Having begun his training and career by spending 15 years in the U.S. Navy, Wayne has over 32 years as an electrical tradesman.  Working on both the operational and construction sides of various industries, he has gained valuable experience and knowledge in many facets of electrical and safety standards, requirements, and industry practices.  His 15 years in the oil & gas industry - primarily offshore and internationally - have provided him with an in-depth insight into the challenges and needs involved in conducting such operations safely.

Combining his experience with a specialized education in hazardous area standards and requirements, Wayne has been instrumental in establishing training programs for personnel needing comprehensive knowledge of equipment selection, installation, and maintenance requirements for such areas.  Having designed and built the only 2 known "hands-on" training facilities in the USA for hazardous areas, he is uniquely qualified to teach and advise on the requirements for hazardous area installations.

Well-versed in NEC, IEC, and ATEX standards for hazardous area installations, as well as various other standards and industry practices, Wayne can teach a combination of methods and techniques which can be tailored to suit individual company needs, as well as provide sound, accurate assessments and advice to companies operating hazardous areas.

As Senior Instructor and Student Assessor for ATEC's training programs, Wayne is responsible for developing, teaching and assessing a variety of training courses here at ATEC.  He also conducts periodic seminars for various organizations on the standards and requirements for hazardous areas, and serves as an advisor to various companies regarding regulatory compliance and safe operations for hazardous areas.

Wayne serves as a member of the U.S National Committee to the IECEx and as a member of the IECEx Working Group 12 (WG12) for personnel competencies.  He is also a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers.

Chris started his career as an E&I  technical apprentice  in the Petro-chemical industry in the U.K. During this time Chris specialised  particularly in Electrical Engineering.  After successfully completing his technical apprenticeship, Chris went on to work on numerous projects as an E/I technician and was contracted to many companies including Kvaerner oil & gas, B.O.C., Union Carbide, Corus, Dupont, Invista and B.P.

After several years working as a technician, Chris progressed to the role of an Engineer in the telecommunications industry as a specialist Electrical Project Engineer with NTL/Cisco systems. During this time, Chris was the only full-time Electrical Engineer  working for his company in the U.K. and was responsible for overseeing all Electrical project and maintenance work (including that of contractors) on all telephone exchange power supply systems in the U.K. Network, including emergency power generation systems and hazardous area assessment for diesel fuel storage areas.

After several years of working as an Engineer, Chris progressed into the teaching and assessing world and started working for a technical College in the U.K. After 3 years of working as a full-time lecturer and graduating from University, Chris decided to leave leave his full-time employment and start working as a self employed consultant Electrical Engineer & Technical Lecturer. Chris has, and continues to work all over the world in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Trinidad & Tobago, Egypt, Ireland, Canada and of course the U.S., as a technical advisor, Lecturer, Assessor and Quality Assurance co-ordinator.

To name some of Chris’s technical competences, he is one of only around 80 Engineers in the world who are accredited to Teach/Assess COMPEX Qualifications and also delivers training on IECex competency qualifications. He is also a technical question author for the qualification awarding body EAL, a member of the institute of Electrical Engineers, a member of the institute for learning and is also currently undergoing  the application/interview process to become  a member of the IET JPEL 64 committee which decide upon the format and standards of the U.K. based Wiring regulations.