When welding goes wrong - learning from past failures

This is a London and Kent Branch event organised and run by our London  Branch. Other members and non-members are welcome to join us.

Overview:-Join us for a powerful session uncovering the key findings of the HSE report RR1215, which reveals critical failures in welding practices across multiple industries. With insights from 47 real-world incident investigations - where weld quality directly contributed to failures - this event will highlight the causes, consequences, and key lessons learned.

Why Attend

By joining this session, you will:
Understand the Risks – Gain firsthand knowledge of the most common welding deficiencies and their real-world impact.
Learn from Case Studies – See how welding failures have led to serious incidents and what could have been done to prevent them.
Enhance Compliance & Safety – Discover practical steps to improve welding supervision, quality control, and regulatory adherence.
Protect Lives & Assets – Take away actionable strategies to prevent costly failures and improve safety-critical components in your industry.

This event is a must for engineers, inspectors, safety professionals, and decision-makers who are committed to ensuring welding integrity and industrial safety.

Speaker:- Keith Birkitt

Speaker Biography:- Keith Birkitt is a leading expert in materials failure investigations, bringing decades of hands-on experience to the field. With a BSc in Metallurgy and an MSc in Welding Technology, he has spent over 40 years tackling complex engineering challenges. His career includes 13 years as a production welding engineer, 5 years with an engineering insurance company, and 22 years as a forensic scientist specializing in failure analysis and expert witness testimony. Keith has played a key role in national safety alerts and has authored peer-reviewed papers on industrial plant and equipment failures. His deep expertise and investigative insights make him a highly respected authority in the industry.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE POSTER FOR THE EVENT AND PLEASE CIRCULATE AROUND YOUR WORKPLACE AND TO 

ANYONE WHO MAY BE INTERESTED.

This is a hybrid event. Please indicate whether you will be attending in person on the registration form to assist with catering. There will be tea and coffee  available before the event and a sandwich buffet afterwards for those attending in person.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD): Attending this event supports your professional development.  You can claim 2 CPD points per hour for this event.  As a member of the Welding Institute you can record your CPD activity online from your membership portal. CPD Certificates are not provided for Branch events.

Additional Information:

• In person and online attendance options
• Registration for this event will close 24 hours before the start.
• Registration details may be shared with our Branch volunteers to help facilitate this event.