MORE Advanced, March 2016

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Where in the World is AEI?

AEI Corporation (Advanced Engineering Investigations) will have investigators on-site in the following locations between 01/04/2016 and 01/15/2016.

New York, NY
Roanoke, VA
Signal Hill, CA
San Benito, TX
Philadelphia, PA
Memphis, TN
Abbeville, MS
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Kansas City, KS
Burlington, Denver & Littleton, CO

If you have a project in any of these geographical areas get in touch, we may be able to save you money on travel time and expenses.  At AEI Corporation, it has always been our mission to provide you with high quality, expert services at a great price.   We understand that the bottom line matters.

OUT AND ABOUT

February 2 – 6
DRI Product Liability Conference – Westin New Orleans, New Orleans, LA.  Jay Freeman, John Schumacher, Dennis Shelp and Carol Chavez attending.

April 26 – May 2
Texas Association of Defense Counsel Conference – Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, Nashville, TN. Carol Chavez attending.

May  6
Rocky Mountain Association of Special Investigation Units Conference, Marriott Denver South, Denver CO.  Carol Chavez attending.

June 2 – 4
Nebraska Defense Counsel Association Conference – Wilderness Ridge, Lincoln, NE.  Carol Chavez attending.

June 14 – 17
Arizona State Bar Annual Conference – Sheraton Wild Horse Resort & Spa, Chandler, AZ .  Carol Chavez attending.

July 5 – 8
Utah State Bar Annual Conference – Loews Coronado Bay, Coronado Bay, CA.   Carol Chavez attending.

July 26 – 29
Colorado Defense Lawyers Association Annual Conference – Westin Snowmass Resort, Snowmass, CO.  Charles Sullivan and Carol Chavez attending.

August 10 – 12
Defense Lawyers Association of Wyoming Annual Conference – Saratoga Resort and Spa, Saratoga, WY.  Carol Chavez attending.

October 24 – 26
National Association of Subrogation Professionals Annual Conference – The Broadmoor Hotel, Colorado Springs, CO.  John Schumacher, Charles Sullivan and Carol Chavez attending.

October
Colorado Claims Association Annual Conference – Denver, CO.  Carol Chavez attending.

November
Colorado Chapter of Property and Casualty Underwriters Annual Conference – Denver, CO.  Carol Chavez attending.

December 8 – 10
Association of Defense Counsel for N. California and Nevada Annual Conference – Westin St. Francis on Union Square, San Francisco, CA.  Carol Chavez attending.

The Right Intel Solves the Problem.                             http://www.AEIengineers.com

Commercial Cooking Operations – By Charlie Sullivan, Senior Consultant

Fires that occur in restaurant kitchens typically involve electric, gas, or solid fuel cooking appliances. Determining where the fire started on the cooking line is only one part of the investigation. Equally important is the evaluation of the restaurant hood, fire extinguishing system, and exhaust duct as they relate to the growth and spread of the fire.

Although other types of suppression systems are permissible, this article addresses properly functioning wet chemical extinguishing systems. A properly designed, installed, and maintained wet chemical extinguishing system should extinguish an incipient fire very quickly, resulting in minimal damage from smoke and the extinguishing agent. A kitchen that experiences a fire under a hood with a wet chemical extinguishing system should be operational in as little time as it takes to recharge the system, replace fusible links, and clean the appliances and floors.

If a fire spreads beyond the hood, the functionality of the entire system should be questioned. A typical commercial cooking operation consists of the cooking appliances, a Type I hood, an exhaust duct, an exhaust fan, and an extinguishing system installed in the hood over the appliance line. The hood, duct, fan, and extinguishing system operate as one entity. If one of the components is impaired the entire operation may be compromised. It is important to have an understanding of the design objective, overall operation, and applicable codes and standards relating to the restaurant fire suppression system, the hood and duct, the exhaust/ventilation system, and various other components of the operation.

Ultimately the responsibility for the care of the systems is that of the owner or the owner’s designated representative. It is the owner or owner’s representative’s responsibility to place the various systems and components into the care of qualified individuals. This will ensure that the systems and components are inspected, tested, and maintained in accordance with prescribed schedules, which are outlined in applicable codes and manufacturer’s manuals.

General housekeeping plays a big role in the proper function of systems. Although the exhaust/ventilation and extinguishing systems are being maintained, often the appliance line is unkempt. In many cases the appliance line isn’t being cleaned, appliances have large grease deposits on them, and weekly inspections aren’t being performed by the kitchen staff. This can contribute to the ignition of a fire and growth of the fire.

A lack of prescribed maintenance is often a contributing factor in the failure of a hood system to extinguish a fire allowing it to extend beyond the hood and exhaust/ventilation system into other parts of a structure. Some insurance companies have language in their policies requiring that the owner or owner’s representative must maintain the commercial cooking operation in accordance with the applicable codes or face the possibility of a claim being denied. Just as the contractors and manufacturers who maintain systems and provide system components are held to industry standards, so too are the commercial cooking operation operators.

The extinguishing system is required to be inspected by a qualified contractor at six month intervals. The hood and exhaust/ventilation system is cleaned and inspected based on the type of operation and volume of cooking. The cleaning company should be advising the kitchen operator on how often the hood and duct should be cleaned. The cleaning company should also be evaluating the condition of the hood, exhaust duct, and exhaust fan. The appliances and other cooking line components are also required to be maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s installation and service manuals. When a service company determines that a system is impaired, the system should: code quote be tagged as non-compliant. When notified of an impairment or deficiency it is the responsibility of the owner or owner’s representative to promptly have the problem corrected.

In the event of a fire that is not contained to the appliance line it is important to get the right personnel get involved as early as possible opportunity to assess the loss. All too often experts are retained long after the loss, after repairs have been completed, damaged components have been thrown out, potential parties haven’t been interviewed and/or notified, and no information has been collected. Identifying the potential parties is important on both the subrogation and defense side of any claim. Determine the cause of the loss may be almost impossible months or years after the fact if proper steps to aquire information and preserve evidence are not taken.

Where In The World Is AEI?

AEI Corporation (Advanced Engineering Investigations) will have investigators on-site in the following locations between 08/12/2015 and 08/26/2015 –

Abu Dhabi, UAE
Los Angeles, Warner Springs and Tehachepi, CA
Denver and Littleton, CO
Elk City, ID
Chicago, IL
Crestwood, KY
Alexandria, LA
Omaha, NE
Newark and Passaic, NJ
Hopewell Junction and New York, NY
Lakewood, WA
Douglas and Saratoga, WY

If you have a project in any of these geographical areas get in touch, we may be able to save you money on travel time and expenses.  At AEI Corporation, it has always been our mission to provide you with high quality, expert services at a great price.   We understand that the bottom line matters.

OUT AND ABOUT

August 19 – 22
Defense Lawyers Association of Wyoming 2015 Conference – Saratoga Resort and Spa, Saratoga, WY.  Carol Chavez attending.

August 24 – 27
Rocky Mountain Energy Summit 2015 – Denver Convention Center, Denver CO. Carol Chavez attending.

September 18
AEI’s 4th Annual Charity Casino Night & Silent Auction, benefiting The Adoption Exchange– 5-9 PM at AEI. Save the date!

October 2
Colorado Claims Association Conference – Inverness Hotel, Denver, CO.  John Schumacher and Zachary Jason presenting, Carol Chavez attending.

October 6 – 10
Nebraska State Bar 2015 Conference – Embassy Suites Omaha – La Vista, Omaha, NE.  Carol Chavez attending.

November 5
Colorado Chapter of Property Casualty Underwriters 2015 Conference – Sheraton DTC, Denver, CO.  Carol Chavez attending.

The Right Intel Solves the Problem.                             http://www.AEIengineers.com

Where In The World Is AEI?

AEI Corporation (Advanced Engineering Investigations) will have investigators on-site in the following locations between 07/06/2015 and 08/14/2015 – Seattle, WA; Ft. Lauderdale, Sanford and West Palm Beach, FL; Maquoketa and Ames, IA; Cheyenne, WY; Elk Grove, IL; Malone, NY; Burlington, VT; Hobbs, NM; Portland, ME; Michigan City, IN; Loveland, Centennial, Steamboat Springs and Littleton, CO.

If you have a project in any of these geographical areas get in touch, we may be able to save you money on travel time and expenses.  At AEI Corporation, it has always been our mission to provide you with high quality, expert services at a great price.   We understand that the bottom line matters.

OUT AND ABOUT

THIS WEEK – July 7 – 11
Nevada State Bar 2015 Conference – Motif Seattle, Seattle WA.  If you are attending, we hope you will stop and say hello.   Carol Chavez & Shawn Sapp, Ph.D attending.

July 17
AEI Flashover Fridays, Live Burn Event – 4 – 6 PM. This burn will simulate a gas grill fire on a deck and possible extension into a dwelling.

July 30- August 2
Colorado Defense Lawyers Association 2015 Conference – Sheraton Steamboat Resort, Steamboat Springs, CO.  John Freeman and Carol Chavez attending.

August 19 – 22
Defense Lawyers Association of Wyoming 2015 Conference – Saratoga Resort and Spa, Saratoga, WY.  John Freeman and Carol Chavez attending.

August 24 – 27
Rocky Mountain Energy Summit 2015 – Denver Convention Center, Denver CO. Carol Chavez attending.

September 18
AEI’s 4th Annual Charity Casino Night & Silent Auction, benefiting The Adoption Exchange– 5-9 PM at AEI. Save the date!

October 2
Colorado Claims Association Conference – Inverness Hotel, Denver, CO.  John Schumacher and Zachary Jason presenting, Carol Chavez attending.

October 6 – 10
Nebraska State Bar 2015 Conference – Embassy Suites Omaha – La Vista, Omaha, NE.  Carol Chavez attending.

November 5
Colorado Chapter of Property Casualty Underwriters 2015 Conference – Sheraton DTC, Denver, CO.  Carol Chavez attending.

The Right Intel Solves the Problem.                             http://www.AEIengineers.com

The Very Real Danger of Unattended Cooking Fires

By Carol Chavez, Business & Marketing Manager

Overnight, two fires in Denver were caused by the same, all too common mistake.Cooking oil was left heating on stovetops, unattended.  Unfortunately, in addition to property damage that occurred as a result of last night’s fires, a dog in one of the homes lost his life.  The National Fire Protection Association notes that cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and injuries.  They provide safety tips on their web site, which you can find here.

Back on June 27, 2015, AEI Corporation geared one of its Flashover Fridays live burn events at their Littleton, CO headquarters, to demonstrate just how easily, and quickly, unattended oil on a stove top can ignite and flashover in a kitchen. The burn demonstrated that cooking oil left on the stove top reached auto ignition at 33 minutes, and a temperature of 710 degrees Fahrenheit.  Just about 10 minutes after auto ignition, flashover occurred in the burn cell, which had been equipped with a stove, kitchen cabinets and kitchen table, with temperatures between 1,500 and 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit.

               

All of this speaks to a few simple safety rules to observe when cooking.  If you are going to be frying or grilling foods, stay in the kitchen and keep an eye on them. Keep items, like potholders, towels, potato chips (excellent fuel source due to oil content), etc. away from the stove top, and add food you are frying gently to the pan to minimize the amount of hot oil splatter.

AEI Corporation routinely investigates the origin and cause of structure fires, as well as wildland and vehicle fires.  The Flashover Friday live burn events are used to both gather scientific data and educate the public by live demonstration, about the behavior, dangers, and ways to avoid/prevent fires.

AEI Corporation has experts with years of experience in the design, installation, inspection, testing, maintenance and repair of fire suppression systems and their components, as well as industry standard of care issues.   Also on staff are experts in the area of fire and explosion origin and cause investigations, with years of experience serving as fire fighters and forensic investigators.

A Primer on Consumer Fireworks and Their Potential Hazards – By Zachary Jason, PE, CFEI