Expert Details
OSHA Compliance, Safety Engineering, Accident Investigation (Workers' Comp, etc.) and Environmental Remediation/Investigations
ID: 726226
South Carolina, USA
Expert Safety specialist, with a concentration in compliance, hazard recognition and abatement, hazardous materials. site inspections, accident prevention/investigation and workers compensation cases. As a self-employed safety specialist he has conducted numerous safety comprehensive inspections and compliance training sessions (OSHA, EPA, USDOT), with the emphasis on general industry, construction, healthcare and educational institutions. As a Safety and Hazmat specialist he is hired by attorneys as an expert witness giving depositions, expertise during discovery phases and testifying in court in the areas of occupational safety, chemical exposures and environmental cases (illegal dumping, investigations).
He changed careers to concentrate in the area of safety compliance and became a safety engineer and hazardous materials specialist/instructor in the general industry sector. While in industry, he trained employees in various industrial disciplines, consulting firms, police and fire personnel, in the skills needed for recognizing safety hazards and reacting to hazardous materials incidents, ranging from minor spills to transportation incidents.
From 1978-1980 sailed for El Paso Natural Gas as a Third Assistant Engineer on the El Paso Arzew, a 1200 foot, 125,000 cubic meter Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) carrier. Transported LNG (liquid methane) from Arzew, Algeria to the U.S. (Savannah, GA and Cove Point, MD). See Professional Organizations and Technical Addendum for training and certifications.
His responsibilities were, but not limited to, the following:
o watch-standing duties, monitored the safe and efficient operation of engineering machinery, equipment and spaces, entered data in logs, and recording any special events in the appropriate watch logs.
o routine maintenance and repair of engine room machinery and auxiliary equipment and observed and conducted engine room repairs and work being done by shipyard or other shore side facilities to ensure safety protocols were being followed.
o Assisted in preparing ship’s storage tanks to accept Liquefied Natural Gas (inerting tanks and reducing temperature to below -260 degrees Fahrenheit by spraying residual LNG from #4 storage tank into remaining storage tanks).
o machinery overhauls, dismantled machinery and equipment, effected repairs to same by replacing or fabricating components, performed subsequent reassembles, operational testing of controls, safeties, shutdowns, and placement of equipment in service.
o participated as a lifeboat crew-member and a firefighting and emergency response team leader. Reported to Chief and First Assistant Engineer.
In 1985 he established his consulting company. Initial projects included modifying plant operating procedures, designing safety and environmental programs for both large and small corporations, setting up training programs and conducting environmental audits. As the safety and environmental spheres evolved, he expanded the firm’s areas of expertise. He was instrumental in the development of numerous new programs in the fields of: safety engineering, chemical safety management, hazardous waste management, hazard communication for general industry and construction and fire safety. Industries to which he has provided his services include general industry, semi-conductor/circuit board manufacturing, petroleum industry, construction, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, pharmaceutical companies, laboratories, real estate firms and the legal profession. He is presently a security advisor for two major petroleum facilities for which he has developed security plans and trained their personnel.
He also developed new procedures for conducting industrial accident investigations, thus reducing workers compensation costs for clients and new approaches to conducting fire, safety and environmental audits, utilizing NFPA, OSHA and EPA guidelines, standards and regulations. He has also been very active in the fields of: underground storage tank removal and inspection; Environmental site assessments (Phase I through Phase III), in which he developed a turn-key operation to simplify projects for clients.
In 1993, he was involved in response efforts for the World Trade Center bombing and was responsible for developing safety protocols, regarding hazardous materials, for workers in the aftermath. With changes in the world, he was chosen to attend the U.S. Army Chemical School’s COBRA (Chemical, Ordnance, Biological and Radiological) Operations course at Fort McClellan, Alabama and was certified as a COBRA instructor/ WMD Technician, and has since presented numerous classes addressing chemical/biological agents and threats, decontamination operations, response actions and recognition of dissemination devices. He was trained by the EPA as a responder/ instructor in WMD: Domestic Preparedness and a certified instructor and technician in Incident Response to Terrorist Bombings from New Mexico Tech given by the USDOJ and later trained as an scene investigator in Post Blast Investigations.
He has given over 300 lectures, classes and presentations to industry, construction, healthcare, educational institutes, law enforcement, fire service and for forensic science.
• Development of Safety policies and procedures for diversified industries
• Conducted over 20 environmental investigations
• Worked on several high profile construction projects
• 1993 World Trade Center Bombing - developed safety protocols for emergency clean-up personnel
• Developed and In-charge of Naugatuck Valley Hazmat Team (Recognized on State & Local levels by various agencies
• Numerous industrial/construction accident investigations (I.e. personal injury, exposure to hazardous materials, equipment, unsafe acts, fatalities, etc.)
• Conducted numerous training sessions & lectured on various standards of OSHA General Industry & Construction; hazardous materials; environmental investigations; workers’ compensation investigations
• Worked on a remediation project collecting evidence, for the Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney’s Office of Criminal Justice, in an attempt to link illegal landfill material to a demolition site
• Lectures at the Henry Lee Institute of Forensic Science, University of New Haven, CT., in terrorism, WMD, Explosives: Forensics and Evidence
• Serves as an expert witness for various attorneys on accident cases related to OSHA compliance, general/ construction safety, hazardous materials & environmental cases
From 2008 to 2013, Expert taught a graduate course in OSHA Law, Environmental Law and US DOT Hazardous Materials. This course laid the foundation for the understanding of how the Environmental Protection Agency, the Occupational Safety Health Administration and the US Department of Transportation function. The course covered EPA, OSHA and US DOT regulations through discussions on how these laws affect employers and how they are designed to protect the worker and the environment.
Worked for various attorneys and insurance companies as an expert witness, (investigations, depositions and court appearances) on workers’ compensation cases (injuries, fatalities and toxic exposures) and environmental investigations. Expert conducts the investigations including photographing the accident scenes and interviews. Environmental investigations include illegal dumping, contamination, hazardous waste handling and remediation. One such case involved Expert working with a Chief State’s Attorney’s Office, Environmental Crimes Division, investigating the use of illegal landfill on a large parcel of land. Expert was instrumental in successfully gathering evidence and connecting it to a specific site that contained material not suitable for fill material.
Specific Professional Experience:
*Spill Response
*Clean-up Operations
*Diversified EHS Program Development
*Confined Space Entry/rescue
*Various lectures on OSHA Safety,
* Expert Witness – Safety/environmental; Environmental Investigations, and Terrorism workers’ comp, personal injury & equipment
*1993 World Trade Center Bombing – developed
*Developed and In-charge of Initial Naugatuck safety protocol for emergency clean-up Valley Hazmat Team (Recognized personnel State and Local levels by various agencies)
*Numerous industrial accident investigations
*Worked in Conjunction with Connecticut personal injury, exposure to hazardous materials, Chief State’s Attorney’s office of Criminal equipment, unsafe acts, etc.).
Implemented and designed a specific safety/hazardous materials program for a major pharmaceutical corporation that ran nine plus years without an OSHA recordable or lost-time injury. As a Project Safety Manager on a Renovation/Restoration project at Yale University had the lowest incident rate of any project on Yale Campus an average 97%+ insurance inspection record by OCIP insurance carrier He developed safety protocols program for contractor personnel involved in 1993 World Trade Center bombing clean-up. Project completed with no accidents. Also, was in charge of investigating accidents/personal injuries to personnel; sat as part of the Construction Management Team to talk to workers.
Has assisted in developing USDOT hazmat cargo security plans for various companies (industrial, petroleum, environmental) and conducted awareness and in-depth security training programs and security advisor to petroleum facilities, major hospital (part of Yale-New Haven) and a university all in Connecticut. Expert has been called upon by various attorneys and insurance companies as an expert witness, (investigations, depositions and court appearances) on workers’ compensation cases (injuries, fatalities and toxic exposures) mainly construction accidents and environmental investigations. He conducts the investigations including photographing the accident scenes and interviews.
Environmental investigations include illegal dumping, contamination, hazardous waste handling and remediation. One such case involved him working with a Chief State’s Attorney’s Office, Environmental Crimes Division, investigating the use of illegal landfill on a large parcel of land. Expert was instrumental in successfully gathering evidence and connecting it to a specific site that contained material not suitable for fill material.
Education
Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
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Year: 1988 | Degree: MS | Subject: Environmental Engineering | Institution: University of New haven |
Year: 1973 | Degree: BS | Subject: Marine/Mechanical Engineering | Institution: U.S. Merchant Marine Academy |
Work History
Years | Employer | Title | Department |
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Years: 1985 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Owner, Senior Consultant | Department: |
Responsibilities:Firm’s areas of expertise and knowledge are (but not limited to): OSHA compliance, training and corporate safety program development; environmental investigations, various accident investigations (workers’ comp/personal injury); terrorism awareness and response; security/vulnerability assessments; hazardous materials handling/training and disaster management.Turn-key Services: Safety Environmental Security Engineering Support Services Experts & advisors to Attorneys and Insurance Companies |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1987 to 1999 | Employer: Ogden Services | Title: Corporate Safety Director | Department: EHS |
Responsibilities:Designed and developed the first corporate wide safety manual (including (not limited to): safety training/inspections, personal protection hazard assessments, HAZMAT training, lock-out/tag-out procedure, accident investigation program, job hazard analysis and confined space procedure) for Ogden Services which was distributed to all the facilities they serviced throughout the United States. Managed over 150 site supervisors throughout the country who were considered site safety coordinators (I conducted safety training programs for these supervisors, as well as for their workers); handled workers comp cases. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1979 to 1987 | Employer: ITT | Title: Plant Engineer/Director of Health and Safety | Department: Facilities/EHS |
Responsibilities:He was responsible for safety at six facilities, each had a safety officer who was under jurisdiction and reported directly to me regarding any safety, hazmat, environmental or construction issues. Job hazard analyses for specific functions and accident investigations; monitoring labs for levels in excess of the OSHA PELs; handled all training and response incidents to hazmat releases; reviewed plans and equipment for safety and was project manager on all construction projects. |
Government Experience
Years | Agency | Role | Description |
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Years: 2003 to 2003 | Agency: Chief State's Attorney's Office | Role: Evidence Collection | Description: Worked on a remediation project collecting evidence in an attempt to link illegal landfill material to a demolition site. |
International Experience
Years | Country / Region | Summary |
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Years: 1991 to 1991 | Country / Region: Toronto, Canada | Summary: Conducted a safety inspection of a trash to energy plants |
Career Accomplishments
Associations / Societies |
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1. American Academy of Forensic Sciences 2. American Society of Safety Engineers – Senior Level 3. Connecticut Safety Society 4. Envista Forensics – Forensic Consulting Services 5. Expert Engine 6. Forensis Group – Expert witness services 7. Institute of Hazardous Materials Management Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Managers - Certified Hazardous Materials Manager – Master Level Member New England Regional Chapter 8. International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators 9. International Critical Incident Stress Foundation 10. National Fire Protection Association 11. National Registry of Environmental Professionals: Registered Environmental Professional Executive Board Member Professional Member/Instructor Certified Environmental & Safety Compliance Officer (CESCO) 12. Expert Engine (formerly called ORC Experts) Expert Advisory Service – Expert witness services 13. OSHA Training Institute Region I: OSHA Outreach Construction 10/30 Hr. Certified Trainer - Expiration 20 Feb 2019 OSHA Outreach General Industry 10/30 Hr. Certified Trainer - Expiration 20 June 2021 14. State of Connecticut Critical Incident Stress Management Team 15. Southport Fire Department HazMat/OSHA Instructor 16. TASA – Technical Advisory Services for Attorneys (expert witnesses) 17. Former Commissioner on the Bridgeport Harbor Management Commission 18. Certified Scuba Diver 19. TWIC – Transportation Worker Identification Card issued by TSA |
Licenses / Certifications |
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Registered Environmental Professional Certified Hazardous Materials Manager – Masters Level Haz/Mat Specialist, Incident Commander & Instructor Critical Incident Stress Management Technician/Instructor in WMD, Awareness, Recognition and Identification of Explosives, Response, COBRA OSHA Compliance Training Instructor OSHA Outreach Construction/General Industry 10/30 Hour Trainer Accident Investigation Certified Environmental and Safety Compliance Officer (CESCO) American Society of Safety Professionals – Senior Level Certified SCUBA Diver Post-Blast Investigator FEMA Certifications: FEMA IS-100.a (ICS 100) Introduction to the Incident Command System IS-200.a (ICS 200) ICS for Single resources & Initial Action Incidents IS 700 DHS National Incident Management System (NIMS) IS-00035.11 FEMA Safety Orientation IS-00340 Hazardous Materials Prevention IS-00804 EmergencySupport Function (ESF) Firefighting FEMA National Fire Academy: Q-228: Foundational Concepts of Chemistry Q-464: ICS 300 Intermediate All-Hazards NIMS ICS Review for Expanding Incidents OSHA: 29 CFR 1910.120 Hazardous Waste Operations & Emergency Response Certifications: Hazardous Materials Technician: Federal OSHA, State of Connecticut, State of New York Hazmat Specialist (OSHA) Hazmat Incident Commander (OSHA/NIMS) Hazardous Waste Operations – General Site Worker (OSHA) |
Professional Appointments |
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Governors Task Force - State Emergency Response Program development 1985-1990 City Of Bridgeport Harbor Management Commission 2017-2020 |
Awards / Recognition |
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United Who’s Who of Professionals National Registry of Environmental Professionals’ - Who’s Who of Environmental Professionals – Safety and Environmental |
Medical / Professional |
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Ogden Services: 1. Set-up safety protocols program for contractor personnel involved in 1993 World Trade Center bombing clean-up. Project completed with no accidents. Also, was in charge of investigating post-blast accidents/personal injuries to personnel. 2. Designed and implemented safety programs for a major pharmaceutical company in New York that ran nine plus years without an OSHA recordable or lost-time injury. 3.Served as first Corporate Director EHS for numerous manufacturing, R&D, higher education and healthcare facility clients: NYU Medical/Dental Akzo Nobel (NY), AT&T Laboratory (NY), Ciba-Geigy (NY), Fashion Institute of Technology (NYC), American Cyanimide in Missouri and several other large manufacturing facilities across the country. 4. Designed first corporate wide safety manual ITT Corporation: ♦ Set-up first Hazardous Materials Response Unit for the Naugatuck Valley and the first group to ever be installed as members of a Civil Preparedness Team. ♦ Developed first safety manual for a semiconductor facility ♦ Oversaw safety compliance for additions assisted with mechanical and safety issues for the Semi-Conductor Manufacturing Facility (CT) and other semi-conductor facilities around the country, construction of various new research centers (NY & New England). Developed accident investigation program for: personal injuries, toxic exposures and fatalities; and, environmental incidents; responsible for investigating all workers’ comp cases and environmental incidents throughout the northeast and gulf coast region. Haider Engineering/Certified Safety: Corporate site safety engineer on a $1.5 billion NYCDEP Ultra-violet disinfection facility construction project. Engineering and diving background used for solutions to various safety issues. (Largest UV Disinfection Plant in the world) ♦ Responsible for operations during third shift Deep Dives I-VI involving: o professional divers going into water Shaft 19 (90’ to 440’) to install, repair, grout and demolish various areas during shutdowns of the shaft. o worker and diver safety o utilized mechanical engineering experience and knowledge to assist Lead Mechanical Supervisor during operations o photography and video recordings of dives and surface operations ♦ Due to experience with emergency response assisted in developing Incident Command System (ICS) structure and program for the Croton Facility. ♦ Supervised all accident investigations (personnel and vehicle) ♦ Ensured compliance by all contractors and sub-contractors with DEP EHS Standards, OSHA 1910 (General Industry) and 1926 (Construction) standards, hazardous materials issues (handling, incidents, SDSs, training), training (OSHA Outreach Construction, general safety training, fall protection, confined space, HAZWOPER, fire safety, etc.). Expert L. Expert Associates, Incorporated - Safety/Environmental Consultant: 1. Developed first turn-key consultant company in Connecticut offering: Safety, Environmental, Security, Engineering and Support Services 2. Served on NFPA Hazardous Materials Technical Committee, whose task was to revise the NFPA HazMat Handbook. Developed protocols for WMD Technician Awareness Level. 3. Forensics instructor at the Dr. Henry C. Lee Institute Forensic Science in Criminal Investigations – Basic (3 years). 4. Worked on a remediation project collecting evidence, for the Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney’s Office of Criminal Justice, in an attempt to link illegal landfill material to a demolition site. 5. OSHA compliance for numerous general industry and construction companies: a. Construction site Safety Engineer b. General Industry/Manufacturing EHS |
Publications and Patents Summary |
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Developing a Hazardous Waste Management Program Chemicals and Their Effects on the Semiconductor Industry 1993 World Trade Center Bombing Investigation Investigating Illegal Hazardous Waste Disposal (Midnight Dumping) Nuclear, Biological & Chemical Weapons & Improvised Explosive Devices: An Interview with Expert, American College of Forensic Examiners International, Forensic Examiner Magazine, 2003 |
Additional Experience
Expert Witness Experience |
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Expert has been called upon by various attorneys and insurance companies as an expert witness, (investigations, depositions and court appearances) on personal injury/workers’ compensation cases (injuries, fatalities and toxic exposures) and environmental investigations. Expert conducts the investigations including photographing the accident scenes and interviews with injured parties and potential witnesses. Environmental investigations include illegal dumping, contamination, hazardous waste handling and remediation. One such case involved Expert working with a Chief State’s Attorney’s Office, Environmental Crimes Division, investigating the use of illegal landfill on a large parcel of land. Expert was instrumental in successfully gathering evidence and connecting it to a specific site that contained material not suitable for fill material. Partial list of cases: Slip, trip and fall (injuries/fatalities) Chemical exposure Construction fatalities Gas explosions (underground tank leak, propane torch) Motor vehicle Maritme Manufacturing Personal injuries Workers' comp |
Training / Seminars |
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Developed and taught Safety, Environmental Compliance and Hazardous Materials curriculum for Sacred Heart University and Norwalk Community College (served as Department Head for Environmental Technology Program); Adjunct Professor University of Bridgeport Graduate Studies – OSHA, EPA and DOT course (domestic and international laws) Numerous safety training programs for any type of industry complying with OSHA 29 CFR 1910 and 1926 Developed numerous hazardous waste programs and conducted hazardous waste (EPA) training to generators and transporters Developed and conducted training sessions and lectured on various areas of Terrorism (WMD: Domestic Preparedness, Awareness Level, Technician Level and Terrorism Awareness; COBRA Awareness and Technician Level) |
Marketing Experience |
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Disciplines that I have been extensively working with: major healthcare facilities, industrial/construction corporations, higher education institutions. Areas of expertise: OSHA, EPA, DOT, security, disaster management, terrorism awareness |
Other Relevant Experience |
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Research/Development OCIP projects Accident Investigation/Evidence Collection Extensive experience in environmental investigations Critical incident stress management Certified instructor in areas of terrorism Results-oriented professional with over 35 years of experience. Exceptional problem solving capabilities when being faced with complicated technical problems. Expertise includes: Haz/Mat, Accident Investigation/Evidence Collection, Research/Development, Remediation, DEP/EPA/OSHA (1910 & 1926) Compliance/DEP BEDC EHS Standards, Technical writing and Training. Experience supported by a Masters Degree in Environmental. Expert witness for attorneys (OSHA, EPA, workers’ comp cases); investigating workplace accidents, environmental incidents working directly with insurance companies. Served on NFPA Hazardous Materials Technical Committee for five years (helped develop the first WMD qualifications in the Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Response Handbook). Terrorism Training for response post WTC 1993, Oklahoma City and 9-11: Emergency Response to Terrorism Nat’l Fire Academy (Certified Instructor) Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD): Domestic Preparedness EPA (Certified Instructor/Responder) COBRA: WMD Hazmat Technician Course Department of Justice (Certified Instructor/Responder) Member of NFPA Terrorism Task Group Developed WMD Competencies for NFPA 472 Domestic Terrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction: International Critical Incident Stress Foundation- A CISM Perspective Incident Response to Terrorist Bombings New Mexico Tech Energetic Materials Research Testing Center (Certified Instructor/Responder) Post-Blast Investigation – Indoors Certified DOJ/CT State Police (Certified Instructor/Responder) Response to Biological Incidents Louisiana State University WMD Awareness DHS /ODP Certified Instructor Vulnerability Assessments for Schools Y-12 (Certified Instructor) |
Fields of Expertise
A Workplace Accident and Injury Reduction Program, chemical safety management, expert witness, eye safety, industrial chemical, industrial safety, insurance claim, occupational safety, plant safety, safety management, terrorism, workers' compensation, workers compensation injury, OSHA compliance, hospital safety, security, lock out tag procedure, oxygen safety, laboratory safety, maintenance safety, excavation safety, machine safety, industrial engineering, safety engineering, industrial solvent, fire safety, OSHA 1910, 1926 and 1915, OSHA Hazard Communication/GHS