Forensic Engineers and Consultants

Blog Posts by: Jeff Warren

Author Jeff Warren

Expertise Includes:

  • Machine Design & Safeguarding
  • Machinery & Equipment Analysis
  • Products Liability
  • Risk Assessment
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Jury Claims Swamp Cooler is Not Defective; Interlocked Guards are Not Required

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An evaporative cooler, also known as a “swamp cooler”, is an air conditioner that works by evaporating water.   A float valve keeps several inches of water in the bottom of the unit. A pump takes water from the pan to the top of a series of vertical pads made of absorbent materials like wood fibers. The water flows by gravity through the fiber pads. A fan pulls hot air from outside the house through the soaked pads. Water in the pads evaporates, cooling the air and increasing its humidity. The cooled and humidified air is blown back into the house. Evaporative coolers need to be cleaned periodically. Read More

Desk Reviews Answer Subrogation Questions

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An important question concerning a workers’ compensation claim involving machinery and equipment is whether or not the loss can be subrogated to a responsible third party. In order to properly analyze this question, it is often helpful to have an engineer determine if the machine contains a condition of defect that caused the incident. One effective way to move ahead with confidence  — and without investing travel time and money into a full investigation — is a Warren desk review. Read More

Harmless Appearing, Smooth Rotating Mixer Shaft Causes Serious Finger Amputation Injuries

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I recently finished working on a case where an operator received a right hand injury when an unguarded, rotating mixer shaft caught his gloved hand between the right index finger and middle finger, twisting it around the shaft causing the index finger to separate from the hand and the middle and ring finger to be dislocated.  The mixer contained an unguarded rotating shaft, which created an uncontrolled motion hazard when rotating at speeds up to 450 RPM. Read More

Snakes in the Suburbs – Part 2

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In Part I of this blog, I told about getting bitten by a 25-inch long copperhead and my subsequent treatment. In this part, I will reconstruct the incident and share some learnings from it. Read More

Snakes in the Suburbs – Part 1

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“I am not sure we have an emergency, but I just got a snakebite”. These were the words I told my wife as I returned to the house, pulled up my shorts and pointed to two holes in my right leg just a few inches above my right knee. Read More

Uncontrolled Hazards and Risk Assessments — Part Two

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In Part One, I shared a case of a machinist blinded while using a computer numerically controlled (CNC) machining center. The equipment, which was safeguarded, contained a known hazard, but the machine manufacturer included an interlock guard to help protect the operator during the machine’s intended use. Read More

Uncontrolled Hazards and Risk Assessments — Part One

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Machine equipment manufacturers are called upon to study potential risks of equipment before selling it in the marketplace. In addition, ANSI machine tool standards further address equipment hazards and risks that cannot be eliminated by design. In one case I investigated, the depth of that critical risk assessment became an important factor in a claim involving a machinist blinded while using a computer numerically controlled (CNC) machining center. Read More

Winter Safety Tips for Portable Electric Generators

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During winter ice storms, power to residences is often lost and homeowners revert to using gasoline powered portable electric generators.  It is often thought by some homeowners that leaving a generator outside in the severe weather may damage it or affect its performance and therefore resort to bringing the unit inside the shelter, typically, the garage. This is particularly hazardous when the generator is run for an extended period of time as carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning from the toxic exhaust gas can cause death. In addition, other hazards including electric shock, electrocution, fire and burns potentially can occur. Read More

[SLIDESHARE] Low Temperature Ignition of Wood

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The phenomena of wood igniting when exposed for extended periods of time to temperatures below wood’s published ignition temperature value has been of considerable interest in recent years. Read More

Preventing Fugitive Vapor Explosion with Design

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For years, many water heater-related fires, injuries, property damage claims, and deaths were attributed to “consumer misbehavior.” By 2002, however, the NFPA National Fuel Gas Code began to reflect several key realizations: the existence of fugitive vapors and how appliance design can limit the risks they pose. Read More

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