Dr. John Atherton was awarded his bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. by City University, London. He continued research in combustion with Shell Research Limited and then joined DR. J.H. BURGOYNE and PARTNERS in 1974 and became a Partner in 1978. Since 1988 he has served as the President of Burgoyne Incorporated in Roswell, Georgia.
Dr. Atherton is primarily concerned with the investigation of catastrophic fires and explosions and providing advice to avoid such events. He has been responsible for the investigations of over 950 incidents during his time with the Burgoyne Group.
Investigations have been carried out into the fires and explosions that have occurred in chemical and petrochemical plants; oil refineries; storage and loading facilities; industrial, residential and commercial premises; on board aircraft, ships, barges, submarines, loading terminals, rigs and platforms.
He has been qualified to give evidence on matters relating to fires and explosions by Courts in England, Canada, Cyprus, Ireland, Norway, Panama, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa and the USA.
Dr. Atherton has experience on the effects of military ordnance on structures and has carried out investigations into incidents involving hazardous chemicals. He has provided advice on the properties of hazardous materials and the handling of such substances as well as advice to the U.S. Government Energy Policy Department during the Desert Storm conflict on spillage and combustion of oil. He has also provided assistance to the United States Coast Guard and Department of Justice.
Dr. Atherton has provided consultancy services on the prevention of fires, explosions and related hazardous events to chemical, petrochemical and process industries. His previous consultancy experience includes project leader during full safety audits of chemical plants in the U.K. and overseas. He has been retained as a consultant on matters of fire and explosion safety to an international resins and inks manufacturer, as a specialist adviser on fire and explosion matters to a major international electronics company and as an adviser on matters of fire protection to an international bank.
His areas of expertise include solid, liquid and gaseous combustion and related phenomena, including explosion hazards, fire development, spread and extinction, smoke production and movement and fire modeling, the hazards and problems of bulk storage and handling of flammable liquids and gases (coauthor and editor of publication on bulk storage and handling of flammable liquids and gases), the dispersion of flammable and toxic gases and vapors, following uncontrolled releases of hazardous materials, the hazards associated with chemical reactions and uncontrolled exothermic processes and the protection of reactors and gas phase combustion and volume explosions.
Other areas of work involve dust explosions; explosion venting and the protection of plant against explosions, ignition sources (including electrostatic ignition); self heating and spontaneous ignition; the cause and effects of fires and explosions in chemical and petrochemical plans, refineries, oil and gas platforms, domestic, commercial and industrial buildings and structures, aircraft, marine facilities and vessels and fire protection of structures.
Dr. Atherton was a member of DOT/USCG committee concerned with electrostatic hazards. He is presently a principal member of National Fire Protection Association Technical Committee 301 and Alternate Member of National Fire Protection Association Technical Committee 921.
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