Thomas J. Kelly, MSEE, MBA, PE, CFEI, Senior Consulting Engineer, is a licensed professional engineer in South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Maryland, and an NCEES Model Law Engineer. He has both a Bachelor of Science in
Electrical Engineering and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, along with a Master of Business Administration, with an emphasis in strategic leadership, from Winthrop University, Rock Hill, South Carolina.
Mr. Kelly's 25-year career in electrical engineering includes forensic engineering investigation involving industrial electrical accidents, electrical equipment failure analysis, control system failures, including robotics and automation components and scope of damage assessments. He has conducted investigations for arc flash incidents, electrocution and electric shock accidents and lightning strike evaluations. From his large facilities management, Mr. Kelly has a depth of knowledge in building envelope performance, lighting system performance and compliance, low and medium voltage electrical distribution systems, and automated production control systems. Critical data infrastructure systems are a special area of interest including emergency and standby power systems.
Mr. Kelly's experience also includes the design and analysis of
Alternative Energy Systems utilizing both solar and fuel cell technologies. A Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator, Tom is experienced in fire and explosion analysis, origin, and cause investigations. Drawing from prior product design work, he has a wide range of experiences with product defect analysis and evaluating the workmanship of installed electrical systems.
Areas of Expertise:
- Electrical Equipment Failures
- Electrocution and Electric Shock Accidents
- Fires and Explosions
| Industrial Electrical AccidentsLightning Strike AnalysisScope of Damage - Estimate of Repair |
This is the first blog in a series on integrating new technologies into the process of forensic investigations. Documenting the scene of an incident accurately, efficiently, and safely is a key step in every investigation. Busy roadways and unstable structures present hazards to the investigator during the investigation process. The use of remote sensors can reduce these risks and provide data that otherwise could not safely be obtained.
Many people just take for granted that something is just going to work, and in many cases assume that it will work forever. One such device that does not get enough attention is the Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI). Simply put, a GFCI is a protective device that compares the current flowing on the hot and neutral wires of the circuit and will "trip" to disconnect power to the circuit if a small imbalance of current is detected. The imbalance of current is an indication of a dangerous alternate path for the current to flow from a damaged line cord or a fault inside an appliance and constitutes a shock hazard to a person.
