Scott,
You have gotten good advice from several folks on the PSNet.
Every product safety professional will experience a fire situation
sometime within their professional career - we do deal with issues of fire
and shock.
As has been mentioned, there is training available in most regions.
I looked in my library and I quickly found two books that I have
collected over the years on this subject.
1) Electrical Fire Analysis by Robert A Yearance; Clarence C
Thomas Publisher, 1987, ISBN 0-398-05381-2.
A broadly based book on fire analysis. Information is presented on
the role of electrical power systems in fires, the proper procedure for
disassembly of fire-damaged equipment, critical clues and common components.
Fire initiation and spread, fire characteristics, arson, photographic and
investigative equipment, reports & deposition, etc.
2) Engineering Analysis of Fires and Explosions by Randall
Noon; CRC Press, 1995, ISBN 0-8493-8107-X.
A book on forensic engineering applied to fires and explosions. It
deals with some fundamentals of combustion chemistry, includes some of the
usual point of origin, electrical shorting, etc; then deals with a number of
specific types of fires and their analysis.
Other books are available; some more general and some more
technically focused.
Whether you choose to do it yourself, privately hire an experienced
investigator or choose a forensic engineering company you should make this
just one step in the process of understanding how this particular event
happened and how similar events may be prevented.
I have seen a number of fires which seemed initially inexplicable
but were amenable to investigation and, in most cases, could be reproduced
under investigative conditions thus confirming the source and effects. You
should be able to do the same in this case.
:>) br, Pete
Peter E Perkins, PE
Principal Product Safety Engineer
PO Box 23427
Tigard, ORe 97281-3427
503/452-1201 fone/fax
[email protected]
:>) br, Pete
Peter E Perkins, PE
Principal Product Safety Engineer
PO Box 23427
Tigard, ORe 97281-3427
503/452-1201 fone/fax
[email protected]
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