Work in this area generally covers:
- determining the cause(s) of the explosion or release of carbon monoxide containing gases in an occupied area
- determining whether equipment, equipment controls and/or combustion and HVAC* systems:
- were defective in regard to safety:
- lacked adequate safeguards and warnings
- conformed to appropriate accepted engineering safety practices, standards and regulations, including fired-equipment codes and general fire codes
- gas-fired residential furnaces and heat circulation systems involved in carbon monoxide (CO) poisonings
- wood-burning residential furnaces and heat circulation systems involved in CO poisonings
- space heaters involved in carbon monoxide (CO) poisonings
- trash-burning incinerators in multi-story buildings involved in explosions
- residential furnaces involved in explosions
- gas-fired industrial furnace/boilers used in manufacturing processes involved in explosion
- single family residences involved in carbon monoxide poisonings
- single family residences involved in furnace explosions
- duplex residence involved in carbon monoxide poisoning (from adjoining unit)
- mid-rise apartment buildings involved in incinerator explosions
- industrial facilities involved in furnace/boiler explosion
* heating, ventilation, air conditioning systems
Madden
Accident
Analysis &
Forensic
Engineering
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.
- determining whether safety equipment, facilities and procedures were in place and were properly used
Examples of Analyzed Facilities involved in Hazardous Combustion, including CO poisoning
● see examples of analyzed equipment and analyzed systems in previous section above
Examples of Analyzed Equipment and Analyzed Systems involved in Hazardous Combustion,
including Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning ● see examples of analyzed facilities in next section below
Our Engineering Analysis of Hazardous Combustion in Equipment using Controlled
Fire, resulting in explosion or in hazardous flue discharges leading to CO poisoning
Our Engineering Analyses of Hazardous Combustion in Equipment designed for Controlled Fire include, as appropriate, investigation, engineering analysis and reconstruction of the fire and explosion or the carbon monoxide incident.
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Experience and Qualifications of James D. Madden, P.E. in regard to Hazardous Combustion
▪ including equipment explosions, and furnace flue and HVAC malfunctions and other
equipment operations causing CO (carbon monoxide) poisoning and death
took 4 college courses in physics and 8 college courses in chemistry, including coverage of the physics and chemical reactions associated with fires and explosions
● Completed the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) courses on fire and explosion
● during 17 years working in industrial operations and design engineering:
- designed combustion equipment including furnaces, boilers, and heaters, and their associated instrumentation and auxiliary equipment
- designed for the use of fire in unusual ways, including designing elevated flares and burn pits
- designed to prevent and suppress fire, including designing fire-fighting and fire and explosion suppression systems
● 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:
● working on over 1000 cases
● issuing over 600 reports and over 60 affidavits
● testifying in over 90 depositions and over 75 trials
over 45 incidents involving fires, explosion and/or hazardous combustion have been investigated and reconstructed as part of the forensic engineering work during the last 30 years, including heater, boiler and furnace fires and explosions
earned 2 Engineering degrees, Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering, and took additional post-degree coursework, with coursework in physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering mechanics, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering and normal psychology
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
earned the Professional Engineers license (P.E.) by taking the National Council of Engineering Examiners' (NCEE) examination in Fundamentals of Engineering and the Mechanical Engineering and Chemical Engineering sections of the 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)
<< click for a description of the typical activities and work performed
<< click for examples of Equipment and Systems analyzed
<< click for examples of Facilities analyzed
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.
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.
Hazardous Combustion & Carbon Monoxide - Table of Contents
- links to content on this page
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.
Consultation is available before starting a case. We invite you to
consult with us. There is no charge for an initial phone consultation.
Call us, or if you prefer we can schedule the consultation in advance.
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.
Download a Summary or Detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV) / Resume' for James D. Madden, P.E.,
email us, and bookmark this website.
Qualifications of James D. Madden, P.E., Senior Forensic Engineer
Downloads and Links - Curriculum Vitae, Email and Bookmark
For mailing address, phone, fax and email address click a button below the Fee Schedule section.
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.
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.
Geographic Area of Practice - North America
Contact us to discuss your case by phone at NO CHARGE.
This consultation can be scheduled in advance to meet your schedule.
● verbal reports, by telephone or in face-to-face conferences
We present the results of our investigations, engineering analyses and reconstructions in
the client's choice of any, or all, of the following:
Presentation of results of our work
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:
Our Typical Work Activities and Products, when warranted by the case
● written reports and affidavits
● deposition testimony, including video deposition
● trial testimony and arbitration testimony
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:
Forensic Engineering Work by Senior Forensic Engineer James D. Madden, P.E.
● completed over 1000 cases
● written and issued over 600 reports
● testified in over 90 depositions
● written and issued over 60 affidavits
● testified in over 75 trials
See details of the forensic work throughout this website, and a summary on the Employment Page.
The qualifications of James D. Madden, P.E., Senior Forensic Engineer, Consulting and Testifying
Forensic Engineer and Accident Reconstruction Engineer, are listed on the Qualifications Page and the Specialties Page. (Specialties page is on another website in a separate browser tab)
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■ Other Experience & Qualifications
■ Curriculum Vitae, CV, Resume'
■ Contact Us by Phone, Mail or Email
■ Consult, before and after assignment
■ Our Forensic Engineering Work - number of ● Cases ● Reports ● Affidavits ● Testimonies
■ Engineering Analysis of Hazardous Combustion
■ Qualifications in regard to Fires & Explosions
■ Our Typical Work Activities and Products
■ Presentation of The Results of Our Work
■ Fee Schedule Availability
■ Geographic Area available for Work
■ Links to Other Pages (left sidebars)
■ Our Hazardous Combustion Work
■ Examples of Facilities Analyzed
■ Examples of Equipment Analyzed
■ Examples of Systems Analyzed
click on the underlined squares and underlined words to link to the subjects
^^^ click on buttons to go to other pages covering these subjects ^^^
Analyses of ■ Combustion Equipment, ■ Equipment Controls, ■ Building Features, and ■ Associated Systems, including ■ Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC), are used to determine causation of Fire or Explosion by ■ Combustion Equipment, such as ■ Heaters, ■ Residential Furnaces, and ■ Furnaces used in Industrial or Commercial facilities, and to determine causation of CO production, delivery and "fugitive" escape associated with CO poisoning or death.
● inspection of the accident site, such as a roadway, outdoor facilities, building or industrial facilities
● interviewing witnesses (often during the inspection of the accident site, product and/or equipment)
coordinating or interfacing with others while they are preparing specialized exhibits such as video animations and videos of demonstrations
review and study of case documents, evidence and applicable codes, standards, regulations and recommended practices
● written reports and affidavits, and exhibits
drawings, calculations, graphical analyses, computer analyses, etc. as required to analyze and reconstruct the accident, and to present the engineering analysis and reconstruction
● testing accident items and exemplar items (such as consumer products)
● photography and/or video of the accident site and involved equipment
● testimony in deposition, trial and arbitration
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)
Hazardous levels of Carbon Monoxide (CO) can be created in occupied locations by inappropriate use of Combustion Equipment, or by malfunctioning Combustion Equipment and/or related Systems, including HVAC, with implications relating to equipment operation, equipment design and integrity, and CO hazard warnings.
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Related Basic Specialties
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Madden Accident Analysis & Forensic Engineering
over 30 Years Investigating, Analyzing, Reconstructing & Testifying about Accidents
Forensic Engineering & Scientific Accident Reconstruction
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
1700 West Market Street, Suite 318, Akron, Ohio 44313, or
8803 Brecksville Road, Suite 7-216, Cleveland, Ohio 44141
phone: 440-838-1191 or 440-832-9540, fax: 440-838-1192
