Al Brown

Al Brown is a Chartered Engineer with more than 35 years of experience in fire safety and industrial property risk engineering. He has acted as a technical expert witness on more than 30 occasions.

Al is a recognised expert in fire engineering for the semiconductor and liquid crystal display (LCD) fabrication industry and fire protection. He has advised on fire risk engineering for over 50 manufacturing cleanrooms operated by over 20 companies between 1987 and 2018 with insured values ranging for $1 billion to $15 billion. Al has served on the NFPA standards committees for 318 (Cleanrooms) and 75 (IT Equipment) since 2001.

He has extensive experience of hazard identification, fire risk assessment and risk mitigation. This includes evaluation of the adequacy and reliability of automatic fire protection systems and fire safety management procedures, developing of credible fire scenarios comprising property damage and business interruption estimates for insurance underwriters.

Al initially focussed on fire risk engineering, fire protection systems and fire investigation whilst working in the insurance industry; before becoming an independent fire safety consultant and fire risk assessor in 1999. He has advised management and construction professionals on compliance with fire legislation, building regulations and fire protection standards for a variety of buildings, equipment and industrial processes across Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and North America.

Al has given oral evidence in court and has provided written evidence to and on behalf of insurers. He has received instructions from insurers, loss adjusters and lawyers in over 30 investigations, including fire losses totalling in excess of $175 million. Al’s investigation and expert witness experience has included plating equipment and heated wet process equipment for the semiconductor industry; investigation into the operation and effectiveness of fire protection systems; and reviewing compliance with legislation for means of escape, fire and smoke resisting doors and aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding systems.

Al is a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Institution of Fire Engineers and the Institution of Fire Safety Managers and a professional member of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers. He is highly regarded by clients and the dispute resolution professionals he works with and features as a vetted expert on the Law Society of Scotland Register of Expert Witnesses.