Teammate Spotlight: Karen Morton – A Key Player in Process Safety
As an integral part of the team since 2011, Karen Morton, a Safety Instrumented Systems Technical Consultant with Hargrove Controls & Automation, is an accomplished electrical engineer with multiple certifications. “That means I’m an old engineer who knows a bit about instrumentation and automation,” said Karen with a smile.
Karen’s primary job function is to consult on and create documentation for Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) – a specialized form of process automation. An SIS is designed to prevent a process from creating a hazardous condition that could lead to a dangerous event, including a chemical release, fire, or explosion. Karen has a wealth of knowledge on the topic of burner management systems (BMS), on which her Team readily draws. These safety systems are dedicated to fire equipment such as boilers and heaters that are commonly used for industrial applications.
“Facilities install SIS because of safety and environmental regulations, which are in place to reduce the risk of injuring people and damaging equipment,” said Karen.
Karen is a respected technical consultant and is renowned for her expertise in Safety Instrumented Systems and process safety, with significant contributions to the field.
“Karen is a pivotal member of our Process Safety Team. Her experience and commitment to involvement in the PSM [Process Safety Management] community are second to none, as is her dedication to providing unparalleled quality of service to our clients,” said Chet Barton, Process Safety Industry Leader at Hargrove.
Early Career
Karen began her career with Hargrove in 2011 as the first Electrical and Instrumentation (E&I) Department Manager in the Baton Rouge office.
“I held that position for three years and grew the group from two to fourteen teammates,” said Karen. “I moved to Controls & Automation in 2014 and have been here ever since.”
Originally from Knoxville, Tennessee, Karen’s path towards engineering was an unusual one. Unable to immediately afford a college education, she earned an associate’s degree in Electrical Engineering Technology. Working as a technician, she saved up the money required to earn her bachelor’s degree. At last, in 1994, she graduated from the University of Tennessee LSU Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE).
Karen’s strong academic performance in the program caught the interest of Rubicon, where she was quickly hired to work as a programmer in their DCS group. From there, she took on a variety of positions in small to medium-sized engineering companies, with her work shifting between automation and instrumentation.
In 2001, she earned the Professional Engineering certification for Controls Systems in Louisiana. With help from a friend, this certification led her towards a company that specializes in this field, and then eventually to Hargrove. In addition, Karen obtained the TÜV Functional Safety certificate in 2015.
Karen particularly enjoys opportunities to deliver her technical presentations to professional groups. For the past seven years, she has contributed to the publication of ISA’s technical report on burner management systems. Karen is currently collaborating with other BMS experts to create a new technical BMS standard for the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP), in cooperation with ISO. She is also a member of the NFPA 85 Technical Committee for single burner boilers, contributing her first technical article in the 2023 edition.
Outside of Hargrove: Volunteering and Playing Creatively
Community involvement has always been a priority for Karen. She spent 20 years serving as a volunteer instructor for the Cajun Clickers Computer Club. During her time with the Clickers, the club had over one thousand family memberships and was one of the most comprehensive volunteer-run computer education programs in the United States. Karen co-hosted their Saturday morning talk radio show for several years. She also spent time running their education department.
Karen loves science fiction and tabletop role playing games. She is an avid painter, painting on canvas as well as miniatures with acrylic paint. Karen stays in shape by power walking, light weightlifting, and other cross training.
Working at Hargrove
Karen appreciates the voice that Hargrove has given her.
“Our management team listens to me. One of the reasons we have a dedicated SIS group is because I encouraged Hargrove to host a course for PHA [Process Hazard Analysis] facilitation in the early 2010s. Our team works well with other disciplines in HELIX projects,” said Karen. “I have a lot of respect for the people I work with, and I have good working relationships with many people in multiple Hargrove offices. When we work together, it doesn’t matter where the teammate is physically located – what matters is how well we exchange information and ensure that we are working to successfully execute projects.”
