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Safety Engineering Resources22864 W. Spring HarborSiloam Springs, AR 72761479 549-4860 |
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www.safetyengineeringresources.com |
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Other Products There are a number of products that Safety Engineering Resources regularly investigates and provides expert witness opinions on. Some of the more common include: Tractors Tractors are the cause of numerous fatalities and debilitating injuries every year. Most of these are the result of tractor overturns. The high center of gravity that most tractors have make it susceptible to overturns. The wide range of uneven and unstable terrain that tractors encounter compounds the problem of high center of gravity and overturns. Operating tractors on ground that is not horizontal also drastically increases the chance of overturning a tractor. The solution to this simple problem is the use of safeguards. While the hierarchy of design calls for eliminating the hazard of a design, for tractors this would mean changing the configuration of the tractor to lower the center of gravity. This is the best solution, although it could be argued that the function of the tractor necessitates a high center of gravity design. This is not necessarily true, and the modern tractor as we know it was first designed before the 1950's. The time has come for a new design that is not susceptible to overturn accidents.The reality for most tractor manufacturers is the use of a safeguard, in this case a roll-over protective structure, ROPS, combined with an operator seatbelt. The ROPS is a heavy-duty frame that protects the operator area in the event of an overturn. The seatbelt is necessary to keep the operator within the protected operator area. Some manufacturers are now producing tractors with ROPS as standard equipment. Others offer them as optional equipment, or do not offer them at all. Older tractors without ROPS have not been recalled and continue to kill farmers regularly. OSHA declared in 1976 that all tractors should be equipped with ROPS, but their jurisdiction applies only to employer-employee situations, and as such does not apply to family-run farms. Various states have required ROPS to be standard equipment, as have various organizations and agencies. The low-cost and simplicity of ROPS and seatbelts make it a simple solution to the problem of overturns. Tractor manufacturers that fail to provide the necessary protection may be held responsible for injuries caused by the machine.Safety Engineering Resources has extensive experience in testing tractors to determine their stability and likelihood to overturn. We have been involved in numerous tractor overturn cases, and can provide the necessary engineering expertise for your case.Click here for a free initial case assessment Lawnmowers Lawnmowers are another product that cause frequent, needless accidents. There are multiple accident scenarios with lawnmowers. Contact with the mower blade is a serious hazard. This hazard is inherent to the function of the product, so the hazard must be guarded. Solutions have been developed that cover the spinning blade to prevent contact with humans, but that allow the grass to be cut. Children are often the victims in lawnmower accidents. Children that are not watched approach a riding mower from behind, and the mower operator can back over the child without seeing him or her. Other scenarios include mower users who sit their youngster on their lap while they mow. This is extremely hazardous and should never be done, but engineering design principles call for human error to be taken into account and guarded against. Most modern mowers are now equipped with no-mow-in-reverse technology that disengages the spinning blade when the mower is put into neutral. This is to prevent backover mower accidents. Operator presence sensors are also vital to lawnmower safety. When an operator leaves his or her seat, a sensor detects it and either disengages the mower blade or more often shuts the mower completely off.Another big hazard with lawnmowers is overturns. Every year, people are killed and injured when their lawnmowers overturn and crush them. To protect against an overturn requires the same simple guarding solution that is found on tractors - rollover protective structures, a.k.a. ROPS, combined with an operator seatbelt. These have not caught on like tractor ROPS, but a few mower manufacturers offer them as standard equipment, and some offer ROPS as optional attachments, while other manufacturers do not have ROPS available. For concerned mower users, custom aftermarket ROPS are available. Email us at info@safetyengineeringresources.com and we can direct you to a vendor that can provide you with a ROPS. Another problem is the sales teams that sell lawnmowers. A Safety Engineering Resources personnel member approached a prominent mower manufacturer's resale store, and inquired about various riding lawnmowers. When he asked the salesman if the mower could be equipped with ROPS, he was told that it wasn't available, even though our agent knew it was available for the particular model. Safety Engineering Resources can determine if a lawnmower is unreasonably dangerous due to design defects, malfunctioning equipment, control malfunction, or other reasons. Our engineering expert witnesses have the experience to provide you with the best analysis and alternate design solutions.Click here to check out our Lawnmower Manual at our partner site Click here for a free initial case assessment
Overhead Doors Overhead door accidents and powered gate accidents occur when people get caught in the mechanisms of the automatic opening and closing devices, and when they get caught between a closing door and ground or other surface. Most of these accidents are avoidable. Numerous safety devices are available for these types of products. Many newer doors come equipped with safety features, but these can fail, and the multitude of older powered doors often do not have adequate safety devices. The most common overhead and garage door accident, getting crushed by the door, is easily prevented by a leading door edge reversing sensor. These are sensors that trigger reversal of a the door closing mechanism, preventing injury or damage to who or whatever may be in its path. These are often referred to as inherent entrapment protection devices. A light beam sensor is usually used, and is required by most standards that cover residential garage doors. The cables used in overhead doors can also cause accidents if they are allowed to loop out. Cable that loops out will cinch down when the cables are pulled taut. People have been severely injured when caught in these closing loops. Simple design solutions prevent cable from looping out. Door operators, the mechanism with the motor and gearing that powers the door, also can utilize safety features that minimize the risk of hazards from powered doors. Cables have failed, sending the door crashing to the ground. This can be a fatigue failure, or a failure due to an improperly designed, constructed, or maintained door. Safety Engineering Resources has developed innovative alternate design solutions to some of these problems. We are experienced in identifying defectively designed or produced overhead doors, and can provide top quality expert witness analysis and testimony on overhead doors and powered gates.
Click here to check out our Overhead Door Manual at our partner site Click here for a free initial case assessment
Forklifts Forklift accidents are common, and often result in severe injury or death. Forklifts must use large amounts of force to move heavy loads at fast speeds. These same elements that make forklifts useful in industrial settings make them extremely dangerous. Many forklift accidents are blamed on human error. The problem with this reasoning is engineering design principles. Designers must eliminate or safeguard all potential hazards of a product. Any unguarded hazard can and will result in human injury or death. The masts of a forklift often are inadequately guarded, and people get crushed in the mast mechanism as well as between a rising lift platform and a solid surface. Pedestrian and forklift collisions are common as well. Numerous factors affect pedestrian/forklift accidents, including safety design features of the forklift such as reversing beeper, proximity detection, and field of view from the operator's position, as well as environmental factors such as lighting, noise level, factory layout, and other issues.Click here to check out our Forklift Manual at our partner site Click here for a free initial case assessment
Engineering principles are applicable to all types of products. As well as taking cases that we encounter often, we are confident of our abilities to apply engineering concepts to different types of products. The fundamental principles of hazard protection are the same regardless of the type of product. Please contact us if you have a product accident and want to find out some more information.
Check out our issue of Forensic Clues that deals with guarding accidents by clicking here. Click here for a free initial case assessment
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