Giuseppe Scatigno

Giuseppe graduated with a 1st Class Master’s Degree in Materials Science and Nuclear Engineering from Imperial College London. During this period, he worked at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the Incident and Emergency Centre, performing radiological dose calculations, following the Fukushima nuclear disaster. He completed a PhD, researching electrochemistry and corrosion, where he focused on environment-assisted corrosion phenomena, working closely with several nuclear utilities across the world. Giuseppe also spent time in Japan working on the development of Gen III+ reactors at Hitachi-GE Ltd. Giuseppe’s PhD work required the extensive use of state-of-the-art microscopy techniques, experimental traditional techniques, as well as computational, mathematical, and analytical methods. After completing his PhD, Giuseppe worked as a Research Associate for Imperial College, sponsored by EDF Energy, to study stress corrosion cracking resistance of dry cask storage units designed to be used for the interim storage of spent nuclear fuel. Giuseppe was then employed by EDF Energy, where he worked as a Corrosion Engineer and Chemist. Giuseppe worked closely with power generating stations before becoming the lead on water cooling systems and interim spent fuel storage. Giuseppe defined the chemical inhibitors regimes and corrosion monitoring systems to ensure the appropriate management of […]

Gerald Deshais

Gerald completed his PhD in Materials Science at the University of Cambridge in 1999, where he investigated the resistance of 7XXX alloys to stress corrosion cracking on behalf of Péchiney (now part of Rio Tinto Alcan).

Ian Giddings

Ian gained sponsorship for his degree from GEC Satchwell Control Systems. Whilst studying for his degree he also undertook periods of formal training with Satchwell in their Electromechanical Section, Technical Laboratory and the London North Office. After obtaining his degree with honours, Ian worked as a design engineer for Satchwell. Ian utilised his knowledge of mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering to take a number of projects from concept to manufacture. These projects included the design of microprocessor based control systems, valve actuators and gearboxes. He was also responsible for project planning and the ISO 9001 documentation for each of his designs. In 1999 Ian joined Dr J H Burgoyne & Partners LLP as a Consulting Engineer, where he specialised in the forensic investigation of fires, explosions and engineering incidents. Ian conducted around 400 investigations and was appointed on several occasions to present expert evidence in accordance with Part 35 of the CPR and also for criminal proceedings. In 2006 Ian joined Hawkins’ office in Reigate, Surrey where he continues to carry out forensic investigations of fires, explosions and engineering incidents. Ian has conducted a wide range of investigations including fires in domestic, commercial and industrial premises, fires in domestic appliances, […]

Andy Bryce

Andrew’s career in forensic engineering began while carrying out an undergraduate placement at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, analysing the cause of aircraft component failures for the Air Accident Investigation Branch. Following his Masters Degree he joined Rolls Royce plc, Military Engine Division in 1988 where he was trained in the forensic investigation of engine failures for both in-service and development engines. Other areas of responsibility included carrying out in-service turbine component condition assessments and writing quality standards. Andrew resigned from Rolls Royce at Senior Scientist grade and joined Hawkins in 1991. Since joining Hawkins, Andrew has carried out over 1700 forensic investigations involving engineering, fire and explosion incidents both in the United Kingdom and overseas. These cases have covered a great range, from small domestic incidents to multi-million pound losses in shops, warehouses, factories, power stations (gas turbines & compressors), aerospace and marine. Andrew is experienced in the legal process and has given evidence in the capacity of an expert witness in Magistrates’ Courts, County Courts, High Courts, Crown Courts, Coroner’s Courts, mediations and arbitrations on numerous occasions. He is listed as an expert in the Expert Witness Directory. Andrew is currently a Director of Hawkins and based in the […]

Andrew Prickett

As part of his first degree Andrew worked for Alusuisse, Switzerland analysing production methods of lithographic alloys and for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency on new materials for aerospace applications. His career in failure investigation began while carrying out his PhD, which was an investigation to determine the failure characteristics of fibre reinforced composite materials using fracture mechanics and surface analytical techniques, that was sponsored by BAE Systems. After completing his PhD, Andrew continued his interest in failure investigation by undertaking a post-graduate research project for Thames Water on the failure modes of cast iron trunk mains systems.In 2001 Andrew joined Hawkins, specialising in the investigation of materials failures, escapes of water, fires and explosions. He has investigated a wide range of failures in plastic, ceramic, metal and composite materials. He also uses his engineering knowledge and experience of the processes required for a forensic investigation to determine the causes of fires in residential, commercial and industrial premises.Andrew is experienced in the legal process; he is frequently appointed as a Single Joint Expert and has given evidence in the capacity of an expert witness in Magistrates’ and Crown Courts. In 2022, Andrew was promoted to Managing Director and is […]

Hawkins Hosts CPD & Drinks Evening at Trinity House

On 22nd September, Hawkins welcomed guests to Trinity House for an evening of CPD presentations and drinks, reintroducing our annual event following a hiatus since 2019. It was excellent to see so many familiar and new faces, and to introduce some of our own new team members and their expertise.

Reliable Adhesive Joints – Success Without the Stress!

Product designers are often faced with complex requirements when considering how to join components together, such as aesthetics, weight saving or part-count reduction. Adhesive technologies provide a compelling solution, especially in cases where traditional mechanical fasteners (e.g. rivets or screws) are less suitable. Unfortunately, confidence in adhesive technologies can often be low, particularly in cases where joint failure could cause damage or injury.

Nick Wright

Nick’s first job following graduation was for the Cookson Group at its research centre near Oxford, where he carried out materials development and testing work. Following this, Nick returned to the University of Birmingham where he gained a PhD developing polymer matrix composite engineering components. Nick joined Cosworth Ltd in 1999 as a Materials Engineer, developing materials and processing technologies for Formula 1 Engine applications. This work included a large number of failure investigations on race and road vehicle components. In 2006 Nick joined ERA Technology Ltd, working initially in the Gas Turbine group on failure investigations and remaining lifetime assessment. He became increasingly involved in failure investigations in a wide variety of applications including power generation, petrochemical process plants, electrical distribution, general industrial and road vehicles. This led to his appointment as head of the Forensic Engineering service line at ERA, where he led a team of engineers supporting loss adjusters, insurers, manufacturers and owners/operators. Nick joined Hawkins in 2013, where he works as a Principal Associate based at our London office.

Paul Gee

Paul started his career in engineering in 1988, with a four year technician apprenticeship with GEC Traction at its Trafford Park headquarters. Following the completion of his apprenticeship, Paul took the position of a Laboratory Technician in the now renamed GEC Alsthom Traction’s engineering laboratory, based at its Preston headquarters. In this role Paul was working within the electrical division covering product type testing, environmental testing, mechanical testing, EMC testing and product failure investigation of rail traction equipment. From this Paul was then promoted to Technician Engineer status to lead all aspects of the validation of its newly formed company ALSTOM Auxiliary Converters Ltd. During this time Paul completed a five year part-time degree course qualifying highest in the year and was awarded the IEE Institution Prize for distinction on the course. On graduation in 1997, Paul took the position of Design Engineer, then Lead Design Engineer within the ALSTOM Auxiliary Converter Business. Paul led the design on many auxiliary power supplies for use on all types of rail vehicles including trams and trolleybuses in the power range of 10 to 300kVA, for both AC single/three phase applications and DC battery charging systems. In 1998 Paul took the opportunity to […]

Richard Woodward

Richard completed his EngD qualification in 2017, working alongside Jaguar Land Rover, developing innovative adhesive bonding processes for high volume vehicle assembly. Throughout this work, Richard developed a detailed understanding of material joining techniques, associated test methods and failure mode identification. He also gained experience in the manufacture and testing of fibre ‑reinforced composite materials, as well as establishing an appreciation for the complexities inherent with using such materials. Prior to this, Richard completed a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering with Business Management at the University of Warwick. This degree brought with it an appreciation of a wide range of engineering principles with a particular focus on mechanical systems. Richard has also worked for Aston Martin Lagonda, focusing on the development and testing of new material technologies for use on future vehicles. This work primarily included adhesives and fibre reinforced composites, extending as far as material model generation for use with finite element structural analysis techniques. This work included substantial elements of durability assessment, understanding the durability limits of materials prior to failure, as well as investigating the effects of corrosive environments upon various materials and joints. Richard comes from a background in agriculture, where he spends a lot of […]