Liability

When a serious accident results in amputation, prosthetic limbs may help the victim regain partial use of the limb. The technologies used in prostheses continue to advance and become safer and more reliable

OSHA’s 1910.147 standard covering Lockout/Tagout is straightforward, but there’s often confusion about the details. Lanny Berke explains the sections that most often lead to missteps.

The cab and engine compartment of a delivery truck were severely damaged by a fire that started while the truck was in the shop for maintenance

Using scale models, investigators were able to recreate an accident scene more accurately than mathematical models

To defend a product in a liability case, you must convince a jury of technically unsophisticated people that you did everything in your power to design, manufacture, and sell a safe product.

A former engineer was severely injured when the front wheels of the tractor he was driving fell into a culvert. He had removed a heavy-duty, rollover-protection arch because it was hitting the branches of his fruit trees when he drove the equipment between rows.

Equipment-rental companies serve their purpose, but renters should be sure to get adequate training and documentation as well as well-maintained equipment.

A worker was injured when he tried to move a stuck boom with force instead of reducing the load or properly lubricating the machine.

A grinder blade exploded on start-up, injuring the operator. The history of both the grinder and the blade were unknown, and the blade was not a good fit for the grinder or the job at hand.

“You could drop it into water.” “You could drop it on the floor and crack the plastic housing.”

Hair-dryer users have reported fire shooting out of the handle or the snout end of their hair dryers.

A maker of silo loaders/ unloaders wound up in court when its promotional materials misled customers, causing them to suffer huge business losses.

I read your monthly column in MACHINE DESIGN on the warehouse power door.

Before a manufacturer can be held responsible for an accident, there must be proof the occurrence was reasonably foreseeable.

The objective of product-safety efforts is to correct or address safety problems.