Specialties

The following are samples of numerous investigations that were completed by Russell Fote and Associates:

Gasoline – Defective service station dispensing nozzles; defectively manufactured gasoline/diesel fuel delivery trucks; gasoline vapors igniting gas-fired residential water heaters; service station’s failure to mark kerosene and gasoline dispensing pumps; defective and/or defectively maintained gasoline powered construction and industrial equipment; gasoline spill in residential garage ignited by a wood stove.

Propane – Explosions relating to propane leaks: in an RV, in a manufactured home, commercial re-roofing site, portable space heater and barbeque grill.

Alcohol – Fire on a pleasure boat involving an alcohol-fueled cooking stove and a fire resulting from intentionally spilled alcohol on an asphalt drive.

Aerosol Spray Cans – Ignition of a flammable insecticide fogger inside a residential home and an industrial explosion involving the welding of a tank containing a flammable gas.

Natural Gas – Residential home fire involving a gas-fired range, a natural gas explosion inside a foundry and an explosion involving evacuation equipment hitting a natural gas line.

Flammable Fabrics – Upholstered cloth chair in a motel; a truck driver’s uniform; industrial plant employees’ clothing.

Too hot tap water, usually well above 120 F, in motel and hotel bathrooms, apartments, government buildings and housing projects.

Steam – Defective restaurant’s food steamer; defectively installed steam bath in residential home; defective pressure cooker.

Venting – Defective installation and/or maintenance of gas-fired heating equipment such as furnaces, space heaters and fireplace logs resulting in inadequate venting of flue gases.

Furnaces in Closets – Defective installations of gas-fired or propane-fired furnaces in closets resulting in insufficient combustion air.

Installation of two large commercial gas-fired water heaters in a restaurant’s basement resulting in insufficient combustion air.

Americans with Disabilities Act’s Compliance – Since January 1992, all public entities must comply with the ADA unless a financial hardship exists. Most non-compliance pertinent to slips and falls results from changes in level greater than ½ inch must be ramped. Ramps must not have a slope greater than 1:10 , which is a 1-inch rise for every 10 feet of horizontal distance. ADA compliance cannot be grandfathered and is, in-essence, a national building code, which propagates safety compliance.

Floor surface testing for slip resistance – We have the ability to test a floor’s slip resistance using the English XL instrument, which has been recognized by several national consensus standards for testing walk surfaces under both wet and dry conditions.

Automobile, truck and motorcycle collisions, determine speeds of vehicles upon impact using safety-engineering investigation and reconstruction techniques.

Low speed vehicle impacts, usually less than 10 mph, resulting in neck trauma, whiplash and back injuries. Determine speeds of vehicles upon impact using safety-engineering investigation and reconstruction techniques.
Special vehicle investigations and reconstructions such as ATV (all-terrain-vehicle) collisions.