Electrical Engineering Articles

The failure of a product or system to turn on/off or respond to input can lead to a broad range of injuries or property damage. Whether it be a seemingly innocuous device like a coffeepot, or a heavy duty industrial cooling system, the root cause of a failure can often be traced to electrical controls.

So what are electrical controls, and how do they potentially factor into your casework?

This webinar simplifies the topic of electrical controls, starting with the basics and building up to examples of actual incidents caused by control failures. Experts from our electrical engineering group provide insight on evaluating these cases and guidance on discovery questions to ensure that adequate information is available for proper forensic analysis.

“Electrical control” is a specialized discipline of electrical engineering where, to put it simply, electrical circuits and programmable electronics are engineered to turn machines and consumer products on and off. That is an over simplification but after all the engineering design, functional requirements, safety requirements, testing, and many other required activities are completed, the product or machine will turn on and off in accordance with desired parameters.

In this article, Electrical Engineer Jeffrey Kobilka explains what some of those devices are, how they can fail, and how an electrical controls engineer could be beneficial to your case.

The combination of water and electricity can create dangerous and unintended paths of electrical current. Depending on the amount of current, the duration of exposure, and the current path through the body, electrical exposures can result in a broad range of injuries, from minor tingling to severe burns or death.

This article discusses some of the electrical safety requirements relevant to pools, spas, and fountains.

In this article, Electrical Engineer, Kenneth J. Kutchek, P.E. provides an introduction to electronic machine safety guards. Designed to enhance the safety of industrial processes and machinery, the adequacy of these systems is frequently contested in casework involving industrial mishaps. This discussion provides an overview of the safety hierarchy of hazard control, and the various ways electronic machine safety guards are utilized to mitigate hazards.

This article discusses the process by which it is possible to reconstruct an incident by examining injury data. In this instance, our biomedical engineer was tasked with determining the manner in which the deceased encountered the electrical source.

In this article, electrical engineer, Kenneth Kutchek, P.E. provides an introduction to electrocutions and electric shock injuries. His discussion includes the basic principles of electricity, including an explanation of circuits, typical ways that humans expose themselves to electrical current, and the consequences of electrical exposure.

The engineers at Robson Forensic frequently provide expert witness investigations involving electrocutions and electrical shock injuries related to consumer products, workplace exposures, and electrical utilities. Contact us to be connected with an expert whose background aligns with the disputed issues in your case.

In this 2017 update of articles from 2015, and 2016, the technical experts at Robson Forensic highlight the safety protections built into Lithium-ion batteries. Failure of these battery safety features can lead to fire and explosions. Our experts are frequently engaged to investigate battery fires in a range of consumer products, including cell phones, laptops, RC models, e-cigarettes, vape devices, and other portable electronic devices.

In this article, electrical engineer, Ken Kutchek, P.E. discusses household dehumidifiers, with a focus on possible failure modes that can cause fire hazards. The experts at Robson Forensic have investigated many fire incidents involving dehumidifiers and other small appliances.

In this case a construction laborer working on scaffolding was injured when an object he was holding contacted an electrical utility wire. The worker was shocked and fell to the ground below. This article recaps our involvement in the case and references some of the OSHA standards relevant to electrical safety.

In this article, the electrical engineers at Robson Forensic provide an introduction to Lithium Ion Polymer (LiPo) batteries. The discussion includes an explanation of the technology, the applications where they are most frequently used, and the conditions that are commonly associated with their failure.

In this 2016 update of an article from late 2015, the technical experts at Robson Forensic highlight the available information regarding hoverboard fire/explosion incidents. Our experts are frequently engaged to investigate battery fires in a range of consumer products, and at the time this article was first published, hoverboards represented a new and exciting product category.

Equipment to manage fumigation, CO2 enrichment, high intensity lighting, large volume humidity control, and oil extraction are commonplace in industrial facilities and are becoming increasingly common in burgeoning marijuana grow and processing facilities.


The legalization of marijuana in Washington, Colorado, and other states has created a market for the growth of marijuana that has seen its share of fires, explosions, code violations and other mishaps as amateur growers and entrepreneurs attempt to transition into large commercial facilities operators.


This article covers some of the equipment and processes that are present in marijuana grow and processing facilities and discusses the potential consequences that can arise if they are not managed in a professional manner.

In this article electrical engineer, Les Winter, P.E., provides an introduction to the most common causes of electrical shock injuries that occur in domestic, commercial, industrial, and construction settings.

In this article, Electrical Engineer, Jim Orosz, P.E. discusses the various ways that the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) prescribes the placement of electrical lines and equipment to help safeguard the general public.

In this article, electrical engineer, Jim Orosz, P.E., provides an introduction to the basics of electricity. He discusses voltage, resistance, current, and how each variable affects the injury potential in electrical shock cases.

In this article, Electrical Engineer, Jim Orosz, P.E. discusses the basics of safety as they relate to overhead utility lines, including a diagram of a typical joint pole layout.