Madden Accident Analysis, Investigation, Reconstruction
James D. Madden, P.E.,
Board Certified Diplomate Forensic Engineer
440-838-0640, 440-832-9540
www.maddenfe.com
Board Certified Diplomate Forensic Engineer
440-838-0640, 440-832-9540
www.maddenfe.com
Forensic Engineering & Scientific Accident Reconstruction
Over 30 Years Investigating, Analyzing, Reconstructing and Testifying about Accidents
Free Initial Phone Consultation
Fixed Fee Preliminary Accident Evaluation Available
Fixed Fee Preliminary Accident Evaluation Available
Types of Consumer Products, and Where They are Covered
Consumer Products covered on this page include mechanical equipment offered as consumers products. Combustion equipment offered to consumers is covered under the Hazardous Combustion page. Chemicals & Materials offered to consumers are covered under the Chemicals & Materials page.
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Our Work with Consumer Products
Our Work with Consumer Products includes the investigation and reconstruction of accidents associated with these products, and the investigation and engineering analysis of operation and/or failure of the involved product, when either occurs.
Our work includes assessment of the activities of the persons involved in the accident as these activities relate to the product involved. Engineering analysis of the design, construction, and assembly of the involved product is included in our work. In particular we assess and evaluate the conformance of the equipment to the requirements of Safety Design principles and the applicable Codes, Standards and Recommended Practices. We determine the requirements for the presence of safety features including Safeguards (such as mechanical guards and instrumentation) and Warnings, and determine whether the required safety features were in place and performing properly at the time of the subject accident.
Our work includes assessment of the operation of the involved product, particularly as it relates to safety and the accident events, both as a result of the accident events and as the cause of accident events, when either, or both, is the case.
Our engineering analyses of consumer products cover mechanical failure, safety designand safety features. Safety features analyzed include safeguards (such as mechanical guards and instrumentation) and warnings. These analyses are for the purpose of determining the safety of these products, and if they are unsafe, the source of this defect.
Our reconstruction of accidents involving consumer products determines whether such products caused or contributed to the accident. Work in this area also includes determining whether revision of the product was feasible and required for safety.
We have analyzed a broad range of consumer products.
Our analysis of consumer product accidents includes consideration of the human-mechanical interface in the accident, as understood through Human Factors and from extensive experience in the safety design of mechanical equipment.
Qualifications and Experience of James D. Madden, P.E. with Consumer Products, and other Equipment and Equipment Systems
> over 175 incidents* involving consumer products & industrial, commercial and construction equipment, including machinery, have been investigated and reconstructed as part of the forensic engineering work
> extensive college coursework in engineering design of equipment
> design and specification of equipment, and equipment systems, including instrumentation and controls, warnings and safeguards, during 17 years working in industrial operations and design engineering
> 2 earned Engineering degrees, Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering
> post-degrees college credit coursework, short courses and seminars on technical subjects over the years
> Professional Engineers (P.E.) license (earned by examination)
> Diplomate Forensic Engineer designation,
granted for meeting the Council of Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards requirements for Forensic Engineering
> over 40 years of engineering experience, with:
> 1-1/2 years experience in industrial operations
> 15-1/2 years experience in engineering design, with intermittent industrial operations and construction assistance
> 15-1/2 years experience in engineering design, with intermittent industrial operations and construction assistance
> over 30 years experience in forensic engineering, to date
* as of the last count in 2007
Commonalities in Mechanical Consumer Products and Equipment
Commonalities in mechanical Consumer Products and Equipment and Machinery are important in the forensic analysis of accidents and incidents and the analysis of the involvement of such devices in an accident. Different types of consumer products and industrial, commercial and construction equipment, have the same or very similar requirements for mechanical integrity, stability, safety design, safety features and performance, control and safe operation, as they relate to safety.
Mechanical integrity is the ability of equipment and products to avoid failure under various conditions. Safety design covers techniques and features to provide fail-safe design (a design that will not allow the creation of a safety hazard as a result of a failure or mis-operation). Safety design also covers techniques and features to design out hazards for aspects of the product that impact safety.
Safety features include safeguards, such as mechanical guards and safety instrumentation, and warnings. Product features for mechanical integrity, and safety, and their use, when applicable, are similar or the same among various types of mechanical consumer products and other equipment and machinery. The requirements for mechanical integrity, and performance, control, operation and potential mis-operation, as they relate to safety, and specific safety features are determined primarily by the potential hazards, with considerations of how the devicewill be used, not the type of device, whether designed and sold as consumer products, or as industrial, commercial and construction equipment.
Safety features include safeguards, such as mechanical guards and safety instrumentation, and warnings. Product features for mechanical integrity, and safety, and their use, when applicable, are similar or the same among various types of mechanical consumer products and other equipment and machinery. The requirements for mechanical integrity, and performance, control, operation and potential mis-operation, as they relate to safety, and specific safety features are determined primarily by the potential hazards, with considerations of how the devicewill be used, not the type of device, whether designed and sold as consumer products, or as industrial, commercial and construction equipment.
Consumer Products and Equipment and the need for mechanical integrity, stability, performance and control, as they relate to safety, and safe operation, and safety features as related to an accident, are analyzed by us using generally accepted engineering and safety design principles, including the safety design hierarchy. These engineering principles have application to all mechanical consumer products and equipment and all mechanical consumer product and equipment accidents, and are used in the analysis of the requirements for, and the use and performance of, safety features in consumer products. The safety effects, if any, of the requirements of applicable Standards & Codes are considered in all these analyses.