Refrigeration / Cooling Systems Engineering Expert Witnesses: 5

James Caylor, PE, is an independent consulting Mechanical Engineer specializing in NH₃ and CO₂ Refrigeration Systems used in process and cold storage applications. Clients have included Leprino  Foods, Safeway, Dreyer’s, Tyson, ConAgra, Unilever, Nestlé, Imperial Irrigation District, Lineage Logistics, and Grupo Kuo (Kekén).

Background Information - Mr. Caylor's first 15 years in the refrigeration business were spent as a service and startup technician, including a UA steamfitter apprenticeship, 11 years in the industrial field and the final 8 years self-employed as Caylor Refrigeration. He then returned to college and graduated from Arizona State University in 2000 with a BSME. 

Mr. Caylor worked as a project engineer for two design/build contractors and became a PE before moving to Tyson Foods’ corporate design group in 2005. He joined Jacobs Engineering’s Food and Beverage Group in Fort Worth in 2007, finished in 2013 as Deputy Director in charge of all refrigeration projects and opened his own consulting firm in 2014.

Litigation Support - Mr. Caylor has been retained in seven expert witness cases, including one completed and two more scheduled  depositions. Two of these are currently preparing for trial and one for arbitration. Disputes tend to fall into one of three categories:  

Component Function - System Design / Installation/ Operation - Regulatory Compliance

Mr. Caylor has also consulted for lawyers representing a food processing firm facing EPA citations at multiple plants. His forensic analysis services are available to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant and include site review, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

System Design and Design Review (owner’s agent) Mechanical Code Review (IIAR, IFC/IMC, ASME B31.5, ASHRAE Std 15) Operational analysis Industrial Process Refrigeration Cold Storage

Ammonia Carbon Dioxide Piping Insulation OSHA / EPA

View James Caylor's Consulting Profile.

Eduardo A. Ford, PE, has 50+ years of experience in the engineering, design, construction and installation of Industrial Refrigeration Systems for use in the Chemical, Petro-Chemical and Food and Beverage industries.

Background Experience - Mr. Ford's experience ranges from Applications Engineering support for Multi-stage Centrifugal Refrigeration Systems to the Design of Custom-Built Packaged Refrigeration units for Chemical and Petro-chemical companies. Mr. Ford was responsible for the Execution and Management of Anhydrous Ammonia Refrigeration Capital Projects for a major industrial refrigeration OEM, two major end-user food companies, and, one of the largest industrial refrigeration contractors in the State of California. Mr. Ford currently has 10 years of experience as Principal of his own refrigeration engineering consulting firm. Clients have included Beringer Vineyards, ConAgra Foods, Dole Packaged Frozen Foods, MillerCoors Brewery, Unilever, Winco Foods, 7-Up Bottling Co., Super Store Industries, Imperial Irrigation District, and US Dept. of Labor - OSHA.  

Litigation Support - Mr. Ford provides expert witness services to attorneys representing plaintiffs and defendants in cases involving Ammonia Industrial Refrigeration Systems.  Mr. Ford has been retained in ten (10) expert witness cases, including, one (1) arbitration, two (2) completed depositions and one (1) court appearance as an expert witness. Mr. Ford currently has two (2) depositions and two (2) trials pending. Ideal clients include Frozen Meat and Poultry Plants, Wineries, Beverage and Bottling Plants, Ice Cream and Dairy Plants, and Large Industrial Refrigeration Contractors. Mr. Ford's services include site review through investigation, technical report preparation, depositions, and trial testimony, if needed.

Areas of Expertise: System operation analysis and design review; Mechanical Code compliance review; Review of OSHA PSM Regulatory Compliance Requirements for Ammonia Industrial Refrigeration Systems.

Degrees/Certification

• BS Engineering, California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), San Luis Obispo, CA.
• Registered Professional Engineer, Mechanical, State of California.
• Certified National Council of Examiners for Engineers and Surveying (NCEES)
• Certified Assistant Refrigeration Operator (CARO)
• Life-Member, International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR).
• Life-Member, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).
• Past-Member, Board of Directors, Refrigerating Engineers and Technicians Association (RETA).
• Past Member, IIAR Standards and Code Committees.

Roger W. Griffith, P.E. has over 37 years of experience as a registered professional Mechanical Engineer in the design, maintenance, and operation of mechanical systems (Plumbing, HVAC, and Fire Sprinkler Systems). As the principal of Griffith Engineering & Consulting for 23 years, his design experience with commercial and industrial projects includes convention centers, schools, office buildings, condominiums, apartment buildings, hotels, churches, manufacturing facilities, medical buildings, restaurants, historic buildings, dormitories, fire halls, and maintenance facilities.

Litigation Support - Since 2002, Mr. Griffith has been providing forensic engineering, consulting, and expert witness services that are thorough, credible, and timely. He also assists clients through the mediation and arbitration process. His expert testimony is based upon independent and impartial investigation, research, analysis, and testing. His services include written reports and the preparation of exhibits. Mr. Griffith's expertise is available to plaintiffs and defendants on the issues of plumbing, mechanical, and fire sprinkler system defects and failures. 

His specific areas of expertise include hot water scalding, carbon monoxide poisoning, and legionella. Mr. Griffith has served on numerous codes and standards committees related to areas, including the NFPA 54 Fuel Gas Code, the ASSE Scalding Awareness Task Group, the Uniform Codes' Legionella Task Groups, and the ICC Plumbing/Mechanical/Fuel Gas Code Action Committee. 

He is a Registered Professional Engineer in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.

Areas of Expertise:

HVAC Design Plumbing Design Pipe Failures Plumbing Component Failures Sprinkler System Failures

Hot Water Systems / Scalding  Water Heater Failures Gas Venting / Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Fuel Gas Fires and Explosions Legionella

View Roger W. Griffith's Consulting Profile.

John Hatcher is an industry leader in Building Systems Engineering including, Security, Building Automation Systems, Fire Alarm Systems, Intelligent Building Concepts and Commissioining. He has worked on some of the most prestigious facilities in the world including the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Russia, India and Southeast Asia. 

Security Expertise:

• Access Control
• CCTV Surveillance
• Emergency Communications
• Operations
• Risk Assessments

Building Automation Expertise:

• Energy Management
• HVAC Controls
• Operations
• MEP Commissioning

Other Systems Expertise:

• Fire Alarm
• Telecommunication
• Intelligent Buildings

Scott Friesen, PE, is a licensed Professional Engineer in California, Florida, Arizona, Hawaii, Mississippi and two Canadian provinces (Alberta and Manitoba), and is LEED Accredited (CaGBC) and certified as an Energy Manager. Scott has more than 14 years of experience in Design and Construction of HVAC, Plumbing and Building Energy Conservation, System Design, Construction and Forensic Analysis. He has also performed commissioning, energy audits and was involved in marketing and business development.

Scott's responsibilities at Ivey include design and forensic analysis of HVAC, plumbing, fire protection and energy management systems. He performs site inspections, testing, research, product analysis, cost estimating and is responsible for writing reports and testifying in depositions, hearings and trials.

Scott is a member of Association of Professional Engineers, Geologist, Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA), American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) and Canadian Green Building Council (CaGBC).

Experience (partial listing):

• Approximately 75 HVAC, fire protection and plumbing design projects
• Approximately six design error and omission expert engagements
• Approximately 20 residential construction defect expert engagements
• Approximately 16 commercial construction defect expert engagements
• 10 LEED design projects
• 8 HVAC and plumbing commissioning projects