Regulators are the enforcers of safe engineering. They use their technical knowledge to investigate engineering failures to prevent damages. They can work within governments to influence policies that improve people’s lives or within companies to make sure a product is safe for public consumption. They can also work within the legal sector to protect engineering designs and ideas.

Patrick Vallance is the Government Chief Scientific Adviser and the Head of Government Science and Engineering Profession. His job is to give advice to the government on science,engineering, and technology so they know what laws to pass.

He began his career researching blood vessels at St. George's Hospital Medical School before going on to work at GlaxoSmithKline, a global pharmaceutical company. This is where he became the head of research and development of new medicines. His innovative approach lead to the development of new medicines for cancer, asthma, and HIV.

Since then, he has worked to improve the quality of scientific evidence used in government , made sure that engineers have the right professional skills to make safe choices, and helped law-makers pass engineering safety regulations. He has also been a key figure in government for navigating the COVID-19 pandemic.