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Hazardous Combustion & Carbon Monoxide - Table of Contents                                            - links to content on this page ?  Our Forensic Engineering Work - number of  ? Cases  ? Reports  ? Affidavits  ? Testimonies   ?  Our Hazardous Combustion Work ?  Examples of Facilities Analyzed ?  Examples of Equipment Analyzed ?  Examples of Systems Analyzed  ?  Engineering Analysis of Hazardous Combustion ?  Qualifications in regard to Fires & Explosions  ?  Our Typical Work Activities and Products ?  Presentation of The Results of Our Work ? Also see  Industrial and Equipment Fires and Explosions , on another website in a separate browser tab, with both websites available side by side.

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E xperience and Qualifications of James D. Madden, P.E. in regard to  H azardous Combustion     ? including  equipment explosions, and furnace flue and HVAC malfunctions and other      equipment operations causing CO (carbon monoxide) poisoning and death

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? over  45 incidents involving fires, explosion and/or hazardous combustion  have been investigated and reconstructed as part of the  forensic engineering work  during the last 30 years, including  heater, boiler and furnace fires and explosions See more about our work with hazardous combustion in the sections below . ? took  4 college courses  in physics and  8 college courses  in chemistry, including coverage of the physics and chemical reactions associated with fires and explosions

• designed combustion equipment  including  , and their associated  instrumentation  and auxiliary equipment

• designed for the use of fire  in unusual ways, including designing elevated flares and burn pits 

• designed to prevent and suppress fire,  including designing fire-fighting and fire and explosion suppression systems 

? earned  2 Engineering degrees , Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering, and took additional post-degree coursework, with coursework in physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering mechanics, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering and normal psychology ? earned the  Professional Engineers license  (P.E.) by taking the National Council of Engineering Examiners' (NCEE) examination in Fundamentals of Engineering and the  Mechanical Engineering  and  Chemical Engineering  sections of the NCEE examination in Principles and Practices of Engineering ? designated a  Diplomate Forensic Engineer  by the National Academy of Forensic Engineers in accordance with the standards of the Council of Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards (CESB) ? at the start of forensic work, completed  refresher and additional post-degree college credit coursework  and continuing education coursework in mechanical engineering, metallurgy and materials ?  attended  engineering seminars  presented by the National Academy of Forensic Engineers ? regularly attend additional  technical courses and seminars  each year to meet the requirements for continuing engineering education for the Professional Engineer's license ?  over  40 years of engineering experience , with:  ?  17 years experience in  industrial operations, engineering design  and  construction assistance  ?  30 years experience in  forensic engineering , including:   ?  testifying in  over 90 depositions  and  over 75 trials ?  issuing  over 600 reports  and  over 60 affidavits ?  working on  over 1000 cases See more about qualifications of  James D. Madden, P.E. on the  Qualifications Page .

O ur  Engineering Analysis of Hazardous Combustion in Equipment using Controlled    Fire, resulting in explosion or in hazardous flue discharges leading to CO poisoning

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Our Engineering Analyses of Hazardous Combustion in Equipment designed for Controlled Fire include, as appropriate,  investigation, engineering analysis  and  reconstruction  of the fire and explosion or the carbon monoxide incident.

Work in this area generally covers: 

• determining the cause(s) of the explosion or release of carbon monoxide containing gases in an occupied area

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• determining whether equipment, equipment controls and/or combustion and HVAC* systems:

• were defective in regard to safety:

• in design

• in  manufacture 

• in  installation 

• lacked adequate safeguards and warnings

• conformed to appropriate accepted engineering safety practices, standards and regulations, including   fired-equipment codes and general fire codes

• determining whether safety equipment, facilities and procedures were in place and were properly used 

* heating, ventilation, air conditioning systems

Work in this area also generally includes  determining  whether revision of the combustion equipment, combustion system, or associated facilities was required for safety, either to prevent explosion or to prevent the release of combustion products that could lead to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.  Reconstruction of accidents  involving combustion equipment and systems, including instrumentation and controls, determines whether such equipment and/or systems caused or contributed to the accident.  

<< click for a description of the typical activities and work performed << click for examples of Equipment and Systems analyzed

E xamples of Analyzed Equipment and Analyzed Systems involved in Hazardous Combustion,    including Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning   ? see examples of analyzed facilities in next section below

• gas-fired residential furnaces and heat circulation systems involved in carbon monoxide (CO) poisonings

• wood-burning residential furnaces and heat circulation systems involved in CO poisonings

• space heaters involved in carbon monoxide (CO) poisonings

• trash-burning incinerators in multi-story buildings involved in explosions

• residential furnaces involved in explosions 

• gas-fired industrial furnace/boilers used in manufacturing processes involved in explosion

see the section below for examples of facilities analyzed

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 E xamples of Analyzed Facilities involved in Hazardous Combustion, including CO poisoning ? see examples of analyzed equipment and analyzed systems in previous section above

• single family residences involved in carbon monoxide poisonings

• single family residences involved in furnace explosions

• duplex residence involved in carbon monoxide poisoning (from adjoining unit)

• mid-rise apartment buildings involved in incinerator explosions

• industrial facilities involved in furnace/boiler explosion   

see the section above for examples of equipment and systems analyzed

O ur Typical Work Activities and Products, when warranted by the case Our work investigating, analyzing and reconstructing accidents, and presenting the results, may include any  or all of the following, depending on the needs of the case:  ? inspection of the accident site , such as a roadway, outdoor facilities, building or industrial facilities inspection of the involved equipment , in current condition, including in damaged condition (such as crashed vehicles); and when available for operation, during operation (such as industrial equipment) ? ? photography  and/or  video  of the accident site and involved equipment ? interviewing witnesses  (often during the inspection of the accident site, product and/or equipment) review and study  of case documents, evidence and applicable codes, standards, regulations and recommended practices ? ? testing  accident items and exemplar items (such as consumer products) drawings, calculations, graphical analyses, computer analyses , etc. as required to analyze and reconstruct the accident, and to present the engineering analysis and reconstruction ? ?  written  reports  and  affidavits , and  exhibits coordinating or interfacing with others while they are preparing  specialized exhibits  such as video animations and videos of demonstrations ? ? testimony in deposition ,  trial  and  arbitration

P resentation of results of our work We present the results of our investigations, engineering analyses and reconstructions in  the client's choice of any, or all, of the following:  ? verbal reports,  by telephone or in face-to-face conferences ?  written  reports  and  affidavits ? deposition testimony,  including video deposition ? trial testimony  and arbitration testimony

F orensic Engineering Work by Senior Forensic Engineer James D. Madden, P.E.  James D. Madden, P.E., while performing  Forensic Engineering  work full-time for over  the last  30 years , for both plaintiff and defendant, has to date: ?  completed  over 1000 cases ?  written and issued  over 600 reports           ?  written and issued  over 60 affidavits ?  testified in  over 75 trials                  ?  testified in  over 90 depositions For more on qualifications see the  Qualifications Page .  <<< Click on the underlined text

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C ontact information

For mailing  address ,  phone ,  fax  and  email  address click a button below the Fee Schedule section.

F ee Schedule

Contact us by phone, fax, mail or email for a copy of the Fee Schedule for charges for engineering and consulting services and testimony.  Click a button below for contact information.

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G eographic Area of Practice - North America 

Over the last 30 years we have regularly worked on accidents which occurred in  Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, New York and nearby , including inspections of accident sites, equipment, and facilities, with reports and testimony. During these 30 years we have also worked on accidents which occurred in  other states , and equipment and facilities located in other states, with inspections of accident sites, equipment, and facilities,  from Utah and Kansas to Vermont and North Carolina,  with reports and testimony for these accidents, when applicable.

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Madden Accident Analysis &   Forensic Engineering

Madden Accident Analysis & Forensic Engineering 1700 West Market Street, Suite 318, Akron, Ohio 44313, or 8803 Brecksville Road, Suite 7-216, Cleveland, Ohio 44141 phone: 440-838-1191 or 440-832-9540, fax: 440-838-1192 email address: [email protected]

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