Chemicals, Gases & Materials

CHEMICALS, GASES & HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

Our Work with Chemicals, Gases, Materials, and Related Subjects and Issues

Our Work with Chemicals, Gases and, Materials is largely about the properties of chemicals, gases and materials and the consequences of these properties. Our work includes determination of the cause(s) of accidents associated with these materials, including issues with labeling, delivery and containment of chemicals and gases, and correct use of materials of construction (MOC), including with securement, such as fasteners. These accidents may include contact with chemicals, gases and other hazardous materials, such as uncured concrete, which results in injury, usually chemical burns or injury from inhalation. These accidents may include chemical explosions, often with household chemicals, resulting in injury or property damage. These accidents may involve failure of materials of construction, including containment materials and securement materials, such as fasteners. Insofar as failure of materials of construction is a factor in equipment or component failure, this work would overlap with our work with equipment and components as described elsewhere in this website.

Our work includes engineering analysis of the containment or delivery method of the associated chemicals, gases and hazardous materials. Our work includes engineering analysis of materials of construction, and reconstruction of containment failure and material failure, including securement failure, when such has occurred. Our work includes assessment of the activities of persons involved in the accident, chemical delivery, and/or materials failure, particularly in regard to the handling of hazardous material and/or the failure of materials. Our work includes assessment of the use of safeguards and warnings, and their effectiveness, and assessment of the adherence to instructions for use and adherence to applicable codes, standards and recommended practices on the part of the user, manufacturer, supplier, etc.

Reconstruction of accidents involving chemicals, gases and hazardous materials determines whether such chemicals, gases and materials caused or contributed to an accident. Reconstruction of accidents involving failure of materials of construction determines whether the materials failed due to unsuitability in use under intended conditions or their use was outside of intended conditions of use, according to instructions, specifications, codes or standards. Work in this area also generally includes determining whether revision of packaging, containment, method of use and/or warnings and the instructions for use was required for safety.

Warnings for Chemicals and Similar Hazardous Materials

The use of Warnings with chemicals is regulated by legislation and codes and standards with requirements for providing significant safety information in prescribed forms. These requirements take into consideration the very restricted role that Safeguards can take in use of chemicals, thus putting the safety burden on Warnings, particularly for the public and professionals outside industrial commerce. This important safety role for Warnings is also true for similar hazardous materials which are hazardous at least partially because they contain chemicals. Other hazardous material which are primarily chemicals or in which chemicals are an important factor include such materials as concrete, (dry) cement and some wall board formulations.

Often the most important protection available is personal protective equipment. This is a form of safeguard. However, Warnings are required to inform the user as to when such protection is required and what specific protection is required. Warnings also must perform well in the areas of informing the user of the consequences of contact and chemical interactions, on how to avoid contact and chemical interactions, and what to do if they come into contact with chemicals.

Only very rarely is a chemical pure when sold in commerce. Essentially all chemical products are mixtures of chemicals, both chemicals desired to be in the mixture and chemicals which are too difficult or expensive to remove from the mixture. This is true of chemicals sold to the public and chemicals sold to professionals and industry. A particular concern with chemicals is that the exact hazard is usually cloaked in mystery until the exact composition of the chemical is known. From a practical standpoint this information can only come from the supplier of the chemical in the form of a Warning.

This makes chemicals with incomplete Warnings or Warnings which are erroneous to one degree or another, a particular hazard, particularly with chemicals sold outside industrial commerce. Chemicals sold outside industrial commerce can be very dangerous. These chemicals are sold to the general public for personal use and for use in their homes and gardens, to professionals who use them in their work activities, such as in cleaning, maintenance and construction, to farmers and to others for various uses. Chemicals sold to the general public, farmers, professionals and others outside industrial commerce include cleaning products, maintenance products (for example, pool chemicals), pesticides, herbicides, building materials, personal care products, etc. Many of these chemicals are dangerous, either when in contact with body parts and/or from violent interactions with other chemicals sold outside industrial commerce, as well as chemicals sold within industrial commerce. Warnings are extremely important for the safe use of chemicals and materials that contain chemicals.

Qualifications and Experience of James D. Madden, P.E. with

Chemicals, Gases and Materials

Accidents include those causing chemical explosions and burns, as well as material failures.

Mr. Madden's qualifications and experience:

> over 20 incidents* involving chemicals, gases and hazardous materials, including chemical explosions, have been investigated and reconstructed as part of the forensic engineering work

> 4 college courses in physics and 8 college courses in chemistry, including Physical Chemistry, which covers the physics and physical aspects of chemicals and chemical reactions, including chemical explosions

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

> designed for the safe use and production of chemicals, gases and hazardous materials

> worked in industrial operations involving chemicals, gases and hazardous materials

> 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, 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, to date

* 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.

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