Expert Details
Specialized Safety Management (Explosives Safety and Aircraft Ground Handling Safety)
ID: 723086
Kansas, USA
Expert is retired from a 30-year safety management career with the Department of Defense, more than half spent providing safety oversight to and guidance of contractors that manufactured, modified, or maintained military and NASA aircraft. Expert was sole approval official of contractor's ground safety program for aircraft and other aeronautical weapons systems in facilities up to 12 million square feet under roof. He conducted all mishap investigations and had final approval authority of all corrective action plans to prevent recurrence and for the resumption of operations. Expert developed many innovative and cost-effective methods of protecting life and valuable property. He was responsible for the safety of as many as 42 large-frame, bailed aircraft at a time, as well as high-value, limited-number aircraft such as Air Force One and the Space Shuttle Carrier. Expert reviewed and critiqued contractor response exercises for aircraft crash rescue and other hazardous material incidents. He performed surveillance of aircraft fuel/defuel/depuddle, towing, jacking, servicing, engine runs, ejection systems, and Foreign Object Damage (FOD) prevention, as well as all backshop operations. His experience with aircraft ranged from fighter/attack (F-4, A-6) to large frame (747, B-52, KC-135) and because of this expertise was utilized by the Air Force to perform Contractor Operations Reviews of aircraft contractors nationwide.
Serving as an Explosives Safety expert and an Aircraft Ground Safety expert for DoD, he was used as a technical resource by contractors beginning unfamiliar work with explosives or aircraft. He teamed with contractors to ensure work was performed safely and to ensure protection of production resources. Many contractors did not have the in-house safety expertise to properly direct their safety programs.He made his expertise and services available to any defense contractor on any matters of safety whether they applied to government interests or not. This was done to promote teaming and to dispell any adversarial attitudes. This assistance was provided on an availabliity basis.Through Intota, provided safety expertise in the area of siting and Q-D to a manufacturer of explosive shaped charges, provided explosives safety expertise to U.S. Department of Justice on solid rocket manufacture, provided guidance regarding explosives to Department of Homeland Security contractor and provided expertise on several personal injury cases and a fatality involving explosives. Worked for plaintiffs and defendants.Several legal cases involving a total of many hundreds of millions of dollars were settled favorably before trial due to expert's inputs.
Education
Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
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Year: 1968 | Degree: BA | Subject: English | Institution: Wichita State University |
Work History
Years | Employer | Title | Department |
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Years: 2006 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Expert Consultant/Expert Witness | Department: Owner |
Responsibilities:Serves as expert consultant and expert witness in the fields of explosives safety and aircraft ground safety. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1990 to 1998 | Employer: Defense Logistics Agency | Title: Undisclosed | Department: Defense Contract Management |
Responsibilities:He provided safety oversight of and direction to defense contractors in Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska involved in the manufacture or modification of explosives or aircraft. Performed pre-award surveys of potential defense contractors to ensure capability to do assigned work safely. Reviewed and approved explosive site plans, at times working with contractors to help them develop proper plans. Worked with all branches of military and NASA. Certified to oversee and approve safety of all types of aircraft and explosives of any type or quantity, be they involved in manufacture, maintenance, or modification. Investigated and reported contractor mishaps; approved corrective action plans. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1975 to 1990 | Employer: USAF | Title: Undisclosed | Department: Contract Management Command |
Responsibilities:He provided government safety oversight at the Boeing Wichita facility to ensure protection of USAF assets ($2 billion) and preservation of production capability. Job involved responsibility for large frame aircraft (KC-135, B-52, AF-1) fighter/assault aircraft (F-4, A-6), weapons, missiles (SRAM cruise), and assorted explosive components. Daily involvement with operations such as aircraft servicing, towing, jacking, fuel/defuel, FOD prevention, storage/handling of hazardous materials, and airfield fire protection. Investigated and reported contractor mishaps; approved corrective action plans. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1973 to 1975 | Employer: Kansas Air National Guard | Title: Manager | Department: Ground Safety |
Responsibilities:Planned and administered a ground safety program for Forbes Air National Guard which flew B-57 bomber aircraft. Involvement with use, handling, and storage of explosive components of egress systems, engine starter cartridges, and practice bombs. Involvement with aircraft servicing, FOD prevention, and all things involved in operation of an airfield. Investigated, reported, and assigned liability for ANG mishaps. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1970 to 1973 | Employer: USAF | Title: Safety Technician | Department: Ground |
Responsibilities:Planned and implemented a traffic safety education program for Forbes AFB ranging from orientation courses to remedial courses. Also taught supervisor safety courses. Investigated and reported vehicle mishaps. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1969 to 1970 | Employer: Army Materiel Command | Title: Safety Officer | Department: Undisclosed |
Responsibilities:Served as Army safety representative at a government-owned, contractor-operated ordnance plant in Iowa. Administered and monitored safety program, investigated/reported mishaps, performed safety inspections, and provided guidance to contractor. Involved with wide range of energetic materials from initiating to blasting, components from detonators/primers to 8 inch HE projectiles, and explosive magazines licensed up to 400,000 pounds of mass-detonating material. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1968 to 1969 | Employer: Army Materiel Command | Title: Safety Assistant/Trainee | Department: Undisclosed |
Responsibilities:Attended safety career management intern program. Received instruction in various technical and management aspects of safety ranging from industrial through guided missiles. 1000 hours classroom plus on-job-training. |
Government Experience
Years | Agency | Role | Description |
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Years: 1968 to 1970 | Agency: Army Materiel Command | Role: Safety Intern/Assistant | Description: See work experience. |
Years: 1970 to 1973 | Agency: USAF | Role: Safety Technician | Description: See work experience. |
Years: 1973 to 1975 | Agency: Kansas Air National Guard | Role: Ground Safety Manager | Description: See work experience. |
Years: 1975 to 1990 | Agency: USAF | Role: Safety Manager | Description: See work experience. |
Years: 1990 to 1990 | Agency: Defense Logistics Agency | Role: Specialized Safety Manager | Description: See work experience. |
Career Accomplishments
Associations / Societies |
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Member International Society of Explosives Engineers, Past member American Society of Safety Engineers, Past member of Association of Federal Safety and Health Professionals. |
Licenses / Certifications |
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Defense Logistics Agency, Contract Administration Services: Specialized Safety Certification in Explosives from 1991 to retirement in 1998; Specialized Safety Certification in Industrial (Aircraft) from 1991 to retirement in 1998. Expert has held Top Secret clearance plus other high level security clearances. |
Awards / Recognition |
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Member of Mensa (High IQ Society); Certificate of Appreciation from Secretary of the Air Force |
Medical / Professional |
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U.S. Army Materiel Command Safety Management Intern Program 1968-69 |
Additional Experience
Expert Witness Experience |
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Expert was selected to serve as Expert Witness for both plaintiff and defendant in litigation involving manufacturing, handling and disposal of various types and classes of explosives. Cases involved litigation up to $300 million and assistance to law firms ranging in size from a few attorneys to 230 attorneys to the United States Department of Justice. Plaintiff cases satisfactorily settled prior to trial and defendant case withdrawn due to thorough, accurate and innovative inputs from expert. Expert gave depositions in duration from four to eight hours with satisfactory results. Cases ranged from traumatic amputation, to critical burns, to a fatality. Cases occurred in Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and California. |
Training / Seminars |
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Developed and performed explosive safety training and hazardous materials training for government quality assurance, property, and other personnel performing their duties in hazardous environments. |
Vendor Selection |
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Performed a considerable number of pre-award surveys on contractors bidding on government work involving explosives/energetic materials and government aircraft/aircraft components. Contracts could not be awarded without his approval of their facility and safety program. |
Other Relevant Experience |
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Many environmental courses attended because Defense Logistics Agency wanted him to function as EPA resource. Agency changed mind after fully trained and functioning as that resource for just a matter of months. Was a member several times of the Air Force Contractor Operations Review (COR) team reviewing contractual safety compliance in all areas of safety of companies such as General Dynamics, Martin Marietta, Boeing, and Fairchild Republic. Evaluated fire prevention/protection programs including aircraft crash rescue response. |
Fields of Expertise
contractor safety, explosion safety, explosion safety and hazards analysis, explosives handling, safety, safety management, plant safety, contractor safety management, aircraft safety, occupational safety, industrial safety, government defense contracting, vehicle explosion, aircraft explosion, emergency management, accident causation, employee protection, building safety, explosion hazard, electrostatic-discharge safe, electrical safety code, explosive initiation, fire prevention, hazardous material handling, pyrotechnic device, explosive material, explosion, National Fire Protection Association code, fire safety code, explosive device, explosive material handling, explosion investigation, electroexplosive device, accident investigation