subrogation Archives

Tag Archive: subrogation

Freeze Damage to Fire Sprinkler Systems
January 10, 2014 10:57 am Leave a Comment
The ongoing frigid temperatures serve as a reminder of the many investigations by Warren engineers involving fire sprinkler systems that have failed when some part of the system was exposed to the sub-freezing conditions. Interestingly, failures do not necessarily occur within the area of greatest freeze exposure, as the failure mechanism is the extreme pressure that results from the growth of an ice plug inside the exposed pipe in which the high pressure will rupture the weakest component which may even be located in a heated area of the sprinkler system. (more…)
Fire Losses Involving Improper Construction and Installation of Fireplaces and Chimneys
January 9, 2014 9:03 am Leave a Comment
On a cold winters night a family is gathered in the living room of their home enjoying the warmth of their fireplace. After using the fireplace all day, they go off to bed to a nice restful sleep. However, they are soon rudely waked by the sound of a smoke alarm in the home. Rushing out into the cold night they can see smoke, but no flame in the home. Outside, they can see that the chase around the fireplace chimney is burning. The fire department is called and thankfully extinguishes the fire before it does widespread damage, however the family must leave the home for several months as repairs are made. (more…)
Hand and Finger Injuries from a Defective Snow Blower
January 8, 2014 4:56 pm Leave a Comment
Nearly everyone who lives in a snowy climate would agree that a gas powered snow blower beats a person powered snow shovel for clearing the sidewalk or driveway. Shoveling heavy, wet snow causes injuries from back problems to heart attacks. No wonder that gas powered snow blowers of all sizes are a popular item this time of year. The larger ones may be ride-on types; smaller ones are typically walk-behind. In either case there is an auger to gather the snow as the device moves forward and a bladed fan (or “blower”) to discharge it out of a chute to one side or the other. (more…)
Improper Piping Installation Leads to Costly Repair
January 7, 2014 4:31 pm Leave a Comment
A newly constructed house was flooded when a plumbing pipe ruptured in the attic during unusually cold weather well below the freezing point. This was a very large house and had been constructed with the most visually appealing and expensive finish materials in the construction industry. (more…)
Code Violations Are Root of Fatal Explosion
September 16, 2013 8:32 am Leave a Comment
The design and installation of gas piping systems in homes and commercial buildings is guided by a set of regulations called NFPA 54 — the National Fuel Gas Code. The code, which establishes minimum safety requirements, is also used by forensic engineers to evaluate an explosion to determine cause and responsibility. (more…)
Design Can Prevent Industrial Accidents
July 22, 2013 9:36 am Leave a Comment
Two of the top causes of workplace accidents, according to the United States Department of Labor’s Occupation Safety and Health Administration, are a lack of machine guarding and improper control of hazardous energy. At first blush, these types of incidents can mistakenly be attributed to an employee’s actions without considering how a machine’s design or the improper control of an environment or situation may have contributed.
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Protecting Industrial Employees from Workplace Hazards
June 11, 2013 8:12 am Leave a Comment
The recent Texas fertilizer plant explosion has focused the nation’s eyes on the important matter of workplace safety. When an employee is injured or killed on the job, Warren investigators are often called in to identify what went wrong and how it could have been prevented.
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Fire Investigation Points to Design Failure.
March 20, 2013 12:37 pm Leave a Comment
Defects that cause problems in machines are categorized into two different concepts. Manufacturing defect is a term that applies to a situation where the defect was unintended. For example, a part was installed that did not meet the designer’s specifications or quality. A design defect is another matter. Design defect is a term that applies to a situation where the defect resulted from a purposeful decision or by failing to investigate or heed available design criteria on the part of a designer or builder. (more…)
Machine Safeguarding for an Imperfect Workforce: Humans.
March 14, 2013 2:18 am Leave a Comment
Every day more than 12 people in the United States lose their lives in workplace injuries, according to U.S. Department of Labor data. In 2011, OSHA estimates, 3.3 million people suffered a workplace injury from which they may never fully recover. Two of the top ten most frequently cited OSHA standards that result in injuries and death are lockout/tagout and machine guarding. (more…)

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