Work in this area generally covers:
- determining the causes of fire and explosion
MAAFE
- determining whether equipment, equipment auxiliaries and equipment instrumentation and controls:
- hydrogen loading facilities
- gasoline service stations
- scrap and metal processing facilities
- various other industrial facilities
- personal watercraft ("jet skis")
- incinerators in multi-story buildings
- trash chutes in multi-story buildings
- industrial furnaces and boilers
- industrial process heaters
- hydrogen tankers (over the road trailers)
- determining whether facilities and equipment installation conformed with appropriate accepted engineering practices, codes, standards and regulations in regard to safety, including fire codes and fired-equipment codes
MAAFE
- determining whether materials of construction were safe, including facility materials in proximity to fired-equipment
MAAFE
- determining whether fuel and ignition sources were properly separated
MAAFE
- determining whether safety equipment, facilities and procedures were in place and were properly used
- 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.
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.
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
Examples of Analyzed Facilities involved in Equipment and Industrial Fires and Explosions
● see examples of analyzed equipment in next section below
Examples of Analyzed Equipment involved in Equipment and Industrial Fires and Explosions
● see examples of analyzed facilities in previous section above
Our Engineering Analysis of Equipment and Industrial Fires and Explosions
Our Engineering Analyses of Equipment and Industrial Fires and Explosions include, as appropriate, investigation, engineering analysis and reconstruction of the incident.
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Experience and Qualifications of James D. Madden, P.E. in regard to Industrial and
Equipment Fires and Explosions ▪ including furnace, heater and boiler 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 45 years of engineering experience, with:
● 17 years experience in industrial operations, engineering design and construction assistance
● over 30 years experience in forensic engineering, including:
● working on over 1100 cases
● issuing over 700 reports and over 70 affidavits
● testifying in over 100 depositions and over 90 trials
over 45 incidents involving fires, explosion and/or hazardous combustion have been investigated, analyzed and reconstructed as part of the forensic engineering work during over 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 analyzed facilities
<< click for examples of analyzed Equipment
Explosion of combustion equipment is a condition covered both on the Hazardous Combustion page and on this page. Our work, as described on both pages, covers the condition where combustion in equipment specifically designed to burn fuel lacks adequate control to the point that it causes, or allows, the explosion of the equipment. Such an explosion is often caused by auxiliary components and/or the instrumentation and control system rather than the combustion equipment itself.
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.
Fires and Explosions - Table of Contents - links to content on this page
Analysis of Fires and/or Explosions Originating with or Involving:
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 1100 cases
● written and issued over 700 reports
● testified in over 100 depositions
● written and issued over 70 affidavits
● testified in over 90 trials
● Flammables Storage or Transportation ● Consumer Products using Combustion
● Industrial or Commercial Facilities Contributing to or Altering Combustion
● Industrial, Commercial and Residential Equipment employing Combustion
● Controls and Auxiliaries for these and similar Facilities and Equipment Items
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
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Use Control F, 'Ctrl' + 'F', to locate specific words on this page.
■ 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
■ 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 Fire & Explosion Work
■ Examples of Facilities Analyzed
■ Examples of Equipment Analyzed
■ Engineering Analysis of Fires & Explosions
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Bookmark this site by typing Control D ('Ctr' + 'D').
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● inspection of the accident site, such as a roadway, outdoor facilities, building or industrial facilities
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)
● 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
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over 30 Years Investigating, Analyzing, Reconstructing & Testifying about Accidents
Forensic Engineering & Scientific Accident Reconstruction
1
| > Traffic Accidents, Crashes |
| > Premises, Bldg, Property |
| incl. Slips, Trips & Falls |
| > Workplace - Industrial, |
| Commercial, Construction, |
| Farm, Forest, Extraction |
| > Equipment and Machinery |
| > Equip. Fire or Explosion, |
| > Hazardous Combustion, |
| incl. Carbon Monoxide |
| (CO) death or poisoning |
| > Consumer Products |
| > Chemicals and Materials |
| incl. Gases & Compounds |
Basic Forensic Specialties
Main Forensic Specialties
Links to Websites which relate to (and include) Fire and Explosion
click one or both items below
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Madden Accident Analysis, Investigation, Reconstruction
Madden
Accident
Analysis,
Investigation,
Reconstruction
Copyright 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 by Madden Accident Analysis, Investigation, Reconstruction, and by James D. Madden, P.E. All rights reserved.
This website contains photographs which are licensed with restrictions that prohibit downloading, reproduction, re-publication or re-transmission.
Madden Accident Analysis, Investigation, Reconstruction, through its Senior Forensic Engineer, James D. Madden, P.E., a licensed Professional Engineer, and Board Certified Diplomate Forensic 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. Forensic Engineering work has also performed in, and/or for cases in, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, Vermont, Kansas and Utah, with testimony in deposition and court in West Virginia and Kansas.
Madden Accident Analysis, Investigation, Reconstruction, through its Senior Forensic Engineer, James D. Madden, P.E., a licensed Professional Engineer, and Board Certified Diplomate Forensic 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, Ohio, as well elsewhere throughout Ohio, and the metropolitan areas of Pittsburgh and Erie, Pennsylvania, as well as elsewhere throughout western and central Pennsylvania, and the metropolitan areas of Detroit, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Flint and Port Huron, Michigan, as well as elsewhere in southern Michigan, and the metropolitan areas of Buffalo and Syracuse, New York, 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.
Latest updates to the overall document and activity counts (reports, affidavits, cases, trials, and depositions), and counts of the number of individual specialty cases reported in this website were completed 7/15/2020. The updates of the overall document and activity counts and the counts of the number of individual specialty cases for the period between 12/2007 and 7/15/2020 were based only on the documents produced, and thus are under-counts (i.e. cases without a report or affidavit were not included in the counts).
Madden Accident Analysis, Investigation, Reconstruction
1700 West Market Street, Suite 318, Akron, Ohio 44313
or contact us for our Cleveland Ohio address
phone: 440-838-0640 or 440-832-9540, fax: 440-838-1192
Madden Accident Analysis, Investigation, Reconstruction, through its Senior Forensic Engineer James D. Madden, P.E., is available for Accident Investigations, Engineering Analyses, Accident Reconstructions, and testimony in depositions, hearings, arbitrations, and trials, for cases located throughout North America.
