About

05 - Mike Webster - Photo

Dr Mike Webster

BEng, MSc, PhD, DIC, CEng, FICE, FIStructE

Director


Dr Mike Webster is a chartered engineer with over 30 years’ experience.  He is a Fellow of both the Institution of CivilEngineers and the Institution of Structural Engineers.  He specialises in construction and structural safety, CDM and risk, and founded MPW R&R to provide Consulting, Forensic and Expert Witness services in those areas.

Mike has worked on the design, appraisal and site supervision of building and bridge structures.  He has developed guidance for assessing the safety of existing structures.  Mike led an independent review of CDM 1994 and the independent evaluation of CDM 2007.  He also led the review of the use of CDM 2007 in the construction of London 2012.  Mike has recently been appointed by HSE to lead a research project to broaden understanding of how the CDM 2015 Principal Designer role is working in practice.

Mike has been instructed as an expert witness by both defence and prosecution teams in cases involving allegations of gross negligence manslaughter, breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act, the Work at Height Regulations and the CDM Regulations and the appeal of enforcement notices.

Mike is the author of around 40 published reports and papers on structural safety, construction health and safety and the CDM Regulations.  He is also the author of a range of articles on CDM 2015.

Mike is currently a member of the following industry forums relating to his expertise:

Mike has:

  • Expertise in construction health and safety, organisational risk and the CDM Regulations – having led a range of reviews, published over 20 reports and acted as an expert witness (instructed by both defence and prosecution) in cases involving breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act, Work  at Height Regulations and the CDM Regulations (1994,  2007 and 2015) during construction projects
  • Expertise in defects, deterioration, durability, safety and the service life of concrete structures – having worked on the design, site supervision, appraisal and repair of concrete building and bridge structures, led a range of research, published work, developed asset management guidance in UK, Europe and Hong Kong and acted as an expert witness
  • Expertise in the combination of engineering, organisational and human risk – this provides greater insight into what can go wrong, why it went wrong and what we can do to prevent it going wrong in the future
  • Prepared expert reports for civil and criminal cases – including a range of structural collapses, falls, cable strikes, demolition, trench collapses and personal injury; and has given evidence in Crown Court

At MPW R&R, Mike collaborates with a range of independent consultants who can bring additional expertise to projects or undertake peer reviews in areas including risk, construction safety, structural safety, behavioural safety and concrete structures.


Education and Professional

  • BEng (First Class Honours) in Civil Engineering plus Balfour Beatty Prize, Kingston University (part time) (1991)
  • MSc (Distinction) and DIC in Concrete Structures plus Gyebi Kufuor Prize, Imperial College (1992)
  • PhD ‘The assessment of corrosion-damaged concrete structures’, University of Birmingham (2000)
  • Chartered Engineer (1993)
  • Institution of Structural Engineers: Member 1993, Fellow 2019
  • Institution of Civil Engineers: Member 1994, Fellow 2019

Employment history

  • MPW R&R – Director, 2014 onwards
  • Frontline Consultants Director, 2008-2014
  • BOMEL Consultants Director, 2001-2008
  • British Cement Association Engineering Manager, 1994-2001
  • Mouchel – Senior Engineer, 1989-1994
  • Cement & Concrete Association Technical Officer, 1984-1989

If you would like to discuss how we might be able to help, please drop me a line at mike.webster@mpwrandr.co.uk or give me a call on +44 (0) 7969 957471.