Senior Consulting Engineer John Holecek is a licensed professional engineer in 8 states and has both a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of South Carolina. John has passed the professional engineering exam in both Mechanical and Controls Engineering.
A NAFI Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator, John has more than 22 years of experience in the design of industrial, commercial and consumer products. These products include industrial ovens, paint spray systems, HVAC systems, conveyors, and gas appliances including commercial cooking equipment and gas grills. His design experience includes the control systems for these products as well as the normal safeguarding provisions applied to these products.
Additionally, John has supervised manufacturing operations and managed outside contractors in site safety requirements and the installation of industrial process equipment. By virtue of his experience, he is well versed in federal and state worker safety regulations.
In his paper, John presents his recent work in validation of SOLIDWORKS CFD models compared to physical tests conducted in the Warren laboratory. This work demonstrates Warren’s capabilities in both computer modeling and physical testing of fire causation hypotheses as described in NFPA 921.
What caused those holes in CSST found at a fire scene?
Recirculation paint spray booths minimize risks to the environment; however, these complex systems intensify fire and explosion risks associated with spray painting. Proper design, maintenance and operation of this equipment in compliance with applicable codes and safety standards are the key to controlling these risks.
A portable electric heater was ultimately proven not to cause a tragic fire in which two children perished. The analysis performed shows the importance of conducting a thorough investigation and is a prime example of how utilizing the current scientific methodology is vital to getting to the bottom of a complex fire loss.
Regulators are the heart of gas piping systems and whenever gas systems are suspected of being involved in a fire or an explosion regulators should be properly tested and evaluated. But what if the regulator has sustained heat damage from the fire? How reliable is post-fire testing of regulators?
As the holiday season nears, thoughts turn to wonderful home-cooked meals with family. Few things in life are more pleasurable than a traditional holiday turkey feast. Yet for an unfortunate few, holiday meal time can turn tragic if a turkey frying accident occurs. While fried turkeys may be tasty, many fire safety experts feel that […]
Equipment and appliances supplied with fuel gases like natural gas, propane and butane are a common and convenient part of most of our lives. Such devices as gas grills and ranges, ovens, furnaces, space heaters and water heaters usually perform without incident. However, when they malfunction the potential for incidents such as fires and explosions, […]
Over the course of its 25-year history, NFPA 921 Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations has changed the practice of fire investigation for the better. Without a doubt, NFPA 921 has appropriately driven a more rigorous approach to fire investigation that seeks to avoid cognitive bias and reliance on techniques that, when rigorously examined, are […]
As the weather turns cold, many people use fireplaces to provide supplemental heat. The warmth from a fireplace is a comfort and the aesthetics of a glowing fire are a pleasure. However, there is nothing pleasurable about a residential house fire that results from an improperly built or used fireplace or chimney.
When fires occur, the effect on people’s lives is often devastating. This is especially true with fires that cause the death of a child. Clearly it is important to try and find the causes of such fires so that they can be prevented in the future. In such circumstances, it is especially important to follow […]
Industrial ovens and furnaces are used in many manufacturing processes. One use of industrial ovens is for drying and curing coatings on fabrics. I investigated a fire loss involving a very large oven, 10 stories high, used for curing coatings on an industrial fabric. A young firefighter was burned in response to this fire, one […]
Prior to becoming a forensic engineer, I spent many years in industry designing fuel gas fired equipment. This included designing gas grills, commercial cooking appliances, and large industrial systems. I learned a lot about the safe use of natural gas and propane. Once I entered the forensic engineering field, that experience helped me in evaluating […]
Many modern machines and processes are controlled by Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC’s). PLC’s are essentially computers that have the ability, properly connected and programmed, to interface with the outside world and control the actions of a machine like a robot or conveyor. The PLC has a processor for processing the user programmed logic, and also […]
Prior to starting my forensic engineering career at Warren, I spent many years designing, manufacturing and installing industrial process equipment. Much of this equipment dealt with industrial painting systems or thermal processing systems.
We have a saying at Warren, “When we go to work on a new case, usually someone else has had a very bad day.” If you are a plant manager at a factory, you know it’s a bad day when you hear the fire alarm or a loud explosion emanating from the back of the […]
Senior Consulting Engineer John Holecek is a licensed professional engineer in 8 states and has both a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of South Carolina. John has passed the professional engineering exam in both Mechanical and Controls Engineering.
A NAFI Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator, John has more than 22 years of experience in the design of industrial, commercial and consumer products. These products include industrial ovens, paint spray systems, HVAC systems, conveyors, and gas appliances including commercial cooking equipment and gas grills. His design experience includes the control systems for these products as well as the normal safeguarding provisions applied to these products.
Additionally, John has supervised manufacturing operations and managed outside contractors in site safety requirements and the installation of industrial process equipment. By virtue of his experience, he is well versed in federal and state worker safety regulations.
In his paper, John presents his recent work in validation of SOLIDWORKS CFD models compared to physical tests conducted in the Warren laboratory. This work demonstrates Warren’s capabilities in both computer modeling and physical testing of fire causation hypotheses as described in NFPA 921.
What caused those holes in CSST found at a fire scene?
Recirculation paint spray booths minimize risks to the environment; however, these complex systems intensify fire and explosion risks associated with spray painting. Proper design, maintenance and operation of this equipment in compliance with applicable codes and safety standards are the key to controlling these risks.
A portable electric heater was ultimately proven not to cause a tragic fire in which two children perished. The analysis performed shows the importance of conducting a thorough investigation and is a prime example of how utilizing the current scientific methodology is vital to getting to the bottom of a complex fire loss.
Regulators are the heart of gas piping systems and whenever gas systems are suspected of being involved in a fire or an explosion regulators should be properly tested and evaluated. But what if the regulator has sustained heat damage from the fire? How reliable is post-fire testing of regulators?
As the holiday season nears, thoughts turn to wonderful home-cooked meals with family. Few things in life are more pleasurable than a traditional holiday turkey feast. Yet for an unfortunate few, holiday meal time can turn tragic if a turkey frying accident occurs. While fried turkeys may be tasty, many fire safety experts feel that […]
Equipment and appliances supplied with fuel gases like natural gas, propane and butane are a common and convenient part of most of our lives. Such devices as gas grills and ranges, ovens, furnaces, space heaters and water heaters usually perform without incident. However, when they malfunction the potential for incidents such as fires and explosions, […]
Over the course of its 25-year history, NFPA 921 Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations has changed the practice of fire investigation for the better. Without a doubt, NFPA 921 has appropriately driven a more rigorous approach to fire investigation that seeks to avoid cognitive bias and reliance on techniques that, when rigorously examined, are […]
As the weather turns cold, many people use fireplaces to provide supplemental heat. The warmth from a fireplace is a comfort and the aesthetics of a glowing fire are a pleasure. However, there is nothing pleasurable about a residential house fire that results from an improperly built or used fireplace or chimney.
When fires occur, the effect on people’s lives is often devastating. This is especially true with fires that cause the death of a child. Clearly it is important to try and find the causes of such fires so that they can be prevented in the future. In such circumstances, it is especially important to follow […]
Industrial ovens and furnaces are used in many manufacturing processes. One use of industrial ovens is for drying and curing coatings on fabrics. I investigated a fire loss involving a very large oven, 10 stories high, used for curing coatings on an industrial fabric. A young firefighter was burned in response to this fire, one […]
Prior to becoming a forensic engineer, I spent many years in industry designing fuel gas fired equipment. This included designing gas grills, commercial cooking appliances, and large industrial systems. I learned a lot about the safe use of natural gas and propane. Once I entered the forensic engineering field, that experience helped me in evaluating […]
Many modern machines and processes are controlled by Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC’s). PLC’s are essentially computers that have the ability, properly connected and programmed, to interface with the outside world and control the actions of a machine like a robot or conveyor. The PLC has a processor for processing the user programmed logic, and also […]
Prior to starting my forensic engineering career at Warren, I spent many years designing, manufacturing and installing industrial process equipment. Much of this equipment dealt with industrial painting systems or thermal processing systems.
We have a saying at Warren, “When we go to work on a new case, usually someone else has had a very bad day.” If you are a plant manager at a factory, you know it’s a bad day when you hear the fire alarm or a loud explosion emanating from the back of the […]
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