Lifts / Aerial Work Platforms (AWP) / Elevated Platforms Consultants: 7

Bransford Pickett, PE, BSc, MScBA, has over 25 years of experience as a Mechanical Engineer. A California Registered Professional Engineer, Mr. Pickett holds a BSE from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a MScBA in Finance from San Diego State University. His Materials Handling and Engineering Consulting Services are offered to insurance and end user companies nationally and internationally. The combination of field expertise, engineering, and regulatory compliance experience provide Mr. Pickett's clients with a complete package of services. The depth and breadth of his expertise covers many successful design projects including commercial and military ships, many complex material handling activities, testing requirements of shipboard system, and development and implementation of compliance programs. Many of the major projects include first of a kind challenges such as the Exxon Valdez post - accident docking and structural repairs, commission testing of navy auxiliary ships’ equipment including fueling systems, the US Navy Shughart Class Container Ship Conversion program, as well as shaft and appurtenance handling on the US Navy Watson Class ships. Included in these projects were planned engineered multi - crane lifts that reached in excess of 400 tons. These projects focused on safe, economic, simple designs compliant with applicable state and federal regulations, and national standards.

Engineered Material Handling Design and Review:

• Services include single and multi-crane lift plans, material transport, and equipment testing. Design, review and analysis of supporting calculation of stresses imposed on lifting, supporting structure, and material handling equipment, and rigging gear. Equipment specification scope and review

Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering:

• Perform intact, damage and probabilistic damage stability, and structural analysis on marine structures including barges, ships, and complimentary structures in accordance with regulatory bodies; ABS, Federal or State government

Training and Compliance:

• Operator training compliance to National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators, NCCCO, requirements for tower crane, mobile crane, overhead crane, articulating crane operator training and certification, signal person, and rigger certification
• Compliance covers applicable national and international standards that include the ABS, ASTM, ASM, ASME, ANSI, WSTDA, ALI, etc. and DIN, EN, FEM to list a few. National regulations include state and federal OSHA requirements as well as DOE, military specifications and standards

View Bransford Pickett's Expert Witness Profile.

Michael C. Wright, PE, CSP, CPE is a Professional Engineer with over 35 years of academic, practical, and specialized knowledge of Engineering, Construction, Safety, Maintenance, Demolition and Training in general industry and construction activities.

 Mr. Wright's expertise is a definite plus in providing clients with leading edge information and insight. A licensed and practicing engineer, he rounds out his knowledge as a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and Certified Plant Engineer to provide an insightful and accurate understanding of the issues involved in a case.

Mr. Wright has completed over 600 hours of specialized safety training, serves on ANSI and ASTM Standards committees and provides a thorough knowledge of OSHA Regulations, Directives and Letters of Interpretation. A recognized author, presenter, and trainer, Mr. Wright communicates the issues clearly for all to understand. His expert witness experience is a balanced blend of defense, plaintiff and OSHA Solicitor cases. He is licensed in 46 states. 

Areas of Expertise:

Safety Programs Construction Product Liability Fall Protection Programs Suspended Loads Contractors Formwork Leading Edge Work Activities Machine Guarding Safety Concrete, Wood, Steel Ladder Safety

Aerial & Scissor Lifts Anchorage Points - Fall Arrest Programs Bleachers Scaffolding Multi-Employer Concrete Formwork Construction & Demolition Roofing Crane Design & Inspection Training Safety Programs (Customized Manuals)

View Mr. Wright's Curriculum Vitae

Rocky Mountain Safety Consulting, Inc. (RMSC), formulates effective and workable Safety Solutions tailored to unique business operations. A well-functioning, self-sustaining safety program avoiding incidents eliminates project slowdown, costly damage to equipment, tough questions from clients, and, most importantly, injury to employees. RMSC provides services to the construction, manufacturing, mining, and oil and gas industries. 

RMSC Consulting Services:

• Safety Programs - Draft and implement safety programs followed by training of crews and management. JSA's and JHA's, weekly safety talks focused on work tasks
• EHS Programs - Develop and implement safety audit programs complying with OSHA and MSHA standards
• Field Auditing - Create and implement field safety audit systems, tracking deficiencies, and correction timelines and accountability. Jobs Safety Analysis implementation

Principal, Greg Gerganoff, ASP, CSP, Esq., is an OSHA / MSHA Safety field and compliance expert in the fields of heavy construction, oil and gas, mining, pipeline, power plant outages, light rail construction, public schools, manufacturing, and trenching and excavation. 

As OSHA and MSHA are not mere “guidelines to safety” but federal laws enforceable in administrate hearings and federal courts, Mr. Gerganoff's 12 years of experience as a Licensed Attorney, and additional 17 years as a safety professional, make him uniquely qualified to research and interpret OSHA regulatory laws (29 CFR 1910 & 1926) and MSHA (30 CFR Part 46). He maintains his license to practice law in the state of Colorado. 

Safety Training includes but not limited to:

PEC SafeLand Core and Basic OSHA 10 & 30 Hour Outreach Trainer Gen Industry H2S Training (in accord with ANSI Z390.1-2006) MSHA New Miner (Surface Metal and Nonmetal) Aerial / Man Lift Operator Training Power Tool Safety and Inspection

Hazard Communication Lockout / Tagout Confined Space Trench and Excavation Fork Lift Operator Training / Lifting Fall Protection

View Greg Gerganoff's Expert Witness Profile.

R. Kevin Smith PE, BSME, MMAE, has been a specialist in Engineering Forensic Safety and Design for 35 years. He has consulted on over a 1,000 matters nationwide.

Mr. Smith is a registered professional engineer and holds a BSME and MMAE from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. He specializes in Material Handling Equipment Safety, including lift trucks, dock safety, truck loading, conveyors, and aerial work platform safety.

Mr. has been actively involved as a member of the committee that writes the Safety Standard for Low Lift and High Lift Trucks (ASME/ANSI B56.1) for over 30 years. He also serves on the B56.6 committee (rough terrain lift trucks) and the ANSI A92.5 and A92.6 subcommittees (self-propelled elevating work platforms).

Litigation Support - Mr. Smith formerly worked for Triodyne, Inc. for over 15 years as a forensic engineer/principal engineer. As President of R. K. Smith Engineering Inc., he currently has a laboratory for examination and testing, and owns or has access to varied testing equipment and tools.

Kevin Smith has testified at depositions and trials on several hundred matters. He has performed hundreds of investigations into product failures involving injury and property damage, and has reconstructed numerous accidents. His expertise is available to counsel representing both Plaintiff and Defendant. Mr. Smith also is on the Adjunct Math faculty at Prairie State College.

Areas of Expertise:

Forklift Trucks Aerial Work Platform Lifts Product Testing Material Handling / Lifting / Rigging Equipment Accident Reconstruction Machine Guarding Safeguarding Warnings

Agricultural and Construction Equipment Skid Steer Loaders Stability Testing Loading Dock Safety Consumer Products / Testing OSHA Citations Codes & Standards Standard of Care in Design

View R. Kevin Smith's Expert Witness Profile.

Quality Forensic Engineering, LLC is a full-service forensic engineering firm, providing engineering support to clients in the areas of accident reconstruction, biomechanics, fire investigations, patent litigation analysis, premises liability, product liability, and tire failure analysis. We use the latest technology and industry proven techniques to provide thorough analysis and conclusions for the most difficult engineering questions. Our forensic engineers support clients throughout the U.S. Our locations include Tallahassee, FL; Jacksonville, FL; Tampa, FL; New Orleans, LA; San Diego, CA; and Tucson, AZ.

Traci K. Campbell, PE, CFSE, CXLT, has over 23 years of experience investigating, analyzing, and testifying in matters involving a variety of forensic engineering issues. Ms. Campbell has a strong background working in manufacturing and industrial workplaces including the design, development, and implementation of solutions to ensure safe work environments. She has also been credited as part of a team holding a patent related to safeguarding power hand tools with rotating discs. 

Ms. Campbell's special interests include amusement park and theme park accidents and safety related issues. She is also a CFSE – Certified Forensic Slip Expert, CXLT – Certified XL Tribometrist (slip index evaluation) and a certified counter balance forklift operator. Ms. Campbell has served as a presenter with the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) regarding slip, trip, stumble, and fall incidents. She has shared her engineering expertise with many organizations on topics including: slip, trip, stumble, and fall incidents; electronic data in the realm of accident reconstruction; safety engineering and the engineering hierarchy; photogrammetry and other accident reconstruction techniques; OSHA compliance; and Industrial Engineering. 

Ms. Campbell is a registered and licensed Professional Engineer in five states and she continues to refine her skills and knowledge of premises liability and safety engineering by staying current with new technology and best practices.

See Full Bio & CV.

Expertise:

Industrial Accidents Slips, Trips & Falls Human Factors and Environment Interaction Pedestrian Kinematics Workplace Safety Retail and Restaurant Facility Safety OSHA & ADA Regulations Multi- Employer Workplaces ANSI, ASTM & Building Codes Elevators/Escalators Industrial Equipment

Forklifts and Material Handling Devices Parking Lot Safety  Safety Engineering Guarding and Warnings Theme Parks & Recreation Facility Safety Fire and Explosion Safety Product Failure Analysis Pedestrian Accidents Automobile Collisions Tractor-Trailer Collisions Bicycle Accidents

Brian A. Darr, P.E. IAAI-FIT(V), CFEI, has over 25 years of engineering experience which includes Tire Failure analysis on many types of tires (passenger, light truck, radial medium truck, retreads, motorcycle, etc.), Vehicle and Residential Fire Origin and Cause investigations, vehicle accident reconstruction for passenger and commercial vehicles, motorcycles, vehicle component failure analysis, and insurance fraud/consistency evaluations. He also conducts crash data retrieval (CDR) downloads for passenger vehicles and engine control module (ECM) downloads for commercial vehicles. Mr. Darr evaluates traffic signal timing relating to intersection collisions. He provides services in product and material failure analysis, cause analysis of plumbing failures, mechanical equipment and machinery failures, lightning strike investigations, nondestructive examinations and testing, product design and assessment of conformance to government, corporate, industry, safety, and international standards.

Mr. Darr has over 25 years of extensive experience with tires including design, development, manufacturing, quality investigation, race tire preparation, and testing of tires at numerous testing facilities. He worked in a tire manufacturing facility as a plant technical engineer where he investigated quality related issues, and in a Research & Development (R & D) center where he designed, developed, tested, and analyzed tires. Mr. Darr has visited numerous tire production plants such as Goodyear, Bridgestone, Michelin, and Continental tire. He has inherent knowledge of the PAX run-flat tire system and C3M manufacturing process. He also was responsible for verifying standards and regulations were met, related to tire product and tire pressure monitoring sensors.

Mr. Darr has been qualified as a tire expert in State and Federal court. He has completed forensic tire failure analysis on many types of tires in which he referenced hundreds of publicly available tire related documents. He reviews forensic tire reports from outlying offices along with providing marketing support and giving seminars nationwide. He has conducted numerous vehicle and residential fire origin and cause investigations with various findings including fires that were intentionally set, accidental, and electrical in nature. He has also conducted fire suppression system investigations. 

Mr. Darr holds multiple fire certifications and designations with the International Association of Arson Investigators and the National Association of Fire Investigators. 

See Full Bio & CV.

Expertise:

Fire Cause and Origin Tire Failure Analysis Vehicle Fire Investigation Residential Fire Investigation Fire Suppression System Investigation Vehicle Accidents Motorcycle Accidents

Vehicle Component Failure Analysis Insurance Fraud / Consistency Evaluations Crash Data Retrieval (CDR) Tractor Trailer Electronic Control Module (ECM) Analysis Product Failure Analysis Lightning Strike Investigation Product Design and  Assessment

View Quality Forensic Engineering's Accident Reconstruction Consulting Profile.

The four PhD and registered PEs at Miller Engineering are celebrating 40 years of Professorships at three universities along with providing services to Government, Insurance, and Industry—through research, publications, presentations, and expert testimony. We have a dedicated office with a full time staff of engineers, researchers, and technical writers. The span of our collective academic and experiential expertise covers well the Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Agricultural, Industrial, Human Factors, Ergonomic and Safety fields of engineering. The areas listed below are from actual projects completed in our 40 years of history. 

Vehicles Car/Truck Accident Reconstruction Crash Data Retrieval (CDR) Visibility & Reaction Time Analysis Tires, Trailers, Brakes & Accelerators Truck/Off Road Vehicle Egress/Ingress Traffic Signing and Construction Zones Electronic Vehicles Mechanical & Electrical Safety Product Safety & Analysis Machinery - Metal, Wood, Plastic Molding Machine Guarding & Safety, Robots, Automation Hazard and Risk Analysis Employee Safety Procedures – OSHA Electrical Distribution & Transmission Hazards

Warnings & Instructions Warning Labels & User Manual Design Hazard Analysis & Product Label Designs Medical Device & Drug Warnings & Instructions Inadequate Warnings Analysis Standard Compliance (ANSI Z535) Product Recall Information & Strategies Consumers/Household Safety Appliances & Tools Child Furniture, Choking, Playgrounds Swimming Pools & Exercise Equipment Recreation - ATV, Boats, Bicycles, Boards Ladder, Stair, Step and Railing Accidents Slip, Trip, & Fall Accidents CPSC Recall Information & Strategies

Chemicals Safety & Labeling NEW OSHA HAZCOM (2012) & GHS Review MSDS, SDS and Product Label Compliance Toxic Torts - Diacetyl, Asbestos, Benzene, Lead, Carbon Monoxide Vaping & E-Cigarette Health Effects Chemical Exposures & Workplace Safety Chemical Inhalation, Ingestion, Dermal Contact Contamination - Water & Environmental Manufacturing & Process Line Accidents Slips, Trips, Falls, & Entanglements Fires & Explosions Cause & Origin Investigations Gas, Vapor, & Electrical Spontaneous Combustion Vaping & E-cigarette Battery Failures Fire Control & Explosion Issues

Agriculture Tractor & Equipment Accidents Chemical Applications & Exposures Crop Storage & Harvesting Accidents Pesticides Construction Vehicle Visibility Accidents Slip, Trip, & Fall Accidents Power Tool Repetitive & Immediate Injuries Scaffolding - Cranes - Hoisting - Fork Lifts Insurance Subrogation & Forensics Accident Investigations Electrical & Fire Causation Chemical Leakage Damage Defective Equipment Injuries Premise and Process Damages

James M. Miller, PE, PhD – Founder  Dr. Miller is an Emeritus Engineering Professor at the University of Michigan. He has directly served in Washington originating several Federal OSHA safety regulations, and interacts regularly with CPSC regarding safety and product recalls. Dr. Miller often works on projects relating to compliance with occupational safety standards, provides upper management guidance on product design, recall and liability issues, and serves as an expert witness.

Mark R. Lehto, PhD – Co-Founder Dr. Lehto is a Professor of Engineering at Purdue University. He completed his Ph.D. in engineering at the University of Michigan, where he specialized in Human Factors Engineering, in particular Warnings and Labeling. Dr. Lehto specializes in knowledge engineering, warnings and instructions, structuring expert systems, accident modeling, accident statistical analysis, consumer product safety, boating safety, in-field national surveys of product usage, and product information effectiveness.

David R. Clark, PE, PhD – Co-Founder Dr. Clark is an Emeritus Engineering Professor at Kettering University. He was an engineering PhD graduate from the University of Michigan, where he specialized in human factors engineering and system safety analyses. He has a special expertise in electrical fire- and explosion-related accidents, and has extensive experience working for loss control companies, performing over 150 fire origin and cause investigations in the past few years.

Adam M. Olshove, PE, MSE – Engineering Manager Mr. Olshove has over 10 years of experience providing consulting services to industry and the legal profession. He holds an MS in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on control systems and battery modeling (2019), and a BS in Mechanical Engineering (2012), both from the University of Michigan. He has performed dozens of on-site investigations nationwide in relation to consumer product design and industrial accidents, including failure analysis and testing.

Jeffrey D. Rupp, MSE – Engineering Associate Mr. Rupp has a BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan and a MS in systems engineering and engineering management from Wayne State University. Among his company affiliates is 26 years with Ford Motor Company and Volvo Car Corporation, where he was involved in crash development and crash sensing calibrations.

David Smith is an experienced mechanical engineer (MS, PE) with seven issued patents. Award-winning inventor. Vice President of Alpine Engineering and Design, a mechanical engineering consulting company with clients around the United States ranging from individual inventors to Fortune 500 companies. Worked on the development of multiple successful products including among other things: aerial lifts, garbage trucks, thrill rides, ziplines, trailers, oil and gas equipment, exercise equipment, manufacturing equipment, and multiple consumer products. 

Graduated Cum Laude with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. Completed a master's of science degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA with an emphasis in product development. Licensed professional engineer (PE) and certified safety professional in comprehensive practice (CSP). Certified trainer for boom lifts, scissor lifts, rough terrain, and counterbalanced forklifts. Over 10 years of experience in product development, patents, equipment safety, and risk assessments. 

Experienced expert witness having drafted over 200 reports/declarations in patent cases and catastrophic injury and death cases. Designed and built multiple custom testing devices to obtain data and evaluate opinions. Created multiple demonstratives to explain the mechanics and circumstances of accident sequences and patented devices. Testified in deposition 11 times and in trial once.

Expert Witness Services Professional Expert Reports Testing Forensic/Failure Analysis Accident Reconstruction Demonstratives Inspections/Measurements Compliance with Standards Expert Testimony Patent & Patent Related Issues Patent Searches Provisional Patent Complete with Illustrations Patent Infringement Review

Product Development Innovative Concept Multi-Industry Experience Powerful Design Tools Full Service Fabricating Materials Design Analysis Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Hydraulics, Pneumatics, Electrical Structural Integrity Tests Value Analysis