Forensic Engineers and Consultants

Archive: Residential

Pollen Can Cause More Than Allergies

Slip and falls occur when there is an unexpected loss of traction between a person’s foot and the walking surface, causing them to lose balance and fall.  This type of injury is common and can occur in any setting where people walk, including homes, workplaces, and public areas. Slips can result in serious injuries, particularly for older adults.

The human gait cycle consists of four phases: the Read More

Author

Cross Cut Grooving in Walking Surfaces

Author

As an experienced safety consultant, I am often called upon to investigate a wide range of premises liability incidents. One common type of incident that frequently results in serious injury is a fall on a painted walking surface.

The ASTM International Standard Practice for Safe Walking Surfaces, ASTM F1637, is a nationally recognized consensus standard that has existed for more than 30 years. It provides guidance to property owners and designers in the construction and maintenance of safe walking surfaces. The standard specifically addresses painted walking surfaces in Section 5.1.3.

ASTM F1637-21 states:

5.1.3 Walkway surfaces shall be slip resistant under expected environmental conditions and use. Painted walkways shall contain an abrasive additive, cross-cut grooving, texturing, or other appropriate means to render the surface slip resistant where wet conditions may be foreseeable.

In previous articles, I have discussed Read More

Short Flight Stairs, Big Hazard

Author

Stairs that contain three or fewer risers are considered short flight stairs according to safety standard ASTM F1637-21: Standard Practice for Safe Walking Surfaces. Single step transitions are also considered a short flight stair. Short fight stairs can be particularly hazardous for pedestrians due to the lack of visual cues signifying an elevation change. Unexpected changes in elevations can cause pedestrians to misstep and fall. Read More

Ice, Ice, Maybe…The Impacts of Freezing Weather on Plumbing Fixtures

Author

It’s that time of year again. Freezing rain, flurries of snow that don’t stick around, and mornings using a spatula to scrape dreaded ice off our windshields. I’ve lived in the south most of my life, and I know the combination of excitement and dread that my compatriots and I are likely to face during the winter months. Let’s face it, we may know how to cook pulled pork, but when it comes to freezing temperatures most of us don’t have much experience! Read More

Stop or I’ll Soot!!!

Author

Fire. Something about fire touches our brainstems…both good and bad!  Uncontrolled fire is terrifying and deadly to be sure.  But the controlled burning of wood at a campfire or in a fireplace in your home almost can’t be beat, to my mind! For that very reason, a fairly common amenity to houses nowadays is the gas log fireplace insert.

When not installed properly, these logs will generate soot. These soot particles can leave the fireplace and meander.  All. Over. Your. House.  Read More

KEEP the CHANGE?

Author

As we all know, change is a part of life.  Sometimes the results from change are good.  And we know sometimes change may result in things becoming worse, although it may not be immediately evident.  I think it is safe to say that when we intentionally make changes to something, our goal is to make it better with respect to one or more metrics.  Engineers working in manufacturing facilities are often asked to make changes to existing machines and processes for multiple reasons: Read More

Hidden Heat: The Unseen Hazard of a High Resistance Connection

Author

A typical residence can have upwards of 10,000 feet of electrical conductors installed, most of which are buried in the walls, attics and crawlspaces.  A commercial building can have 100,000 to upwards of 1 million feet of electrical conductors.  At each device such as a switch or a receptacle are at least three, and typically six or more connections of these conductors within a junction box.  The connections can be in the form of twisted connectors, screw terminals, push in terminals and crimped connectors.

Read More

The Alphabet Soup of Expert Certifications

Author

When consulting as an expert witness, having certifications can assist in establishing your credibility and qualifications.  If you’ve perused the Curriculum Vitaes of the experts at The Warren Group, Inc., you may have seen some of these letters trailing after our names.  What do they mean and what organizations grant them?  The following is a sampling of some of the certifications our experts have acquired: Read More

Waterpark Woes

Author

On July 12, 2024, a family entered the local water park to cool down. The family consisted of a mother and her two sons. While walking toward the wave pool area, the mother stepped off the wooden stairs and onto the surrounding concrete landing. As she did so, she slipped on a puddle of water that had accumulated on the surface. She fell backward, landing on her left side and striking her elbow and the back of her head against the stairs—effectively ending the family’s outing before it began. Read More

Water Removal In Windows and Doors – Part 3: Sill Risers

Author

Welcome back to my multi-part series about water resistance in windows and doors. Last time we discussed weatherstripping. Today, we move on to a product common to sliding doors and coastal areas – sill risers.

Sill risers offer a brute force way to reduce water infiltration when a LOT of water is expected to hit a fenestration product. Unlike weathersealing, buried drainage, or weep systems, sill risers block water by providing a dam. Coastal homes with wind driven rain frequently have sill risers. They are practical and require less maintenance than weep holes or buried drainage systems, plus Read More

Type ofLoss

Not sure what you're looking for?
Browse All

Select Loss Category
Select Sub-Category (choose category first)
View Now