Expert Details
Workplace Safety, Product Safety, Mechanical Engineering, Workplace and Product Safety Surveys
ID: 107643
Minnesota, USA
A lecturer for the Minnesota Safety Council, he is a recognized expert in protecting people in the workplace. He does consulting work in all phases of workplace safety. As a safety professional, he has the expertise to recognize existing and potential hazards in products and in the workplace. Once these hazards are identified, he can help select and implement proven, cost-effective corrective action to prevent and/or control the hazard. Expert can quickly customize an effective safety management program for a client.
Expert has worked with machine guarding, which he describes as shielding and isolating machine hazards, as well as with the design of safety-related labels (warning labels). He is skilled in both explosion and fire investigations. He also works with the safety content of owners, operators, and service manuals.
He has served as a consulting expert in over 2,000 cases, many of which dealt with workplace injuries. He has worked on accident investigations for insurance companies and has provided expert witness consulting for attorneys. He can answer in-depth questions on safety auditing, codes, data collection, worker's compensation, and the safety aspects of product and equipment design. He has extensive knowledge of safety industry good practices; safety plans, procedures, and standards; and the latest OSHA regulations. In fact, OSHA is one of expert's clients. He also teaches OSHA 500 and 501 courses.
Expert provides his clients with safety reviews to verify that proper policies and procedures are in place to support safety programs. He conducts seminars that cover legal trends, safety certification, testing programs, hazard analysis, product safety audits, recordkeeping, design and manufacturing, warnings and labels, and human factors activities.
As a product safety consultant, he has conducted safety audits on products in preparation for phase reviews, during a product's development, prior to release to production, and when a product is being modified. He tests materials and products against published standards, including UL, ANSI, FCC, FDA, NFPA, and others. He works closely with human factors, design, quality assurance, and manufacturing departments.
Expert has consulted with many companies, after a serious accident has occurred, to determine how to make the employer's worksite safer. Expert has consulted with many attorneys and insurance companies to determine how and why an accident has occurred. quite a few of these consultations require accident reconstruction to do a thorough analysis of the accident. He has designed many agricultural machines, and has an agricultural background. He uses this background, along with his vast experience at accident investigation to investigate agricultural accidents.
His strong background in accident investigation, design of agricultural equipment, and an agricultural background allows him to recognize hazards on the farm and how to address those hazards. His strong background in machine design, accident investigation, manufacturing engineering, and expert witness work, plus his membership on the ANSI B20 (Conveyor Safety) ANSI Committee attests to his knowledge in this area. Expert did this type of work extensively while working for 3M Corporation in their workplace safety department.
His work as an accident investigator, expert witness, and his work in the product safety department at 3M qualifies him well for this area of safety. Expert's work in the area of OSHA, work at 3M in the workplace safety department, teaching for the Minnesota Safety Council, and consulting with private industry well qualifies him in this area of safety. Expert has taught many OSHA construction courses, has investigated many construction accidents, and has consulted with many construction companies regarding safety.
He has extensive experience with product labeling while at 3M, and has taught many courses on the subject. Expert has consulted with many contractors on the issues of safety, and has helped defend contractors when they were sued over safety issues. Expert has consulted with contractors regarding this subject, and has taught courses on the subject for the Minnesota Safety Council. Expert has been an expert witness on this subject many times. He has done laboratory testing on safety glasses associated with eye injuries.
Expert has investigated many accidents involving fall protection, and was instrumental in 3M changing their fall protection requirements long before OSHA made changes to their fall protection requirements. He has taught fall protection as part of the OSHA safety courses that he has taught for the Minnesota Safety Council.
Expert has investigated many accidents involving gas explosions. Early in his career, he was a test and evaluation engineer for Honeywell in their residential division. He has investigated many accidents and fires involving household appliances. He has been an expert witness both for and against household appliance manufacturers.
Expert has had extensive training in the area of human factors, and has evaluated many products in this area. When his background is lacking in this field, such as designing and implementing a test program for some issue of human factors, he works with a former human factors specialist from 3M, a Ph.D. in experimental psychology. He worked extensively on this while at 3M. He has taught on this subject at the Minnesota Safety Council, and has consulted with many companies.
Expert was heavily involved in LO/TO while at 3M. He was an expert witness for OSHA in a 7 1/2 million dollar fine against Dayton Tire Corporation. He teaches regularly on the subject. Expert was heavily involved in this subject while at 3M. He carries this concept to his clients as a consultant. He has extensive experience in machine safety and accident investigation involving machinery. He has a very strong background in machine design. He has a strong background in this area from his work at 3M as a safety specialist, as an accident investigator, and as a safety consultant. This is discussed during all of the safety courses that he teaches at the Minnesota Safety Council.
Expert has a strong background on this subject, due to his experience at 3M, accident investigation, and his membership on the ANSI B20 committee (Conveyors). Expert has extensive experience on the subject while at 3M. He had the safety responsibility for 14 3M plants. Expert has extensive experience with punch presses and press brakes. He has worked in production areas using this equipment, has investigated many accidents involving this equipment, has been an expert witness many times, and has been a consultant to a manufacturer in Canada.
Expert did this work while in the Safety Department at 3M. Expert has written and supervised the writing of many safety plans while at 3M. He has established many safety procedures while in the safety department at 3M. Expert has done extensive safety training for 3M and at the Minnesota Safety Council. He has also done safety training for companies. Expert has an extensive machine design background and machine safety background. He has investigated many toy related accidents and has done hazard analysis studies on children's products. He has a strong background on the subject based upon the training and experience he received at 3M, his training at the OSHA Training Institute, and his teaching of the subject regularly at the Minnesota Safety Council.
Expert has done wall-to-wall safety surveys.He has conducted hazard analysis studies and safety reviews of products and production equipment.He has taught many OSHA courses.He has been an expert witness and an accident investigator over 1,500 times.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 1974 | Degree: B.S. | Subject: Business Administration | Institution: University of Minnesota |
| Year: 1963 | Degree: B.S. | Subject: Mechanical Engineering | Institution: University of Minnesota |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 1972 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Consultant | Department: Safety in the Workplace |
Responsibilities:Since 1972 have been a product safety and workplace safety consultant. This has consisted of accident investigation for insurance companies and attorneys, expert witness consulting with attorneys, safety consulting with companies in private industry, and teaching safety seminars. My client list includes The National Safety Council, Minnesota Safety Council, West Publishing, General Electric, Hoffman Engineering, St. Thomas University, Phillips & Tempro Industries, and OSHA. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1988 to 1994 | Employer: 3M Company | Title: Safety Specialist | Department: Corporate Safety |
Responsibilities:• Perform hazard analysis studies on equipment that is intended for use in 3M plants.• Provide safety consulting and training to 3M employees at 3M factory sites. • Assist 3M management in maintaining a safe work environment at assigned plant locations. • Conduct loss prevention surveys and follow-up on recommendations (machine guarding, fire safety concerns, process safety, Lock out/Tag out, Confined Space Entry and Confined Space Rescue, OSHA regulations, ANSI standards, hazardous materials and hazmat). This includes a review of OSHA 200 log record keeping for compliance, and reviewing the safety programs and procedures in place at each plant. • Enforce 3M and agency (OSHA, NFPA, NEC, etc.) safety policies, procedures, and regulations. • Participate actively on assigned safety committees. This includes being the department's specialist on OSHA CFR Part 1910 and OSHA CFR Part 1926. Typical sub-sections are: 1910-F Powered Platforms, Manlifts and Vehicle Mounted Work Platforms. 1910-O Machinery and Machine Guarding. 1926-N Cranes, Derricks, Hoists, Elevators and Conveyors. 1926-0 Motor Vehicles, Mechanized Equipment and Marine Operations. 1926-W Rollover Protective Structures; Overhead Protection. • Member of the 3M Corporate Machine Guarding Task Force. • Member of the committee to rewrite the 3M Safety Standard For Conveyors. • Member of the Supervisor's Safety Training Team. • Member of the Engineering Safety Lecture Series. • Member of the Process Safety Hazard Analysis Team. • Member of the Catastrophe Response Team. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1968 to 1991 | Employer: Hardgoods Technology | Title: Product Safety Specialist | Department: Product Safety and Liability Department |
Responsibilities:Coordinate the manufacturing aspects of the ES Division laboratory, process engineering, field service, and vendor programs, and provide the necessary guidance to insure that the division's objectives are met. This is done in the following areas:• New Product Introduction Product definition Value analysis Project management Contracts and agreements Production scale-up and qualification Act as product safety consultant on new product programs. • Standard Production Cost containment/control Quality Schedule Field service design support Remanufacturing and reconditioning • Terminate Production Termination initiation Termination activities and support • Coordinate and provide the necessary guidance to insure that all regulatory agency requirements are met, all biocompatibility testing is completed, all data is properly recorded, and the necessary reports are written and submitted to the proper departments. • Act as product safety consultant on new product programs. |
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Career Accomplishments
| Associations / Societies |
|---|
| Expert is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the National Society of Professional Engineers, and the National Academy of Forensic Engineers. He is a member of the forklift, conveyor, and power transmission committees of ANSI. Societies: • American Society of Mechanical Engineers, B15 Committee "Safety Standards for Mechanical Power Transmission Apparatus". B20 Committee "Conveyors and Associated Equipment". Safety Committee. • National Society of Professional Engineers. • National Academy of Forensic Engineers. • Former member of ANSI/Consumer Product Safety Commission Task Force to develop a "Product Safety Guidelines for Industry". Subcommittee was disbanded at the completion of their assignment in approximately 1988. • Former member of the ANSI/ASME B56 Committee “Industrial Trucks”. • Former member of the ANSI/ASME B56.1 Committee “Safety Committee For Low Lift And High Lift Trucks”. • Former member of UL 1950 Advisory Committee. • Member of National Safety Council Product Safety Committee. |
| Licenses / Certifications |
|---|
| He is a registered Professional Engineer and is a Certified Safety Professional (CSP). Certification: • Registered in Minnesota as a Professional Engineer since 1976. Retired as P.E. July, 2018. • Nationally certified as a Certified Safety Professional since 1993. |
| Publications and Patents Summary |
|---|
| He has been featured in many industry magazines and has often been invited to lecture on product safety and workplace safety. He has written articles for the National Safety Council and has received three patents. He has been on ten safety oriented TV programs as a safety expert. • Automatic pill counter for drug stores; won first place at the Minnesota Inventor’s Congress in 19XX. • System to protect compressors from exploding due to internal corrosion of the surge tank; won first place at the Minnesota Inventor’s Congress in 19XX. • System to allow a truck driver to install a tarp on a flat bed load while standing on the ground; won honorable mention at the Minnesota Inventor’s Congress in 19XX. |
Additional Experience
| Expert Witness Experience |
|---|
| Expert was an expert witness both for OSHA and to help defend companies from OSHA citations. Safety Consultant (Concurrent with assignments shown below, 1972 to present) Since 1972 have been a product safety and workplace safety consultant. This has consisted of accident investigation for insurance companies and attorneys, expert witness consulting with attorneys, safety consulting with companies in private industry, and teaching safety seminars. My client list includes The National Safety Council, Minnesota Safety Council, West Publishing, General Electric, Hoffman Engineering, St. Thomas University, Phillips & Tempro Industries, and OSHA. |
| Training / Seminars |
|---|
| He has conducted training and seminars in aspects of product safety, workplace safety, emergency planning management, and OSHA. He has taught these courses/seminars for the Minnesota Safety Council, University of St. Thomas, and for many companies. Subjects of these courses include facility inspections, workplace hazard assessments, hazard communication, lockout/tagout, ergonomic evaluation, worker compensation, accident investigation, product safety, and loss control. |
| Other Relevant Experience |
|---|
| Expert has been involved in over 2,000 cases as a consulting expert, many of which have involved entanglement accidents. On numerous occasions, he has been a witness for OSHA and the Federal Attorney General's office. He has experience conducting accident investigations and training clients how to avoid losses. |
Fields of Expertise
product liability, consumer product safety, mechanical product safety, safety engineering, occupational safety, workplace safety and security, machine guard, machine safety, accident investigation, industrial safety, safety design review, safety testing, safety recordkeeping, product safety design, safety auditing, American National Standards Institute material standard, accident reduction, accident reconstruction, accident causation, agricultural accident investigation, agricultural safety, automatic handling equipment, A Workplace Accident and Injury Reduction Program, workplace injury, child product safety, confined space safety, construction safety equipment, consumer product labeling, contractor safety management, excavation safety, eye safety, fall protection, gas explosion, household appliance liability, human-factors product safety, injury prevention, lock out tag procedure, machine design review, machinery-related accident, maintenance safety, materials handling equipment, plant safety, punch press, safety management, safety plan, safety procedure, safety training, textile machine safety, toy safety, Occupational Safety and Health Act, Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulation, OSHA citations, machine guarding, commercial gas appliance, injury reconstruction, vehicle explosion, firearm training, engineering investigation, motorcycle accident, construction site security, workplace design, loader, OSHA 29 CFR 1910.146, lower explosive limit, automatic handling, farm equipment, baby safety, consumer product label, safety equipment, laboratory safety, workers compensation injury, construction equipment, construction safety management, OSHA 29CFR 1910.1030, household appliance, agricultural accident, ladder, grain handling, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, accident analysis, handling equipment, consumer product design, safety, mechanical power transmission, machine design, consumer product, construction, forensics, accident, printed warning label, statics, product safety, manufacturing, gas valve, contractor safety, construction safety, all-terrain vehicle