Dust Explosions & Fires Expert Witnesses

Experienced in Fire Cause and Origin, Arson Prosecution and Defense, Product Subrogation, Fire and Building Codes, Life Safety Codes, Fire Injuries and Fatalities, as well as Fire Department Operations and Management. With over 28 years of fire department experience and 15 years in the private sector, Mr. Agosti has completed over two thousand investigations of fires, explosions, and life safety incidents. He has testified in both federal and state courts for both plaintiff and defense clients. John Michael Agosti & Associates provides assistance to insurance companies, attorneys and other agencies in the determination of cause and origin in fires and explosions. Our goal is to provide independent and articulate findings to you the client, quickly and accurately.

• View John M. Agosti's Testimony Record

Paul Eason is a Licensed Engineer, Nationally Certified Fire & Explosion Investigator and Forensic Consultant. His expertise comes from a strong background in industry and academia. In addition to his consulting practice, he is a professor in the Mechanical Engineering program at the University of North Florida, and maintains a graduate faculty appointment in the Materials Science and Engineering Program at the University of Florida.

Dr. Eason has testified in numerous trials and depositions in the following practice areas: Product Design & Manufacturing Analysis, Metallurgy & Materials, Fire & Explosions and Industrial Accidents

Areas of Expertise:

Product liability and failure analysis, Product Defect & Safety Issues including: Metals, Plastics, Glass, Ceramics, Corrosion, Fatigue, Overload & Material Selection

Fire and Explosion analysis including: cause and origin determination, product related fire causation, industrial process accidents, dust explosions, welding/brazing accidents

• View Paul Eason's Curriculum Vitae

Envista Forensics is a global leader in Forensic Engineering & Recovery Solutions. They provide Cause & Origin, Failure Analysis, Fire and Explosion Investigations, Accident Reconstruction, Damage Evaluations and Equipment Restoration Services following disasters of all kinds. Envista has offered Consulting Services to the insurance, legal and risk management industries, as well as businesses, public entities, and universities for over 25 years. Their Experts travel globally from 30 offices located across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the U.K., Australia and Singapore.

Envista's experience counts when equipment, systems, structures, or data have been threatened by catastrophe or litigation. Their experts and advisors determine cause and responsibility, and identify the nature and extent of damage or loss and provide a full range of solutions to protect their assets. Envista's technical professionals are trusted advisors and industry leaders. Their expertise is broad and deep, capable of withstanding all forms of scrutiny. Envista's services are available globally so that certainty is assured no matter where in the world it is needed. As the recovery from disasters has grown more complex, Envista has developed a comprehensive array of services to help their clients and has associates located around the globe to provide assurance no matter the type of loss or location of the disaster.

Envista helps attorneys quickly get to meaningful answers on the many technical issues at the center of a dispute. Their engineers have decades of experience working with both defendants and plaintiffs. They offer effective Expert Witness Testimony, with the ability to communicate effectively, build rapport with juries and judges, and maintain adherence to structured, methodical approaches in drawing conclusions are all extremely critical. Envista Forensics understands how critical the selection of an expert can be, and we understand what makes experts effective. Their court qualified experts have extensive experience providing expert testimony on a wide variety of engineering and technical matters.

Areas of Expertise:

Aviation & Aerospace
Biomechanics
Construction Defects
Digital Forensics
Electrical Injury & Electrocutions
Causation
Chemical
Computer / Network Equipment Failure
Construction Defect
Disputes over Reparability of Damage
Electrical Failure
Equipment Restoration
Fire & Explosion Analysis
Equipment Restoration

Industrial / Manufacturing Equipment

Materials Failure

Mechanical Accidents

Mechanical Failure

Medical / Laboratory Equipment

Product Failure / Liability

Project Management

Structural Failure

Subrogation

Utility & Energy

Valuation of Structures or Equipment

Vehicle Accident Investigation

Workplace / Premises Accidents

View Envista's Consulting Profile.

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2/18/2014 · Medical

Pipe Ruptures Above Your CT Scanner - Now What?

By: Envista Forensics - Andrew Spetter and Mark Ewing

All is quiet at 10:30 pm until a nurse notices water on the 2nd floor hallway. Building maintenance is called and discovers a ruptured pipe fitting in a bathroom on the 2nd floor. The water is shut off at 10:45 pm but unfortunately the damage has been done. It is later discovered that water penetrated through perforations in the ceiling in the CT suite on the 1st floor exposing the 16-slice CT gantry and patient table to water.

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1/14/2014 · Machinery

After the Storm: Mitigating Losses Involving High-Technology Equipment Following a Flood

By: Envista Forensics - Bruce Swales

The role that water plays in our existence is well understood. Without it, most living things will rapidly wither and die. Equally catastrophic of course, are the consequences of too much water. Not only to living things, in terms of widespread flooding, but also in terms of damage to machinery and equipment from exposure to water.

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5/15/2013 · Electrical - Electrocution

Identifying the Source of a Power Surge

By: Envista Forensics

Is it possible to differentiate between lightning related surges and artificially generated electrical surges?

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4/17/2013 · Discovery & Electronic Discovery

An Introduction to the eDiscovery Process

By: Envista Forensics

E-Discovery is the process of collecting and exchanging electronically stored information (ESI) that is requested during the discovery phase in civil litigation.

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3/14/2013 · Corrosion

Preventative Restoration: Preserving your Options

By: Envista Forensics - Andrew Spetter

An ominous cloud of smoke continues to billow as the sprinklers rain water throughout the facility. The production manager's mechanical and electrical equipment is rapidly deteriorating, and within hours, the previously pristine equipment normally used to manufacture precision circuit boards will have a thin coating of flash rust with further damage forthcoming.

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1/25/2013 · Damages

Minimizing the Impact of Medical Equipment Losses

By: Envista Forensics - Andrew Spetter and Mark Ewing

Doctors and nurses need to make quick, educated decisions to minimize the impact of difficult situations. These decisions are based on the practitioner's years of experience, their education, the science and technology available, and with the assistance of critical analytical and diagnostic equipment.

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11/19/2012 · Damages

Investigating Equipment Damage Claims in Latin America

By: Envista Forensics - John Hicks

A water pipe breaks in a healthcare provider's facility, saturating an MRI control cabinet. The manufacturer is called in and spends $200,000 on attempted repairs. The unit still doesn't work. The manufacturer says the entire unit needs to be replaced, at a cost of $240,000.

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The experts at Miller Engineering are Ann Arbor-based professional engineers celebrating 30 years of service to University, Government, Insurance, and Industry through research, publications, presentations, and testimony. Miller Engineering has a staff of engineers and experts in the Mechanical, Chemical, Agriculture, Industrial, and Human Factors fields of engineering with specific knowledge in the following areas:

Vehicles

Car/Truck Accident Reconstruction
Crash Data Retrieval (CDR)
Visibility & Reaction Time Analysis
Tires, Trailers, Brakes & Accelerators
Truck/Off Road Vehicle Egress/Ingress
Traffic Signing and Construction Zones

Mechanical & Electrical Safety

Product Safety & Analysis
Machinery - Metal, Wood, Plastic Molding
Machine Guarding & Safety, Robots, Automation
Hazard and Risk Analysis
Employee Safety Procedures – OSHA
Electrical Distribution & Transmission Hazards

Warnings & Instructions

Warning Labels & User Manual Design
Hazard Analysis & Product Label Designs
Medical Device & Drug Warnings & Instructions
Inadequate Warnings Analysis
Standard Compliance (ANSI Z535)
Product Recall Information & Strategies

Consumers/Household Safety

Appliances & Tools
Child Furniture, Choking, Playgrounds
Swimming Pools & Exercise Equipment
Recreation - ATV, Boats, Bicycles, Boards
Ladder, Stair, Step and Railing Accidents
Slip, Trip, & Fall Accidents

Chemicals Safety & Labeling

NEW OSHA HAZCOM (2012) & GHS Review
MSDS, SDS and Product Label Compliance
Toxic Torts - Diacetyl, Asbestos, Benzene, Lead, Carbon Monoxide
Vaping & E-Cigarette Health Effects

Chemical Exposures & Workplace Safety

Chemical Inhalation, Ingestion, Dermal Contact
Contamination - Water & Environmental
Manufacturing & Process Line Accidents
Slips, Trips, Falls, & Entanglements

Fires & Explosions

Cause & Origin Investigations
Gas, Vapor, & Electrical
Spontaneous Combustion
Vaping & E-cigarette Battery Failures

Agriculture

Tractor & Equipment Accidents
Chemical Applications & Exposures
Crop Storage & Harvesting Accidents
Pesticides

Construction

Vehicle Visibility Accidents
Slip, Trip, & Fall Accidents
Power Tool Repetitive & Immediate Injuries
Scaffolding - Cranes - Hoisting - Fork Lifts

Insurance Subrogation & Forensics

Accident Investigations
Electrical & Fire Causation
Chemical Leakage Damage
Defective Equipment Injuries
Premise and Process Damages

James Miller Mechanical Engineering Expert Photo

James M. Miller, PE, PhD – Founder Dr. Miller is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Michigan College of Engineering and a registered professional engineer and consultant with over 30 years of experience as an expert witness. He has served as a consultant to industry and government and is highly qualified to give engineering testimony.

Dr. Miller specializes in warnings, labeling and instruction manuals, consumer product design, machine guarding, process safety, fire science, vehicle visibility, tractor egress/ingress, pedestrian and worker slip and fall prevention, recreational vehicles (ATVs, boats, and personal watercraft), compliance with occupational safety and consumer safety standards (OSHA, MSDS, CPSC, ANSI, ASTM, UL, etc.).

Mark Lehto Industrial Engineering Expert Photo

Mark R. Lehto, PhD – Co-Founder Dr. Lehto is a Professor of Engineering at Purdue University. He completed his Ph.D. in engineering at the University of Michigan in 1985, where he specialized in Human Factors Engineering, in particular Warnings and Labeling. He has taught courses at Purdue in human and safety factors areas, as well as decision making and artificial intelligence. He has authored numerous professionally-reviewed articles, and he has authored / coauthored internationally-recognized textbooks in the areas of human factors and ergonomics.

Dr. Lehto specializes in knowledge engineering, warnings and instructions, structuring expert systems, accident modeling, accident statistical analysis, consumer product safety, boating safety, in-field national surveys of product usage and product information effectiveness.

david clark human factor engineering Expert Photo

David R. Clark, PE, PhD – Co-Founder Dr. Clark is an Emeritus Engineering Professor at Kettering University. He was an engineering Ph.D. graduate from the University of Michigan, where he specialized in human factors engineering and system safety analyses. In particular, his earlier degrees in mechanical and electrical areas have given him a special expertise in electrical fire- and explosion-related accidents.

Dr. Clark is also published on the topics of warnings and labeling. With considerable in-plant experience at General Motors, he is uniquely qualified to provide student theses and design projects while teaching at Kettering that deal with many types of mechanical and optimization projects. Finally, he has extensive experience working for loss control companies, performing over 150 fire origin and cause investigations in the past few years.

• Project Examples

• Publications Index

Introduction to Human Factors and Ergonomics for Engineers, Second Edition

Mark R. Lehto & Steven J. Landry

Introduction to Human Factors and Ergonomics for Engineers, Second Edition presents and integrates important methods and tools used in the fields of Industrial Engineering, Human Factors and Ergonomics to design and improve jobs, tasks and products. It presents these topics with a practical, applied orientation suitable for engineering undergraduate students.

Introduction to Human Factors and Ergonomics for Engineers

Mark R. Lehto, Steven J. Landry & Jim Buck

Emphasizing customer oriented design and operation, Introduction to Human Factors and Ergonomics for Engineers explores the behavioral, physical, and mathematical foundations of the discipline and how to apply them to improve the human, societal, and economic well being of systems and organizations.

Warnings: Fundamentals, Design and Evaluation Methodologies, Vol. 1

Mark R. Lehto & James M. Miller

Instructions and Warnings: The Annotated Bibliography

James M. Miller, Mark R. Lehto & J. Paul Frantz

Warnings & Safety Instructions: Annotated and Indexed

James M. Miller, Mark R. Lehto

Peter Howell has almost 50 years of experience in the Design, Operation, Maintenance and Management of Chemical and Petrochemical Facilities with positions such as process engineer, project engineer, maintenance foreman, technical manager, engineering manager, plant manager and vice president and general manager.

Mr. Howell has extensive experience in developing, implementing and auditing the elements of OSHA's process safety management (PSM) regulation and EPA's risk management plan (RMP). He also has extensive experience in accident and incident investigations involving fire, explosion, and release of toxic and hazardous materials.

Rapperport Associates, Inc., provides exceptional capability in Failure Analysis, Fire and Explosion Investigation, Accident Reconstruction, Structural Analysis, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Metallurgy and Materials Science.

We have provided superior technical support for litigation since 1974, and possess an extraordinarily talented technical team with impeccable academic and industrial credentials and proven analysis capability. Our team of distinguished scientists and engineers is drawn principally from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) and Stanford University.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE:

Failure Analysis

Structural Design Analysis

Metallurgical Failures

Finite Element Stress Analysis

Fracture and Fatigue Analysis

Scanning Electron Microscopy

Corrosion

Accident Reconstruction

Automobiles / Trucks

Biomechanics / Injury Mechanism

Off-Road Vehicles

Occupant Motion

Aircraft

Animation

Fire & Explosion Analysis

Cause and Origin

Electrical

Gases, Liquids and Dust

Industrial Processes

........Safety

Machine and Industrial Safety

Machine Guarding

Construction Failures

Slips, Trips, Falls

Engineering

Mechanical

Structural / Civil

Metallurgy

Materials Science

Aeronautics and Astronautics

Electrical

• View Rapperport Associates Partial Client List

expert witnesses

Dust Explosions & Fires Expert Witnesses: 6

Fire Expert John Agosti

Engineering Expert Paul Eason

Forensic Engineering Recovery Solutions Experts Envista Forensics

Engineering Expert James Miller

Chemical Petrochemical Expert Witness Peter Howell

Fire Explosions Mechanical Failure Analysis Expert Witness Daniel Rapperport

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