Cheryl Barnes

Administrator
Totus Environmental

"I'm enjoying working with our Industrial Services division, which means I still get to be part of projects"

People may be a little bit surprised about my background. I started a four year Mechanical Engineering EITB Craft Apprenticeship at 16 with Dresser-Rand Ltd, an engineering company now owned by Siemens. The first year was learning the basics - welding, turning, milling, fitting, fabrication etc and through the next three years I specialised in fitting;  working on reciprocating compressors and gas turbines.  Not content, I then did another four-year apprenticeship as a Draughtsperson which is what I did for the next ten years.  After this I worked for BNFL (now Sellafield Sites Ltd) spending most of my time surveying plant, designing lifting beams, leaded shield doors and pipeline assemblies.  

In 2019, I made a decision to step back from site-based roles to spend more time with the family. The job I'm doing now at Totus is very different, but I'm never not busy, every day is different and I'm enjoying working with our Industrial Services division, which means I still get to be part of projects like I used to. I'm also lucky to be based between our office in Knutsford and site in Warrington so that change is nice. 

Outside of work I like walking, so my partner and I always go for long walks on a Sunday morning while the two teenagers are still in bed…..they don’t like getting up early when they get to a certain age!