Our Work with Combustion Hazards, including Carbon Monoxide ("CO") production and escape leading to poisoning or death covers combustion equipment and combustion equipment auxiliaries and control systems which create or allow explosion of the equipment, and combustion equipment, combustion equipment auxiliaries and control systems, and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems which allow the escape of combustion products into occupied areas and assist in the delivery of combustion products to occupied areas. Explosion of combustion equipment is often caused by inadequately controlled combustion often attributable to auxiliary components and/or instrumentation. The release of hazardous combustion products into an occupied area, which can cause CO (carbon monoxide) poisoning, is often caused by auxiliary combustion equipment components such as the flue or control system and instrumentation, often with delivery of the CO to an occupied area aided by the HVAC system. Also inappropriate use of combustion equipment, for example, as simple as using a charcoal grill for heating within a house, or putting a fossil fuel burning emergency electrical backup unit in an attached garage, can also lead to carbon monoxide poisoning without any malfunction of the combustion items.

Combustion equipment is equipment designed to burn fossil fuel. Combustion equipment includes furnaces, boilers, incinerators, space heaters, electrical generators, grills, etc. Our work in this area includes reconstructing the incident and performing engineering analyses to determine the causes of the explosion or the escape and delivery of combustion products, and to determine whether these causes relate to the equipment installation, including auxiliary equipment and controls. Our work also includes engineering analysis to determine whether the facilities and/or equipment met requirements for safe installation and operation, including use of safeguards and warnings as required, and to determine whether the installation adhered to safety design requirements and applicable codes, standards and recommended practices. Our analysis includes analysis of the actions of persons interacting with the combustion and auxiliary equipment, including the flue and HVAC system, as these may relate to the explosion or escape and delivery of carbon monoxide to an occupied area.  

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.