David Anthony Purser

David Anthony Purser (born 11 August 1944) is a British toxicologist and fire-safety scientist whose research links combustion chemistry, smoke toxicity and human behaviour in fire.^[1] He directed fire-related research at the UK’s Building Research Establishment from 1991 to 2006, later founding the consultancy Hartford Environmental Research, and holds a visiting professorship in fire chemistry and toxicity at the University of Central Lancashire. He was appointed CBE in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to fire safety.^[2][3][4][5]

David A. Purser CBE
Born	11 August 1944
Nationality	United Kingdom
Alma mater	University of Birmingham (BSc Hons 1966; PhD 1969)
Known for	Toxic products of combustion; escape-time and tenability modelling; standards for life safety in fire
Awards	Commander of the Order of the British Empire (2015); Rasbash Medal (2013); GIDAI Medal (2011); Howard W. Emmons Lectureship (2023)
Scientific career
Fields	Toxicology; fire safety science; human behaviour in fire
Institutions	Building Research Establishment; Hartford Environmental Research; University of Central Lancashire; University of Greenwich; University of Maryland
Thesis	The behaviour of neurones in the medial geniculate body  (1969)

Education

Purser earned a first-class BSc (Hons) in zoology and comparative physiology in 1966 and a PhD in neurophysiology in 1969, both from the University of Birmingham. His doctoral thesis examined neural responses in the auditory pathway.^[6]

Career

From 1974 to 1991 Purser worked at Huntingdon Research Centre on inhalation toxicology and combustion products. In 1991 he joined the Fire Research Station (later BRE Fire and Risk Sciences Division), leading programmes on toxic hazard, human behaviour and means of escape until retiring in 2006. He continues consultancy through Hartford Environmental Research and has served as visiting or adjunct faculty at institutions including the University of Central Lancashire (2010–), University of Greenwich (from 1998)^[7] and University of Maryland (2002–2014). Purser chaired the British Standards committees FSH/16 Hazards to Life from Fires (1992–2010) and FSH/24/3 Fire Safety Engineering – Means of Escape, and was convenor of ISO/TC 92/SC 4 WG 11 Evacuation and Rescue. He has advised UK government departments on building regulations, smoke toxicity and evacuation, and contributed expert evidence to major fire inquiries including Dupont Plaza, Mont Blanc Tunnel, Rosepark Care Home and Grenfell Tower.^[8][9]

Honours and awards

Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), New Year Honours 2015 – for services to fire safety.^[10]

Howard W. Emmons Invited Plenary Lectureship, International Association for Fire Safety Science (2023).^[11]

Rasbash Medal, Institution of Fire Engineers (2013).^[10]

Selected works

Purser D.A. "Toxicity Assessment of Combustion Products." In: SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering, 6th ed., NFPA, 2002.^[12]

Purser D.A. "Fire safety and evacuation implications from behaviour and hazard development in two fatal care-home incidents." Fire and Materials 39 (2015): 430–452.^[13]