Author: Terry Broughton
Terry Broughton - Founder and Owner of Gas Safe Ltd
Terry left Cardiff University in 1982 and began working in the Production Control Department for George H. Scholes in Wythenshawe, manufacturing fuse boxes under the brand name of Wylex. Finding production not quite to his taste he applied for a job as a Territory Salesman for BOC Gases based in Worsley, Manchester.
He began working for BOC in late 1983 and was responsible for sales of compressed gases into the fabrication sector on a ‘patch’ that covered Warrington, Widnes, Runcorn, Chester, North Wales and Anglesey. He quickly discovered that he really enjoyed the dark world of welding, cutting, brazing and general demolition as well as the freedom of being out on the road.
After 18 months as a Territory Salesman he was appointed as the first Cryospeed Regional Manager for the North West of England. Cryospeed was a young, fledgling business, supplying small volumes of liquid nitrogen to hospitals, universities and pharmaceutical companies from a fleet of transit vans. After three years in the role, gathering knowledge in scheduling, procurement, man management and sales he was promoted to Regional Sales Manager for Compressed Gases for the Eastern Region of BOC’s operation.
Responsible for a sales team of fourteen sales people and three process specialists and a territory stretching from Boston in Lincolnshire up the eastern side of the country to Newcastle, across to Cumbria and south West Scotland, the job provided the challenges that he was looking for and the chance to develop his training and presentation skills.
After three years leading the sales team and spending time on the road with gas users Terry identified a need in the market place for gas safety training. So, in 1991 he handed in his notice, left a very good position with a blue-chip company and set out on his own. Armed only with a yellow pages (these were the days before the internet) he began the long slog of knocking on doors and trying to sell gas safety workshops.
His first order came from Askern Sawmills (sadly no longer in business) and then a large order from Pandrol in Worksop got the ball rolling. After two years in business, he sold the concept of ‘Open’ workshops to BOC where they would mailshot a geography and invite customers to attend a half day gas safety workshop at a hotel. In a short space of time BOC were conducting over 100 open workshops a year. These were regularly attended by over 80 clients at each workshop.
As the business grew and developed so did the range of workshops offered by Gas Safe. In addition, to meet customer demand, the business also developed its successful range of online training workshops. It has since launched a bespoke online platform in North America.
After over thirty years in business, Gas Safe is the identified market leader in gas safety training both in the UK and Europe and continues to strive to present professional, focused workshops to gas users and to improve safety standards.
Experience
Territory Sales Rep at BOC Gases 1984 - 84
Regional Cryospeed Manager at BOC Gases 1984 -1987
Regional Sales Manager at BOC Gases 1987 - 1991
Owner at Gas Safe Ltd 1991 - present
Education
Cardiff University 1979 - 1982
Bsc Econ, Management Sciences
Expertise
Compressed Gases, Cryogenic Gases, Gas Safety Training, Welding, Coaching, Instructor-led Training, Product Development, B2B, E-Learning, Gas Consultancy, Business Development, Sales
Interests
Fitness, Golf, Drawing and very poor attempts at playing the guitar!
All Articles by Terry Broughton
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Why Is Dry Ice Called Dry Ice?
A question that we frequently get asked is: Why is dry ice called dry ice? At normal temperature and pressure, carbon dioxide (CO2) is a gas. When cooled, CO2 solidifies at -78 degrees C and is known as solid CO2 […]
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Are Your Operators Lighting Oxy-Fuel Gas Systems Correctly?
In fabrication workshops the length and breadth of the UK we frequently find time-served operators who have not been trained how to correctly light oxy-fuel gas systems and who use either the wrong spark lighter or a naked flame (cigarette […]
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Why Oxygen Depletion Is Such a Serious Hazard
It goes without saying that oxygen is the only component of the air we breathe that is capable of supporting life. Air is composed of approximately 21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen and other trace gases. Asphyxiation is the greatest hazard associated […]
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Why Risk Assessments for Compressed Gases Require Specialist Knowledge
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations place a legal requirement to undertake a risk assessment prior to undertaking a work activity. Risk management is a step-by-step process for controlling health and safety risks caused by hazards in the workplace. […]
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Gas Cylinder Fire Safety: Are You Prepared
During our training workshops and when we undertake site surveys, we always ask delegates if they have evacuation procedures if a fire is discovered on site. They always do. We then ask where the fire evacuation muster points are located. […]
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How Do You Identify the Contents of a Gas Cylinder?
A question we always ask on our gas safety workshops is: “How do you identify what type of gas is inside a cylinder?” After a roll of the eyes from most staff and the thought “that’s an easy question”, they almost always […]
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Moving Gas Cylinders Safely: Manual Handling Guidance
Gas cylinders are big, heavy and relatively unstable. They are 5 feet tall, stand on a ten inch diameter base and weigh 90 kg. They are basically a very heavy pencil stood on its end. The bywords when moving gas […]
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Liquid Withdrawal Devices: Safer Handling of Liquid Nitrogen
We frequently visit clients who simply decant (pour) liquid nitrogen from a 25 litre dewar into a smaller working flask by manually tipping the dewar and (hopefully) aiming the liquid into the flask which they have placed on the floor. […]
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Cylinder Test Rings: What They Mean and Why They Matter
What are the plastic rings on the top of a gas cylinder? A question we are often asked, these are called Cylinder Test Rings. They tell the gas company when a cylinder is next due to be taken out of […]
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Flashbacks and Flashback Arrestors: What the Regulations Require
We are often asked the question: is it a legal requirement to fit flashback arrestors? If you are using acetylene in England, Scotland or Wales, the simple answer is yes. The Acetylene Safety (England and Wales and Scotland) Regulations 2014 […]
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Gas Safe in the Community
Grassroots sports clubs are struggling across the country, yet local teams remain a lifeline for many people. Gas Safe is committed to supporting its community in Cheshire and is proud to play a part in keeping local sport alive. Sports […]
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Fitting the Correct Regulator
A pressure regulator is a key piece of gas control equipment (fitted to the outlet of the gas cylinder valve or manifold). It reduces the high pressure of the gas from the cylinder pressure to the lower pressure or flow […]
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Safe Systems of Work
Many companies have risk assessments covering the handling, storage and use of gases within their organisation. It is a legal requirement to do so and it’s the first port of call when an incident occurs, but is it enough? Even […]
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The Importance of Team Work
Why Teamwork Matters in Our Business Teamwork within Gas Safe is crucial in business because it fosters synergy, leading to greater overall outcomes than individual efforts alone, and benefits both the organisation and its employees through increased productivity, innovation and […]
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Site Safety Surveys
Keeping Your Site Safe and Compliant Doesn’t Have to be Complicated What is a site safety survey? Our site safety surveys are a comprehensive assessment of the storage, handling and use of compressed or liquefied gases on your site(s). They […]
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6 Common Errors When Decanting Liquid Nitrogen
There are many safety errors operators can make when decanting liquid nitrogen. Here are the 6 most common errors that we see: 1. Not following an approved standard operating procedure A standard operating procedure (sometimes called a method statement or […]
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Liquid Nitrogen Training in Temperature Calibration
We recently undertook a liquid nitrogen decanting workshop for a company that has been pioneering the latest developments in temperature calibration and measurement for over 40 years. The company develop innovative solutions for calibration facilities in over 125 countries. They are […]
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Company Fined After an Explosion Seriously Injured Two Employees
The Health and Safety Executive have recently reported that a company which produces electricity from food waste by anaerobic digestion, has been fined more than £300,000 after an explosion caused two employees to suffer life changing injuries. What Is Anaerobic […]
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Cryogenic Personal Protective Equipment
We’re frequently asked about the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) that’s required to be worn by operators who are either handling, storing or using liquid nitrogen. Our first response is – ‘have you done a risk assessment?’ Key Takeaways A […]
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Laboratory Gases Safety Training for a Biotech Company
Ensuring Safe Use of Laboratory Gases We recently undertook a Laboratory Gases workshop with a practical Connecting Regulators and Manifold overview session for a biotech company who use high-value specialty gases for mass spectrometers. Identifying Safety Gaps in Cylinder Management […]
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Manifold Training in a Bioscience Centre
We recently undertook a Safe Use of Single Cylinders and Manifold Systems practical workshop at a prestigious bioscience centre. About the Bioscience Centre The centre provides a focus for life sciences activity and offers exceptionally high standard laboratory and office […]
