

There’s also a close bond between us all, particularly for the shift teams - when you’re working shifts, your colleagues are like family.

It’s a good time to be working at INEOS Acetyls. Improving the sustainability of the business is a real priority and INEOS is investing heavily in the plant and its assets. This includes the decarbonisation of our operations - we have some innovative projects going on, which I’m excited about working on.

INEOS is also investing in our health and wellbeing – it’s engrained in the company’s culture. The company supports healthy living and we’re building a new gym on site, which everyone’s really looking forward to. Health and fitness are very important here, and that side of things is growing all the time.

I love working here, and I look forward to coming in every day. You feel rewarded for doing what you do, and I take pride in telling people where I work.