Forensic Engineers and Consultants

Tag Archive: expert

  1. WARREN Welcomes Mechanical Engineer Bob Hickman, P.E.

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    Please join us in welcoming Mechanical Engineer Bob Hickman, P.E., to the WARREN family! Bob has over 30 years of manufacturing and machine design experience in production and quality-driven environments. Bob holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Clemson University.

    Bob’s Areas of Expertise Include:
    -Machine Safeguarding
    -Machine Design
    -Equipment Failure
    -Mechanical Engineering
    -Industrial Accident Investigation
    -Codes & Standards
    -Machinery & Equipment Damage Assessment
    -Products Liability (more…)

  2. The Concepts of Hazard, Risk, and Harm in Machine Safeguarding

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    Hazard, risk, and harm are terms that are used in the world of machine safeguarding.   How do these words shape the concept of machine safeguarding? Let’s look a little deeper….

    Hazard, which Merriam-Webster defines as a noun, lists its first meaning as a source of danger.

    1: a source of danger

    2a: the effect of unpredictable and unanalyzable forces in determining events : CHANCE, RISK

      b:  a chance event : ACCIDENT  (more…)

  3. Warren Welcomes Fire Protection Engineer Amy Anderson, P.E.

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    Please join us in welcoming Fire Protection Engineer Amy Anderson, P.E., to the WARREN family! Amy has over 20 years of property loss prevention engineering and experience, specializing in fire protection. Amy graduated from Clemson University with a degree in Chemical Engineering and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Fire Protection.

    Amy’s Expertise Includes: (more…)

  4. The Use of Taglines to Control Crane Loads

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    The adequacy of a crane’s load line to support the weight of the object being lifted is an obvious concern when evaluating a crane lifting operation. Less obvious, but often equally important, is the presence and adequacy of taglines to provide control of the load orientation.

    Taglines are simply ropes or lines that are (more…)

  5. Heating System Losses: Part Two

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    Previously, Warren posted the first installment of a series on losses associated with heating systems.  The first article looked at central forced air furnaces.  This new article will look at a common form of supplemental or secondary heat, oil filled electric radiant heaters. These heaters are commonly used to provide extra heating in areas that are lacking in central heating capacity. Another rationale for their use arises from manufacturer’s claims that the portable heating units can lower your power bill.  This is based on (more…)

  6. Taking a Practical Approach to Vehicle Fires

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    “On average, U.S. fire departments responded to a highway vehicle fire every 182 seconds,” according to the NFPA’s Fire Loss Facts Sheet.

    The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) says that vehicle fires account for about 20 percent of all reported fires. Before I attempt to examine a vehicle fire loss, I like to check various consumer and government agencies websites to see if I can find any recall or historical data that might be important. This is true for heavy truck fires all the way to automobile and motorcycle fires. (more…)

  7. Lack of HVAC System Design and Poor Installation Lead to Extreme Conditions

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    Construction defects can appear in many forms.  The building does not necessarily have to fall down. There are many types of construction defects, including roof leaks, water intrusion into walls, as well as Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) defects.

    One extreme example of this was an office complex I was called to for an investigation of the source of mold observed on the walls.  The occupants complained that they could not find a temperature setting on the thermostat where they could make the office comfortable. When I inspected the office, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.  A band of black mold (more…)

  8. Spontaneous Combustion…Is it hot in here or is it just me???

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    In the old-timey Fire Triangle, you have heat, fuel, and oxygen.  Get these three together in the right quantities, and you get fire.  What if the fuel provides its own heat?  That’s spontaneous combustion, or spontaneous ignition.  NFPA921 defines this as “initiation of combustion of a material by an internal chemical or biological reaction that has produced sufficient heat to ignite the material.” (more…)

  9. Industrial Equipment Failures and Construction Disputes

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    At Warren, we frequently investigate losses involving industrial machinery.  Many of the losses involve workplace injuries, fires, or explosions; however, we also analyze industrial machinery and processes for other types of problems.  For example, we analyze failures of machinery or industrial processes to perform as expected or disputes that arise from the commercial supply and construction of such systems.  This can encompass a range of issues from failure to achieve required levels of product quality or production quantity, to matters concerning unclear specifications or contracts, (more…)

  10. Heavy Machinery Fires Caused by Hydraulic Hose Failures

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    Heavy machinery fires are often caused by hydraulic hose failures.  Pressurized hydraulic fluid escaping from a failed hose assembly can be atomized into a fine spray that can be ignited by heated engine surfaces such as the engine exhaust or turbocharger.

    Hydraulic hoses near the engine compartment of an excavator that burned.

     

    Hydraulic hoses often fail due to age and wear, requiring regular inspection and replacement of hydraulic hoses to prevent failures. Hoses may also fail if they are misrouted.  Misrouting can lead to the hose being pinched or causing it to chafe against a sharp metal surface. (more…)

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