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Table of Contents - Human Factors Page - links to content on this page

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click on the  underlined  squares  to link to the subjects ?  Our Work using Human Factors, and its involvement in Our Forensic Engineering Work ?  Our Forensic Engineering Work - number of ? Cases  ? Reports  ? Affidavits  ? Testimonies   ?  Human Factors Discussed ?  Experience with Human Factors ?  Our Typical Work Activities & Products ?  Presentation of Results of Work ?  Geographic Area available for Work ?  Contact Us by Phone, Mail or Email     ?  Consult, before and after assignment ?  Fee Schedule availability ?  Curriculum Vitae and additional Qualifications ?  Links to Other Pages (left sidebars)

E xperience and Qualifications of James D. Madden, P.E .  in regard to Human Factors

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Combined,  Engineering and Normal Psychology  are the scientific bases of  Human Factors , and the related studies of the human-machine interface, human-facility interface, and responses to hazards. James D. Madden, P.E. has specific education in Engineering and Normal Psychology, as follows: 

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as part of the Bachelors and Masters degrees in Engineering, and additional college work after receiving the degrees, he took extensive  coursework in Engineering

?  he minored in  Normal Psychology,  as part of the Bachelors degree work

? acquired personal knowledge of  Human Factors  in practice and the human-machine and human-facility interfaces while working in industrial facilities, for 1 1/2 years full-time and then at times over the following 15 1/2 years while in engineering design, which directly built on the education in the principles of Human Factors acquired in college coursework in Engineering and Normal Psychology ? during 17 years working in industrial operations and design engineering, used  Human Factors  as an integral part of engineering design, including specification of Safeguards and Warnings, which required the  use of Human Factors.

? As a  forensic engineer for over 30 years , routinely use Human Factors in engineering analysis of accidents, and equipment and facilities involved in accidents, including analyzing Safeguards and Warnings which are present, and analyzing for the need for Safeguards and/or Warnings, which requires the use of Human Factors ? earned  2 Engineering degrees , Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering, and took additional credit coursework post-degree, taking 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' examination in Fundamentals of Engineering and the  Mechanical Engineering  and  Chemical Engineering  sections of the National Council of Engineering Examiners' (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 . See details of the forensic work throughout this website, and a summary on the  Employment Page . See details of the pre-forensic work on the  Employment Page  and the  Engineering Design Page .

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H uman Factors

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Human Factors is an interdisciplinary science  combining Normal Psychology with Engineering  for the purpose of studying the interaction of persons with their surroundings, the human-mechanical interface, and the safety aspects of this interface. Normal Psychology is the study of 'typical', also known as 'normal' persons, and their interrelationship with their surroundings. This covers such subjects as perception, cognition, attention, response to hazards, and the practical functioning of the senses, such as eyesight and hearing.  Human factors is an applied science, utilizing engineering in conjunction with normal psychology to design items and facilities used by persons so that the interaction between persons and the item or facility will be efficient and safe. Human Factors is also part of the engineering analysis of items and facilities to determine if the interaction between persons and these items and facilities will be safe. Such items can be of many physical types, such as industrial equipment, consumer products, components of equipment, etc. Human factors is an applied science which is particularly important in the design of industrial equipment and machinery and consumer products to be safe in use and in proximity to persons. Human Factors is also an important factor in the design of safety containment devices, such as containers for chemicals, so that they function to protect users as they use hazardous materials. Common equipment safety features are the result of the application of human factors, and the consequent safety practices, to hazards common to many machine and equipment types. Such features include  safeguards  (physical guards, light curtains, dual operating buttons, safety instrumentation, etc.) and  warnings , as well as design features to  design out hazards .  Human Factors is important in the  reconstruction of accidents  because the subjects of human perception, cognition, attention, and the response to hazards, and the practical functioning of the senses, such as eyesight and hearing, are important aspects of determining how the accident happened, in particular how the human-mechanical interface was involved in the accident. An alternative common term for human factors is ergonomics, although some Human Factors specialists consider this term to be more restrictive than the term Human Factors. Human Factors  is the basis for  Safety Design . Human Factors and Safety Design are the bases for the use of  Safeguards  and  Warnings . Safeguards and Warnings are required by  Safety Design  principles. Human Factors and Safety Design are an important part of the basis for many generally accepted  Codes, Standards and Recommended Practices . These subject areas are all closely related.

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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

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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

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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.

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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Copyright 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 by Madden Accident Analysis & Forensic Engineering and James D. Madden, P.E., aka James Madden and Jim Madden . All rights reserved. This website contains photographs which are licensed with restrictions that prohibit downloading, reproduction, re-publication or re-transmission. Madden Accident Analysis & Forensic Engineering, through its Senior Forensic Engineer, James D. Madden, P.E., a licensed professional engineer, has performed Accident Investigations, Engineering Analyses and Accident Reconstructions routinely for accidents, incidents and cases located in  Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New York , in the technical areas which are noted in this website, as well as providing expert reports and testifying in court proceedings in these states in the capacity of an  Expert Witness , including depositions, arbitrations and/or trials, with  Forensic Engineering work also performed in, and/or for cases in, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, Vermont, Kansas  and Utah, with testimony in court in Kansas.  Madden Accident Analysis & Forensic Engineering, through its Senior Forensic Engineer, James D. Madden, P.E., a licensed professional engineer, has performed Accident Investigations, Engineering Analyses and Accident Reconstructions for accidents, incidents and cases in the metropolitan areas of Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Toledo, Warren, Youngstown, Mansfield, Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, Lima, Findlay, Marietta and Steubenville, as well elsewhere throughout Ohio, and the metropolitan areas of Pittsburgh and Erie, as well as elsewhere throughout western and central Pennsylvania, and the metropolitan areas of Detroit, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Flint and Port Huron, as well as elsewhere in southern Michigan, and the metropolitan areas of Buffalo and Syracuse, as well as elsewhere in western and central New York state. In many of these areas James D. Madden, P.E. has provided expert reports and testified in the capacity of an  Expert Witness  in court proceedings, including depositions, arbitrations and/or trials .   Madden Accident Analysis & Forensic Engineering, through its Senior Forensic Engineer James D. Madden, P.E., is available for Accident Investigations, Engineering Analyses, Accident Reconstructions, and testimony in deposition, arbitration and trial, for  cases  located throughout North America.