Building a future in the Lifting Industry
In the first of a series featuring the highest scoring LEEA trainees in 2024, we explore how Mahesh V Thomas winning the Cyril McCaully Memorial Prize for his LEEA Mobile Cranes Diploma course is just one important step on his career path towards building his future in the Lifting Industry.
With lifting taking place everywhere, opportunities are immense in a Lifting Industry that is truly global and includes a myriad of fulfilling occupations and the ability to grow exciting careers with clear paths for building futures. Training is a vital ingredient in lifting career progression, helping to create a new breed of experts who can keep pace with the changing world of lifting around them, as demonstrated by the those taking LEEA’s diploma courses.
Mahesh V Thomas, Third Party Inspection (TPI) Engineer at International Inspection Centre Co. WLL, won the Cyril McCaully Memorial Prize for gaining the highest score in the LEEA Mobile Cranes diploma course during 2024. As a result of attaining an impressive score on the course, he receives a specially designed certificate and award.
Based in Kuwait, International Inspection Centre Co. is a leading service provider of OCTG (Oil Tubular Goods) and Lifting Inspection, third party Inspection, training and certification, and specialised manpower supply in the Gulf region. It’s mission is to ‘provide exceptional inspection services that empower our clients with the knowledge and confidence they need to make informed decisions’.
An important element in achieving this is investing in its team’s ongoing training and development to ensure they are experts in their respective fields. As part of his job, Mahesh deals with the inspections of lifting gears and lifting equipment, earthmoving equipment, welding Inspections and material inspections as per corresponding standards in the industry. Within the last four years he has completed four LEEA courses, including: LEEA Foundation in August 2021, LEEA LAC (Lifting Accessories) in October 2023, LEEA MLM (Manual Lifting Machines) in April 2024 and LEEA Mobile Crane in July 2024, for which he received the award.
Lifting careers and building futures
With a continual introduction of new techniques and technology, lifting is an industry where there is always something to learn – and there are great opportunities to do to so for those with ambition, as Mahesh has found. “I like to study and to keep updating my knowledge in the industry,” he says. “I aim to achieve all LEEA Diploma courses within the coming years.”
This is an important part of Mahesh’s career progression, as he explains: “I am very interested in carrying out field inspections for complicated machines like cranes and, in this industry, I believe LEEA training is the best and it always maintains a high standard. I can proudly say that I am LEEA Certified Lifting Inspector.”
Mahesh’s path to the Lifting Industry began with his Engineering graduation, after which he completed an NDT (Non-Destructive Testing) Level II course, which is for inspecting components, materials, welds and other items within manufacturing processes. He then then joined a Building Information Modelling (BIM) course at Prompt Academy in Kerala, India where, after completion of that course in June 2016, he worked for one year. “It was a type of designing course but I felt bored working the whole day in front of a computer,” he said. “So I then got a job at International Inspection Centre in Kuwait as a Metallurgy and Mechanical Laboratory Junior Engineer. After two years I did a CSWIP (Certification Scheme for Weldment Inspection Personnel) and was promoted to Welding Engineer in the same firm. The next year I started doing LEEA courses, with four of them now completed and more to do.”
It was during his time as a Welding Engineer with International Inspection Centre that one of his colleagues told Mahesh about LEEA courses. “I was interested and started learning as a much as possible. After completing the LEEA Foundation it was very interesting to go to the next level.”
With has big ambitions to build his future career, Mahesh sees training as the key to unlocking opportunities in the Lifting Industry. “I would like to explore other sector courses, such as LEEA Appointed Person, NEBOSH (National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health) etc. It will assist me to improve my knowledge and to handle the various site conditions I am likely to encounter. I aim to gain higher certifications, specialise in heavy lifting projects, and eventually progress into leadership roles such as Senior Lifting Inspector and Lifting Operations Manager in the long run.
“LEEA helps me to ensure that I stay up to date with global safety standards, reducing risks in lifting operations. This makes me a more valuable asset to any company by ensuring regulatory compliance and preventing workplace accidents.”
The LEEA Mobile Cranes (MOB) diploma, in which Mahesh gained his high score, is essential for anyone engaged in the testing, inspection, examination and repair/maintenance of mobile cranes – and it met Mahesh’s requirements. “All of LEEA’s courses have a high standard and all their technical knowledge regarding the machines or gears can easily be picked up,” he points out, “Safety is the prime concern – as it’s always been – giving priority to safe working practices.”
With Global Lifting Awareness Day (GLAD) on 12th June 2025 being themed on “Lifting Careers, Building Futures”, Mahesh certainly sees Lifting as a great industry to be involved in, with many opportunities to build a future.
Training is important part of this progress, of which Mahesh is a great example. “Every course I have completed with LEEA gives me the confidence to inspect, and it provides the knowledge to take decisions in various circumstances. It has taught me that safety is the main concern, as highlighted in LEEA’s vision statement, and to never neglect any faults in the equipment, because a little negligence may lead to huge accidents.”
“As part of the ‘LEEA team’ you should know about your role, know your inspections, and please don’t take any type of risks while inspecting. Safety is your prime concern, so carry out the inspection responsibly.”
For more information on International Inspection Centre Co. WLL, visit: www.intrexkw.com. For further details of LEEA courses, visit: leeaint.com/courses.
