Industrial & Equipment Fires & Explosions

EQUIPMENT & INDUSTRIAL FIRES & EXPLOSIONS

Our Work with Equipment and Industrial Fires & Explosions

Our Work with Industrial and Equipment Fires and Explosions includes reconstructing the incident and determining the cause(s) of the fire and/or explosion and determining whether the cause(s) were related to the equipment, equipment installation or facilities. Our work includes engineering analysis to determine whether the facilities, equipment, auxiliaries, and instrumentation and controls met requirements for safe operation. This determination includes engineering analysis of the use of safeguards and warnings as related to the requirements, and also engineering analysis of the adherence to safety design requirements and applicable codes, standards and recommended practices, not just for the equipment and facilities, but also for the equipment operation. Our analysis includes analysis of the actions of persons involved with the equipment and industrial operations as these may relate to the fire and/or the explosion.

Work in this area also generally includes determining whether revision of facilities or equipment was required for safety. Reconstruction of incidents involving combustion equipment and systems includes auxiliary equipment and components, and instrumentation and controls. Reconstruction determines whether such equipment and/or systems caused or contributed to the accident.

Qualifications and Experience of James D. Madden, P.E. with Combustion Equipment and Equipment utilizing Combustion, and Problems with this Combustion, including Fire & Explosion and Carbon Monoxide Release

> over 45 incidents* involving fires, explosion and/or hazardous combustion, including incidents leading to CO poisoning, have been investigated and reconstructed as part of the forensic engineering work

> 4 college courses in physics and 8 college courses in chemistry have been taken, including coverage of the physics and chemical reactions associated with fires and explosions

> during 17 years working in industrial operations and design engineering:

> designed for the use of fire, including designing burn pits and elevated flares

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

> designed furnaces and boilers systems, including controls and auxiliary equipment

> two (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:

> 17 years experience in industrial operations, engineering design and construction assistance

> over 30 years experience in forensic engineering

* as of last count in 2007

Consultation before starting a Case

Consultation with James D. Madden, PE, a Professional Engineer, Forensic

Engineer, Accident Reconstructionist and Consulting and Testifying Expert Witness,

is available before starting a case. We invite you to consult with us. There is

no charge for an initial phone consultation.

Call us at your convenience, or if you prefer we can schedule the consultation in advance, at a time that suits you.

Tap/Press to Call Us

Consultation during the Work

Consultation with James D. Madden, PE, a Professional Engineer, and Forensic

Engineering Consulting and Testifying Expert Witness, is available to the client at all

times during the work before, during, and after the investigation,

engineering analysis, reconstruction, report, and any other work on the case.

Our Typical Work Activities and Products, when warranted by the case

> inspection of the accident site, such as a roadway, outdoor facilities, building or industrial facilities

> inspection of the involved equipment, in post-accident condition, including in damaged condition (such as crashed vehicles)

> when the involved equipment is available for operation, inspection of the involved equipment (such as industrial equipment) during operation

> photography and/or video of the accident site and involved equipment

> testing accident items and exemplar items (such as consumer products)

> 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

> performing engineering analysis and/or accident reconstruction, including preparing drawings, calculations, graphical analyses, computer analyses, etc. as required to analyze and/or reconstruct the accident, and to present the engineering analysis and reconstruction

> written reports and affidavits, and exhibits for reports and/or testimony

> 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

For more detail go to the 'Activities & Products' page.

Presentation of the Results of our Work

> verbal reports, by telephone or in face-to-face conferences

> written reports and affidavits

> deposition testimony, including video deposition

> trial testimony and arbitration testimony

Our Work in Forensic Specialties

We do work in the following forensic specialties:

> consumer products

> industrial, commercial and construction equipment, machinery

> workplace - construction, industrial & commercial, etc., operations and facilities

> premises, building and property accidents, including slips, trips and falls

> traffic accidents, traffic crashes, including roadway design and condition

> chemicals, gases and materials

> equipment and industrial fires & explosions

> hazardous combustion, including causing carbon monoxide poisoning

with work in the following specialties as part of the work with the specialties listed above:

> human factors

> safety design

> safeguarding, guards

> warnings

> codes, standards and recommended practices.

For more details go to the individual pages by specific Specialty (for example, 'Consumer Products').

Geographic Area of Work is 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 Kansas and Utah to Vermont and North Carolina, with reports and testimony for these accidents, when applicable.

Contact Information

1700 West Market Street, Ste 318

Akron, Ohio 44313 (preferred)

8803 Brecksville Road, Ste 7216

Cleveland, Ohio 44141 (contact

us by phone or email before using this address)

maafe.com,
maddenfe.com

maddenforensicengineering.com

phone: 440-838-0640 (main),
440-832-9540 (alternate)

fax: 440-838-1192

Additional Information

Additional information is available on the internet/web/desktop version of:

maafe.com
maddenfe.com
maddenforensicengineering.com

Copyright 2015, 2019, 2020, 2022 by Madden Accident Analysis, Investigation, Reconstruction and James D. Madden, P.E.,BCDFE. All rights reserved.

This website contains photographs which are licensed with restrictions that prohibit any downloading, reproduction, re-publication or re-transmission .