John has a first class honours degree in chemical engineering.  Following which he was a Research Engineer at the BP Research Centre and his main areas of research involved the development of novel gas burners and heat exchangers.  He joined Burgoynes in 1986 and became a Partner in 1991.  Since joining the Partnership he has been continuously engaged in the investigation of fires, explosions and related incidents involving buildings, chemical plants, ships and combustion equipment. He has considerable experience of presenting evidence in Arbitrations and Courts of Law, particularly the High Court in the UK.

John has been involved in numerous marine investigations including fires on container vessels, Ro-Ro ferries, car carriers, bulk carriers, product tankers and yachts.  These fires have occurred in engine rooms, accommodation, cargo tank and holds, and in containers.  He has also given advice on and supervised the extinguishing of fires in various cargoes.

John’s primary areas of work are the investigation of incidents involving chemical and petrochemical plants, and he has undertaken investigations in Europe, Africa, North America, Central America, the Middle East, the Far East and Australia.  He has investigated incidents caused by poor design, defective control logic, inadequate maintenance and deficient start-up and operating procedures. Most of the investigations have required a detailed analysis of the plant’s time-dependent process data.

John is a Visiting Lecturer in Fire Investigation at The Defence Academy, Shrivenham.