A malfunction on Lisbon’s popular Glória Funicular on Wednesday, 3 September, saw 16 fatalities and over 20 injuries, many of them serious, but the fatality rate could have been much higher.

As an engineer, and it doesn’t matter what grade of engineer you are, your heart goes into your mouth when you see news headlines such as this. I spent a number of years as an engineer surveyor in a previous employment and the notion of responsibility never leaves you even now I am office based.