David R. Atkins

Staff Consultant

Mr. Atkins has nearly thirty years of experience investigating and studying quality and safety issues for the petrochemical, power generation, structural, pulp and paper industries, as well as machinery, hand tools, and consumer appliances.   Mr. Atkins' expertise extends into the areas of safety analysis, management, risk assessment, and all aspects of machinery and manufacturing systems. He specializes in safety and industrial health, welding and joining, and nondestructive testing.  He has participated in many safety and health studies relating to product integrity, construction and process safety. Mr. Atkins has worked with the Department of Energy in assessing the safety programs and management systems at National Laboratories and serves as the leader of Packer Engineering’s corporate safety program. He has provided expert testimony and consulting.

Since joining Packer Engineering in 1982, Mr. Atkins has specialized in the scientific investigation of cause and origin for fires and explosions, metallurgical failure investigations, plant and equipment life extension analysis and affirmative safety programs. He also has considerable experience investigating residential, industrial, and construction-related accidents.

Mr. Atkins supervises and conducts both in-field and laboratory quality and nondestructive testing on chemical and hydrocarbon processing equipment, digesters, deaerators, bridges, electrical systems, structures, storage tanks, piping systems, and electrical and industrial machinery. He has participated in the development and refinement of in-­field metallographic examination techniques currently used in today's remaining life studies. Mr. Atkins is also responsible for the development and implementation of testing programs to validate and refine project recommendations and conclusions and routinely assesses Code and Regulation issues (i.e., ANSI, ASME, OSHA, CMA, etc.). He is a past Chairman of the Chicago Section of the American Society for Nondestructive Testing.  He holds current ASNT-TC-1A Level III certifications and is a Certified Weld Inspector (CWI).  Mr. Atkins has authored published articles in peer-reviewed journals.