Assuring Structural Integrity: Learning from Failures and Incidents Involving Structures and Components

Assuring Structural Integrity: Learning from Failures and Incidents Involving Structures and Components

Jul 2nd 2026 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT+01:00)
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2026-07-02 09:00:00 2026-07-02 16:00:00 Europe/London Assuring Structural Integrity: Learning from Failures and Incidents Involving Structures and Components Amentum Building 305, Bridgewater Place, Birchwood Park, Warrington, WA3 6XF

Tickets

Booking Refund
Insurance

Retirees/Unemployed
£300.00 + £0.00 fee
Discounted for FESI Members
£408.00 + £0.00 fee
Standard Ticket
£504.00 + £0.00 fee

Event Details

The ability of a structure or component to withstand the loads during its life without failing is vital in all industry sectors, particularly where safety and reliability are paramount. Ensuring structural integrity requires proactive management to provide the necessary assurance to stakeholders and regulators, particularly as structures age. 

This one-day course explores a series of incidents and failures where structural integrity was threatened or compromised and, in some cases, recovered. The case histories, drawn from a regulator’s experience, illustrate both good and poor practices of structural integrity management and are designed to enable better recognition of emerging problems and threats and the solutions available. 

The course will also include a brief overview of the fundamental principles of structural integrity management, the relevant UK safety regulations, the role of codes and standards, and sources of guidance.

Engineers, scientists and other duty holders involved with safety critical structures and components will gain greater awareness, knowledge and understanding of the challenges to structural integrity and how they should be managed. The course will also be useful to those early in their careers and MSc and PhD students, as well as those with an active academic, industrial or regulatory practicing role.

There will be ample opportunity for discussion and to learn from the experience of others.

The course will be presented by Harry Bainbridge and John Wintle, both of whom have a broad knowledge and wide experience in all aspects of structural integrity.

Harry Bainbridge spent many years in an industrial role as a designer of nuclear components before joining the Health and Safety Executive Technology Division responsible for the process and chemical industries and latterly with the Office for Nuclear Regulation where he was a member of the nuclear fuel cycle team.

John Wintle is a consultant mechanical engineer working mainly in support of the nuclear, offshore and process and process sectors. He is the author of many reports on aspects of structural integrity published by the Health and Safety Executive, the Energy Institute and industrial clients. John’s career includes significant periods as a Technology Fellow at TWI and as a Visiting Professor at the University of Strathclyde. 

Course Programme (Times only approximate)
  • 0900 -0930
    Registration
    -
  • 0930 - 0945
    Welcome and Introductions
    -
  • 0945 - 1045
    Overview of integrity management of critical structures and components
    -
  • 1045 - 1100
    Coffee/Tea Break
    -
  • 1100 - 1230
    Case studies from the petrochemicals sector
    • Major fire following extensive leak of volatile fluids at refinery • Release of toxic flammable fluids at refinery and steps taken to respond to regulators’ concerns and resume operations
  • 1230 - 1315
    Lunch
    -
  • 1315 - 1415
    Case studies from the nuclear sector
    • Loss of containment of radioactive liquor at a nuclear reprocessing plant and return to production • Life-assessment of old cranes for continued service
  • 1415 - 1445
    Case study of serious manufacturing defects found during service
    Fitness-for-service assessment of LPG spheres with multiple hydrogen fabrication cracks
  • 1445 - 1500
    Coffee/Tea Break
    -
  • 1500 - 1545
    Case study relating to industrial boilers
    Catastrophic boiler explosion at a saltworks
  • 1545 - 1630
    Discussion, conclusions and lessons learnt
    -
  • 1630
    Close
    -