scholarly journals Forensic Engineering Investigations Of Guards Handrails And Stairs

2004 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Norman L. Cooper
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Air Travel ◽  
Building Code ◽  
Fundamental Issue ◽  
Forensic Engineering ◽  
Gap Height ◽  
Riser Height

There Are More Accidental Deaths From Falls In The United States Than From Fire, Drowning, And Air Travel Combined. The Following Summarizes Forensic Engineering Investigations (In Several Of The United States) Of Guards, Handrails, And Stairs, Most Following Falls Resulting In Injury Or Death. The Fundamental Issue Is Whether The Guards, Handrails, And Stairs Complied With The Applicable Building Code. Liability, Advocacy, And Unsafe Structure Requirements Are Discussed. Many Example Cases Are Cited Involving Code Noncompliance Including: Guards: Omission, Strength, Gap, Height, And Ladder Effect; Handrails: Omission, Height, Grip, Length, Strength, Return, And Continuity; Stairs: Omission, Obstruction, Strength, Riser Height, Tread Length, Uniformity, Tread Slope, Riser Gap, And Lighting. Case Outcomes Are Discussed And Recommendations Made.

Convective Storms and the Insurance Industry: Challenges and Opportunities

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten D. Orwig
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Tropical Cyclones ◽  
Insurance Industry ◽  
Property Values ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
The United States ◽  
Building Code ◽  
Convective Storms ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Insured Loss

Convective storms affect countries worldwide, with billions in losses and dozens of fatalities every year. They are now the key insured loss driver in the United States, even after considering the losses sustained by tropical cyclones in 2017. Since 2008, total insured losses from convective storms have exceeded $10 billion per year. Additionally, these losses continue to increase year over year. Key loss drivers include increased population, buildings, vehicles, and property values. However, other loss drivers relate to construction materials and practices, as well as building code adoption and enforcement. The increasing loss trends pose a number of challenges for the insurance industry and broader society. These challenges are discussed, and some recommendations are presented.

scholarly journals The Forensic Engineer in State and Federal Court

2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard M. Ziernicki
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Legal System ◽  
Expert Witness ◽  
Federal Court ◽  
The United States ◽  
Court System ◽  
Civil Lawsuits ◽  
Forensic Engineering ◽  
And Function

This paper outlines the legal system in the United States, the different types of courts, the differences between criminal and civil law, and the role of forensic engineering experts involved in civil lawsuits. After providing a summary of relevant procedures employed by civil and criminal courts, the paper describes the basic principles and requirements for the selection and work of a forensic engineering expert in both the state and federal court system. This paper outlines the role and function of forensic experts (specifically forensic engineers), in the United States court system. It is not a treatise on the legal system but on the role of experts. The paper presents the requirements typically used in today’s legal system to qualify a forensic engineer as an expert witness and to accept his or her work and opinions. Furthermore, this paper discusses who can be an expert witness, the expert’s report, applicable standards, conducted research, engineering opinions, and final testimony in court — and how those elements fit into the legal system. Lastly, the paper describes the concept of spoliation of evidence.

scholarly journals Forensic Engineering Investigation of Above-Ground Pool Submersion Accidents

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Ziernicki ◽  
William H. Pierce
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Swimming Pool ◽  
Consumer Product Safety Commission ◽  
Adult Supervision ◽  
Forensic Engineering ◽  
Product Defect ◽  
Engineering Investigation ◽  
Alternative Designs

In the United States, approximately 35 children under the age of five years old drown each year after access-ing above-ground pools via pool ladders. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) data also shows that approximately 486 additional children sustain submersion-related injuries after accessing above-ground pools via pool ladders. In many cases, these events occurred during brief lapses of adult supervision. This paper fo-cuses on potential product defect issues related to child submersion accidents, including the role of user manuals, alternative designs, warnings, instructions, and child behavior testing. The authors examine the issues related to the investigation of above-ground swimming pool submersion accidents. In addition, procedures and steps are outlined that may be useful in analyzing whether the swimming pool is defective and unreasonably dangerous.

scholarly journals Forensic Engineering Data Collection For Stairway Incidents

2007 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilbur T. Yaxley ◽  
Armstrong Jeffrey D.
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Building Codes ◽  
Building Code ◽  
Engineering Data ◽  
Forensic Engineering ◽  
Riser Height ◽  
Design Construction

Forensic Engineers Are Often Called Upon To Investigate Injury Events On Stairs. A Significant Number Of Injuries And Deaths Occur On Stairways. With A Background In Design, Construction, And Building Codes, Forensic Engineers Can Identify The Appropriate Codes With Which The Stairs Might Be Required To Comply, Can Determine Whether Deficiencies Exist And To What Extent, And Whether Deficiencies Are Related To The Design Or The Construction Of The Facility. Data Collection On Stairways Can Be Difficult And Tedious. Measurements Of Tread Depths And Riser Heights Must Be Measured With Precision To Compare With Allowable Tolerances. This Paper Presents Various Means Of Collecting Data Related To Stairways, Including Documentation Of Tread Depth, Riser Height, Tread Slope, Nosing, Handrails, And Headroom Clearances. The Paper Will Also Introduce A Device That Was Developed And Validated By The Authors For Measuring Treads And Risers. This Paper Focuses Only On Data Collection Methodologies, And Does Not Present Analyses Or Render Opinions With Regard To Building Code Requirements. The Building Code Requirements That Are Presented Herein Are Only For The Purpose Of Illustrating Typical Code Requirements, To Illustrate Why Various Data Must Be Collected, And To Review Proper Methods Of Data Collection.

Wrong-Way Flights: Pushing Humans Away

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harvey Molotch
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Air Travel ◽  
Fear Of Flying

This chapter focuses on air travel, perhaps the most notorious venue of the security apparatus. We learn once again from the appliances and procedures, this time of the especially elaborate system of precautions in the post-9/11 world of flight, that much, in concept as well as in the detail, is quite beside the point. And some of it, as per pattern, runs counter to making things safe at all. The choices that have been made are just that, choices—explicable in the specifics of their moment in the United States' political and moral history. The chapter offers up alternative ways to deal with the fear of others' flying, ways that at the same time enhance other human goals, simple ones like convenience and complex ones like contentment. The trick is to offer a response to fear of flying through less odious forms of intervention—and indeed enhancements of pleasure.

Status of forensic engineering education in the United States

2009 ◽  
pp. 575-584 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth L. Carper ◽  
Norbert J. Delatte ◽  
Paul A. Bosela
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Engineering Education ◽  
The United States ◽  
Forensic Engineering

Contemporary issues affecting the demand for business air travel in the United States

1998 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan R. Bender ◽  
Frederick J. Stephenson
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Air Travel
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