I have acted as an expert witness for over 25 years and advised lawyers both in and the UK and internationally. I have acted for criminal defence at Crown Court and Court of Appeal, for Claimant and Defendant in Civil Actions, attended Coroners Courts and assisted in different forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution and Planning Appeals.

Professionally I am a Chartered Fellow of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, a Member of the Institute of Demolition Engineers and a Member of the British Occupational Hygiene Societys Faculty of Asbestos Advice and Management.

I have worked in health and safety for 32 years.  My career started with the Health and Safety Executive as one of Her Majesties Inspectors of Health and Safety before leaving and establishing a health and safety consultancy that specialised in construction and asbestos health and safety. The business gained accreditation with UKAS against EN17025 and 17020 for both asbestos survey and laboratory services and I was the technical director. Our clients included the usual mix of main contractors, licensed asbestos removal contractors, local authorities, industrial ,education MOD and social housing We also held an HSE supervisory asbestos license which allowed us to project manage asbestos removal work which we frequently did for large main contractors.

I became particularly involved in demolition and asbestos and have written hundreds of method statements and risk assessments. Whilst I owned the business I was asked to sit on the UKAS Technical Advisory Committee for Asbestos, which liased on asbestos between HSE, UKAS and the industry. I was a founder Member of UKATA one of the two UK Asbestos Training Associations, acted as an assessor for BOHS on their asbestos proficiency modules, carried out site audits for both trade associations ARCA and ACAD. 

  

I sold that business in 2010 but continue to provide technical health and safety advice to a range of clients.

My main expertise is in relation to asbestos removal, asbestos surveying and asbestos contamination of buildings and ground from surveys, demolition and both asbestos removal and construction work. That means most of the cases I work on are higher value and more complicated and so I tend to do less per year than someone who acts in personal injury.  I do not offer any service in relation to historic disease claims where exposure was before 1990 as I have no experience of what the working conditions were like. 

When I worked for HSE, inspectors took their own cases. This means that I was trained by HSE to and have personally acted as the prosecutor in magistrates court, I have undertaken training with Bond Solon in both report writing and courtroom skills to add to my technical competence.

Unlike some of my peers I am still involved in construction projects. I act as a competent person to a number of asbestos and demolition contractors which means that I am aware of the current standards and requirements. I also work as part of a project team on the ongoing refurbishment of a critical government facility. 

If you would like to discuss a case please initially email on office@aspire-safety.co.uk

Thank you for your interest.