Originally from Nîmes, Margaux, 28, has been in Nuclear Safety (SN) Cross-functional Manager at the Toulon naval base since the end of 2016: a first job for Margaux, but in a department that she already knew well since she had just spent a year there as a work-study student as part of her master's degree in environmental risks and nuclear safety. Alongside engineers, Margaux and her teammates conduct nuclear safety studies on land-based support facilities for nuclear attack submarines (SSN), which are being completely redesigned to accommodate the SSN Barracuda.
"Our job is to support the engineers on nuclear safety issues throughout the renovation project: design studies, factory production, on-site assembly and qualification tests. Our studies must comply with the safety report drawn up by the SN team in Cherbourg, with whom we are in regular contact. The Brest team often provides support for our projects: It's a collective effort and that's what I like about this job!”
Versatile, complementarity and team spirit
Cooling, fire-fighting, electrical power supply, handling, etc.: facilities are very diverse, just as are the subjects of study. From mechanics to electricity, not to mention fluids, Margaux explores all different kinds of fields: "We're a bit like Swiss army knives! When I started my work-study placement at the end of 2015, the design studies for the redesign of Dock 1 and two of the eastern quays were well underway: we had a clear vision of what the facilities would look like. It made me want to participate in the next steps!
The works started shortly after I was hired and are now almost finished: I was lucky enough to see the facilities take shape right before my eyes. Today, we are working on the design phase for the refit of Dock 3. We are drafting many safety reports to prove that our work does not jeopardise ongoing Through Life Support (TLS) operations on Rubis-class SSNs undergoing technical stops. According to Margaux, the Fem'Energia competition was an opportunity to highlight the team spirit that drives the department and the complementarity and interaction that exist in the nuclear safety professions.
