Phil graduated from the University of Strathclyde in 2001 with a PhD in Alkali metal Chemistry. Deciding that working with pyrophoric chemicals wasn’t quite exciting enough he moved to London to begin training as an operational scientific adviser to London Fire Brigade. He spent the next fifteen years as an emergency responder attending chemical spills, radiation incidents, operational accidents, clandestine laboratories and fire scenes as a blue light responder alongside fire crews. During this time, he specialised in hazmat training, clandestine laboratories, deployment of Detection, Identification and Monitoring equipment and fatalities involving hazardous substances. 

After fifteen years he decided to focus on safety and risk management, hung up his breathing apparatus and moved into the higher education sector moving to the University of Glasgow to join the Safety and Environmental Protection Service as the University Chemical Safety Adviser.  He spent his days wandering the campus opening the doors to old laboratories, stores and cabinets and for the most part sighing and shaking his head sadly as a result before moving on to the University of Edinburgh to take up the position of Deputy Director of Specialist Safety Advisory Services covering biological, chemical and radiation safety.

In 2026 he returned home to the University of Strathclyde to take on a new challenge as the Course Director for the Safety and Risk Manamagent MSc Programme in the Centre for Lifelong learning.