By: Kristopher J. Seluga, PE
Tel: (203) 329-9909
Email: Technology Associates
Construction sites and equipment present many hazards if proper care is not taken. The space in and around a construction site is often filled with potentially dangerous, high-powered equipment capable of delivering high forces. Construction sites are also often busy and congested with many people performing a variety of tasks. This complex situation is compounded by the fact that there is typically limited space and visibility available to workers. As a result, there are a wide range of construction accidents involving falls, conveyors, heavy machinery and vehicles, handheld tools, safety harnesses, head, eye and hand protection, and scaffolding and ladders.
We have extensive experience in many aspects of construction accidents including:
Through scientific analysis, we can help you answer pertinent questions such as:
Fall from machine due to lack of handholds:
A fuel delivery man had just finished refueling a backhoe at a construction site and began to climb down from the machine. After lowering the fuel hose to the ground, he began to descend using a rope that had been tied to the side of the machine. He lost his footing on the machine's tread and slammed into the side of the machine, falling to the ground. We showed that the rope was inadequate due to its flexibility. We further showed that there were too few handholds to allow safe climbing.
Dump Truck Loading:
A dump truck driver was sitting in the cab as his truck was being loaded with earth material. He was allegedly thrown into the roof by the force of the load deposited into the dump body. The plaintiff claimed that this impact caused him spinal injures. We demonstrated, with a combination of truck and biomechanical modeling and testing, that even a full payloader bucket would not have caused a large enough truck vibration to have caused the driver to strike his head on the cab ceiling.
Kristopher J. Seluga, PE, is a Mechanical Engineering, Accident Reconstruction, Biomechanics, and Safety Expert with over 20 years of experience. He received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the Mechanical Engineering department at MIT where he worked on the development of novel three-dimensional printing technologies. Mr. Seluga is also a licensed Professional Engineer in New York and Connecticut, and has served as a member of the ANSI engineering committee for the Z130.1 and Z135 standards for golf cars and PTV's. His research interests and peer reviewed publications span the topics of Motor Vehicle Dynamics, Product Safety, and Biomechanics.
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7/31/2009· Accident Investigation & Reconstruction
Forensic Engineering Experts: Fork Lifts & Skid Steers
Forklifts, industrial trucks, skid steer loaders, bobcats and other similar material-handling machines are often difficult to maneuver and susceptible to a wide range of accidents. Their nature exposes operators and nearby co-workers to falling loads, crushing hazards and lading dock falls.
7/31/2009· Accident Investigation & Reconstruction
Forensic Engineering Experts: Products Liability
An end user of a product expects that a given product will not only function as intended, but will be safe from non-obvious hazards. Based upon decades of experience with mishaps during use of common and specialized equipment, thousands of standards have been developed for many consumer products and industrial equipment. Numerous organizations exist, e.g., ANSI, ASTM, SAE, and ASME, that regularly review and update these standards.
9/6/2017· Accident Investigation & Reconstruction
Case Study: Retained by Plaintiff Injured Motorist
By: Richard Beaubien
A motorist exiting a rural freeway was struck by a motorist on the intersecting State Route at the top of the exit ramp. At the westbound exit ramp from the Interstate freeway the State Route a stop sign is posted at the end of the ramp requiring exiting traffic to stop before entering the State Route. However, the eastbound off ramp traffic is not required to stop before entering the State Route. A stop sign is posted on southbound State Route at the ramp terminal. This is an unusual traffic signing pattern for interstate off ramps. Expert observations of the operation of this intersection showed that a large proportion of the eastbound off ramp traffic slowed down at the end of the ramp, expecting to stop at the State Route.
