ARTICLES

9/24/2014· Elevators - Escalator - Automatic Doors

Door Injury Cases Pertaining to the Insurance Carrier

By: Michael Panish

One of the most common types of expert related calls that I receive pertains to some sort of door injury. Door injuries caused by automatic pedestrian doors, manual doors, or garage doors often lead to serious and potentially life threatening high dollar liability and personal injury lawsuits. My case load as a door expert witness is evenly split between plaintiff and defense. I have written articles, testified, and been consultant on many door injury cases throughout the country and abroad. In addition, my services have been utilized by defense teams representing cross defendants such as door maintenance companies also named in the chain of commerce.

9/16/2014· Aquatics Safety

Cold Calls: Ice Rescues Pose Unique Challenges For Responders

By: Gerald Dworkin

The following incidents and places, as well as the circumstances surrounding them, are fictional. On the Scene Dispatch at 16:04 hrs: KGT-597 to Rescue 15, respond to Bakersville Pond off Cemetery Island for a report of a dog through the ice, approximately 100 yards from shore.

9/9/2014· Plants & Trees

Appraising Trees and Plants: A Matter of Emphasis

By: Joe Samnik

A couple of decades ago I hung a picture on my office wall. I hung it there at the beginning of my career in appraising trees and plants. The caption under the picture reads, "Do you want your assessment to show how much your tree is worth, or how little it is worth - it's a matter of emphasis". Setting aside the naïveté of the statement, the question remains the matter of emphasis in the approach used to valuation - and the ethical repercussions which ensue.

9/9/2014· Product Liability

Proposed Warning for Food Products with Excessive Sugar

By: Dr. Gerald M. Goldhaber

If you buy a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese in the UK (the same Mac & Cheese that is sold in the U.S.), the following warning label appears on the package: Warning: This Product May Cause Adverse Effects Activity AndAttention in Children. This warning is required because the U.S. version of Kraft Mac & Cheese has artificial food dyes yellow #5 and yellow #6, which are proven to be linked to hyperactivity in children. The warning does NOT appear in the U.S.

8/27/2014· Transportation

Bus Stops and Land Mines

By: Ned Einstein

Question: What is the difference between a poorly-selected and -designed bus stop and a land mine? Answer: Very little. When you step on either of them, your ankles, knees and hips are likely to explode. The genuine difference is that the carnage from land mines is intentional, whereas that of poorly-selected and -designed bus stops usually reflects incompetence and, often, indifference.

8/26/2014· Engineering

Outbreaks Where Food Workers Have Been Implicated in the Spread of Foodborne Disease. Part 10. Alcohol-Based Antiseptics for Hand Disinfection and a Comparison of Their Effectiveness with Soaps

By: Dr. Ewen Todd

Alcohol compounds are increasingly used as a substitute for hand washing in health care environments and some public places because these compounds are easy to use and do not require water or hand drying materials. However, the effectiveness of these compounds depends on how much soil (bioburden) is present on the hands. Workers in health care environments and other public places must wash their hands before using antiseptics and/or wearing gloves. However, alcohol-based antiseptics, also called rubs and sanitizers, can be very effective for rapidly destroying some pathogens by the action of the aqueous alcohol solution without the need for water or drying with towels.

8/22/2014· Medical - Medicine

Why Are Education, Training, Regulation, Safe Practice, and Practitioner Supervision So Important for Laser Surgery and Procedures?

By: Dr. Warren Seiler

During the past ten to fifteen years, the number of cosmetic laser and light procedures performed has exploded. According to a 2012 report by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the following increases have occurred:

8/22/2014· Elevators - Escalator - Automatic Doors

Garage Doors: A Brief Tutorial on Garage Door Safety & Installation

By: Michael Panish

As a door expert, I am called upon many times a year to evaluate garage door injuries. In my professional career as a general contractor and door & hardware contractor, I have installed many different types of garage doors. I have been involved with roll up doors, both for commercial warehouse applications and automotive repair facilities that allow the passage of a motor vehicle. I have installed and serviced life safety/fire drop doors typically seen in hospitals, pharmacies, labs, shopping centers and other commercial venues. I have placed sectional doors in apartment buildings, single family homes and condominiums. My company has custom built many types of garage enclosures that have had special cosmetic concealed purposes for themed attractions. Working on historic buildings has given me the opportunity to work on sliding barn type doors, hinged parting doors and old carriage style swinging doors. I have removed and replaced the older style, overhead vintage single panel pivoting hinged garage door from commercial and residential locations, and have installed a variety of newer and safer products.

8/7/2014· Aquatics Safety

Hands-Only CPR Simplifies Saving Lives for Bystanders

By: Gerald Dworkin

DALLAS, April 1 - Chest compressions alone, or Hands-Only Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), can save lives and can be used to help an adult who suddenly collapses, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement.

8/1/2014· Plants & Trees

Valuing Plants That Have No Value

By: Joe Samnik

There are no formulas to assist a plant appraiser in valuing a plant that has no value in the marketplace due to its small size (Think, tree farms and liners, seedlings, or other immature plants which have suffered a casualty). Almost without exception, an appraiser will either value the immature plant as if it were a mature plant, or rely upon the weakest of all strong arguments, ipse dixit ("because I said so") to substantiate his opinion; however, the latter approach to value is being challenged more and more in court by judges.