Hazard, Keefe & Leane Engineering, Inc. 
Formerly Hazard Engineering 1974 - 1999

 Search Feedback Info Request Contents

Services

 

HKL Home
Personnel
Services
Investigations

 


Forensic Engineering/Accident Investigation:

HKL provides Forensic Engineering/Accident Investigation services to product manufacturers, insurance companies, attorneys and government agencies for claims investigation and litigation support. All of our engineers have expertise in conducting engineering inspections; gathering, photographing and documenting physical evidence; researching and applying standards and codes; conducting design evaluations and failure analyses; and preparing exhibits to illustrate technical issues for court presentation.  We have conducted over 5000 investigations since 1974.  A typical project might include some or all of the following tasks:

Field and laboratory inspection, examination and functional testing of commercial and consumer products, industrial machinery, industrial processes, mechanical systems within buildings, vehicles, construction and agricultural equipment.

Investigation of Industrial, Construction and Premesis Accidents

Examination and analysis of heating and mechanical equipment involved in fires, explosions and carbon monoxide asphyxiation. Evaluation of fire extinguishing systems.

Evaluation of electrical, pneumatic and hydraulic circuits.

Design analysis including load computations, stress analysis, stability analysis, and thermodynamic and heat transfer analysis.

Design and fabrication of special test fixtures, models and exhibits for laboratory testing and court presentation.

Preparation of technical reports and presentations of findings to clients. Deposition and trial testimony.

 

HKL investigates accidents involving industrial and construction machinery and equipment, where machine safeguarding and failure analysis issues are addressed. Machines are analyzed to determine if they are properly safeguarded and comply with applicable regulations and standards. A failure analysis is frequently performed to determine the manner in which a machine malfunctioned.

HKL investigates fire, explosion, and carbon monoxide asphyxiation occurrences involving fuel burning equipment and appliances. Those investigations focus on gas supply equipment, gas distribution systems (both underground and within structures), and gas-fueled equipment, such as furnaces, boilers, water heaters, stoves/ranges/ovens, fireplaces, clothes dryers, gas grills, and various industrial equipment. Fire extinguishing systems are also analyzed to assess their involvement in fire spread.

HKL tests consumer products to determine if those products are safe for use by the public and in compliance with applicable regulations and standards.

HKL investigates accidents involving over-the-road vehicles. A typical investigation focuses on potential malfunctions of a vehicle that may have occurred prior to, and caused, an accident.

Design/Safety Engineering

HKL provides Design/Safety Engineering services to product manufacturers, distributors and owners/employers in the area of hazard analysis. Our firm conducts hazard identification and control analyses, wherein a machine or system is studied to identify hazards to operators, service personnel, and other users. Measures to eliminate or to reduce and control those hazards are then developed and recommended to the client. A typical project might include some or all of the following tasks:

Review of engineering drawings and instruction manuals for the machine, to become more familiar with its design and to identify operator and maintenance personnel interfaces with that machine.

Critique instruction manual and other company publications for proper instructions and warnings.

Visit plant to perform a detailed inspection of a machine that is fully assembled and operable. Operate the machine in conditions similar to its expected working environment. In order to facilitate the analysis, the machine is photographed and videotaped during the inspection.

Participate in a conference with the client company’s critical personnel where their comments, prior injury claims and customer complaints are reviewed and discussed.

Identify, procure and review applicable industry standards and government regulations. Original copies of those standards are provided to the client.

Identify potential hazards to operators and maintenance personnel. Prepare report identifying the potential hazards and recommended control measures for those hazards.

Conduct seminar with client where basic principles of machine safeguarding are described.

 

 

 

Send mail to WebMaster@hkleng.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 1999-2015 Hazard Keefe & Leane Engineering