Publications

• assebookreview.pdf
• Boiler and Fuel Conversion Projects - Issues to Consider
• Boilers and Pressure Vessels are NOT Forever!

Boilers, Ovens, Furnaces, Natural Gas, Coke Gas

Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

President, Prescient Technical Services (Cleveland, OH) ASME Fellow • AEE Fellow • ASME Uzgiris-Barnett Product Safety Medalist John R. Puskar, PE, is a mechanical engineer and nationally recognized expert witness in boilers, fuel-gas systems, flammable gas piping, combustion equipment, industrial ovens and furnaces, process heaters, thermal oxidizers, and steam system safety. He specializes in root-cause failure analysis, fire and explosion investigations, carbon monoxide incidents, purging accidents, and code compliance for NFPA 54, NFPA 56, NFPA 85, NFPA 86, NFPA 820, NFPA 59A, and ASME CSD-1. Clients engage him for investigations, reports, deposition, and testimony in matters involving natural gas, propane/LPG, hydrogen, LNG, refinery and petrochemical equipment, utilities, power generation, wastewater treatment, food processing, metals, and automotive manufacturing. A former Senior Energy Systems Engineer at Standard Oil/BP, Mr. Puskar founded what became the largest industrial fuel and combustion safety testing practice of its kind, later sold to Eclipse Combustion (now Honeywell Combustion Services). Across four decades he has designed, audited, and tested fuel-gas and combustion systems for Fortune 100 plants worldwide and led corporate gas-hazard safety programs that reduce explosion, fire, and CO risk. His book, Fuels and Combustion Systems Safety: What You Don’t Know Can KILL You! (Wiley, 2014), and 100+ articles and conference papers are widely cited by safety professionals, risk engineers, and regulators. Standards, Codes & Credentials • Standards committees: NFPA 54 (National Fuel Gas Code), NFPA 56 (flammable gas piping purging & cleaning), NFPA 85 (boilers), NFPA 86 (industrial ovens & furnaces), NFPA 820 (wastewater treatment plant fire/explosion hazards), NFPA 59A (LNG), ASME CSD-1 (automatically fired boilers), API RP 54 (oil & gas well safety). • Honors: ASME Uzgiris-Barnett Product Safety Medal (2014), AEE “Legend in Energy” (2019), AEE Fellow (2022), ASME Fellow (2024). • Education: B.S. Mechanical Engineering (Youngstown State); MBA (Case Western Reserve—Weatherhead). PE in Ohio, Michigan, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Standards, Codes & Credentials • Standards committees: NFPA 54 (National Fuel Gas Code), NFPA 56 (flammable gas piping purging & cleaning), NFPA 85 (boilers), NFPA 86 (industrial ovens & furnaces), NFPA 820 (wastewater treatment plant fire/explosion hazards), NFPA 59A (LNG), ASME CSD-1 (automatically fired boilers), API RP 54 (oil & gas well safety). • Honors: ASME Uzgiris-Barnett Product Safety Medal (2014), AEE “Legend in Energy” (2019), AEE Fellow (2022), ASME Fellow (2024). • Education: B.S. Mechanical Engineering (Youngstown State); MBA (Case Western Reserve—Weatherhead). PE in Ohio, Michigan, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Forensic & Root-Cause Experience (selected, searchable) • Boiler explosions/steam boiler failures/purge incidents / mis-light-off events / fuel-air mixing errors (hospital, university, church, manufacturing). • Refinery & petrochemical: process heater explosions & fires (East & West Coast refineries). • Industrial furnaces & ovens: heat-treat, curing, bakery, refractory systems; thermal oxidizers. • Utilities/pipelines: gas main purging accidents, leaks, over-pressurization, ignition sources. • CO incidents in public facilities and schools. Representative matters include Kleen Energy (CT power-plant gas explosion), ConAgra (NC catastrophic natural-gas explosion), Ford Rouge (MI boiler explosion—corporate boiler safety program), U.S. Steel corporate gas-hazard program, and Loy-Lange Box (MO steam-boiler explosion).