Forensic Investigations

Unveiling Insights. Delivering Results.

At EPS, we specialize in forensic investigations that determine the responsibility for and root causes of industrial accidents, equipment failures, fires, explosions, and product contaminations, including but not limited to fuels, natural gas, propane, benzene, ethylene, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, PFAS, fertilizers, ammonium nitrate, explosives, ethanol, nitrocellulose, ammonia, silica, lead, transition metals, enriched oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, carbon black, rubber, and most other chemicals. With a multidisciplinary team of experts in engineering, chemistry, and operations, we provide comprehensive analyses that stand up to the highest levels of scrutiny.

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Our Expertise

Industrial Accidents & Equipment Failure Analysis

We conduct thorough investigations into industrial accidents and equipment failures to determine causation and liability.

Root Cause Analysis: Identifying the fundamental reasons behind failures.
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA): Systematically examining potential failure points.
Compliance Assessment: Evaluating adherence to industry standards (OSHA, ASTM, NIST, NFPA).
Data Forensics: Analyzing operational data to reconstruct events.
Process Safety Management (PSM): Assessing safety protocols and procedures.

Fire & Explosion Investigations

Our certified experts determine the origin and cause of fires and explosions in industrial settings.

Certified Fire & Explosion Investigator (CFEI): Engineers certified through the National Association of Fire Investigators.
Combustion Analysis: Examining fuel sources, ignition mechanisms, and combustion processes.
Blast Wave Modeling: Assessing the impact and propagation of explosions.
Regulatory Compliance: Ensuring investigations align with NFPA and other relevant standards.

Environmental & Chemical Release Investigations

EPS provides expert analysis of environmental incidents, including hazardous chemical releases and community exposure events.

Environmental Impact Assessments: Evaluating the extent of contamination.
Regulatory Compliance: Interpreting environmental regulations and standards.
Community Impact Studies: Assessing effects on public health and safety.
Remediation Strategies: Advising on cleanup and mitigation efforts.

Product Contamination Investigations

We specialize in tracing the origins of product contaminations, including carcinogenic compounds and off-spec manufacturing.

Chemical Analysis & Testing: Identifying contaminants at trace levels.
Supply Chain Assessment: Examining raw materials and manufacturing processes.
Regulatory Guidance: Navigating FDA, EPA, and other regulatory frameworks.
Recall Consultation: Providing strategic advice for product recalls.

Why Choose EPS for Forensic Investigations?

Technical Excellence

Our team combines extensive knowledge in engineering disciplines with practical industry experience. Led by Dr. John A. Williams—a licensed Professional Engineer, Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator, and Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers—we bring over 40 years of expertise to every investigation.

Comprehensive Approach

We approach each case with meticulous attention to detail, utilizing state-of-the-art methodologies and technologies. Our investigations are thorough, unbiased, and adhere to the highest professional standards.

Litigation Support & Expert Testimony

EPS offers robust litigation support, including expert witness testimony. Our experts are adept at communicating complex technical concepts in understandable terms, both in reports and on the stand.

Customized Solutions

We recognize that every incident is unique. Our investigations are tailored to the specific circumstances of each case, ensuring accurate and relevant findings.

Representative Engagements

A selection of EPS engagements across engineering, forensics, and valuation.

Biogas Facility Regulatory Challenge

Challenge: A major renewable biogas facility experienced operational issues and concerning environmental emissions. The owner, a large international energy firm, sought approximately $74 million in damages due to its closure being ordered by the county and the State of Colorado.
Solution: EPS conducted an analysis of the facility's technology, operational performance, and environmental emissions, providing insightful technical analysis of the facility, its regulatory compliance, and economic viability.
Result: The technical assessment and financial appraisal determined that the fair market value of the facility was effectively zero.

Forensic Investigation Identifies Benzene Contamination Source in Major Consumer Product Manufacturing

Challenge: A major manufacturing facility experienced benzene contamination in its major aerosol consumer products, risking public safety and its brand reputation.
Solution: EPS was engaged to lead a multidisciplinary team in investigating the carcinogenic contamination and, within three weeks, determined its origin and manufacturing-process causes and identified effective changes to the quality-assurance procedures.
Result: Production was halted, affected products were recalled, and corrective and preventive manufacturing practices were implemented to prevent future contamination and ensure compliance with consumer safety expectations.

Technology and Equipment Provider for Renewable Waste-to-Energy Facility

Challenge: A renewable municipal waste-to-energy technology and equipment provider faced allegations of design defects, including faulty equipment, poor operational controls, unwanted byproducts, and inconsistent environmental emissions.
Solution: EPS conducted a detailed engineering analysis of the technology and equipment to determine and confirm its superior performance while identifying severe issues with the owner’s equipment, processing out-of-specification waste materials, poor water treatment, and unreliable environmental controls.
Result: EPS determined the root causes of the owner’s operational issues, enabling effective operational changes and eliminating alleged rectification works and damages, thereby saving substantial costs for the technology provider and facility owner.

Technical Investigation and Financial Appraisal of Equipment Failure and Facility Shutdown

Challenge: A steel mill facility experienced chronic materials handling and operational issues, including a catastrophic collapse and shutdown during a severe snowstorm.
Solution: EPS conducted a thorough engineering and equipment maintenance assessment, including site inspections and an appraisal of the equipment and blast furnace operations.
Result: The evaluation determined negligible damages to the client, a controls and equipment supplier, providing a clear quantification of risks for the resolution of the dispute through impartial engineering and appraisal analysis.

Technical and Financial Appraisal of World-Class Fuel Gasifier Technology

Challenge: An energy technology developer encountered allegations of design defects and material and liquidated damages from a customer.
Solution: EPS conducted an in-depth forensic investigation of the gasifier technology, including engineering reviews and appraisals of the equipment value at different stages of its technology lifecycle.
Result: EPS provided expert testimony that demonstrated no evidence of the alleged defects, supporting a favorable resolution of approximately $70 million for the client and substantiation of the energy conversion technology’s continued fair market value.

Oil Refinery Explosion, Chemical Release, and Root Cause Analysis

Challenge: A major oil refinery experienced a catastrophic explosion in Superior, Wisconsin, resulting in extensive property damage, injuries to over 70 workers, and the evacuation of 27,000 residents due to a release of hazardous chemicals into the community.
Solution: EPS conducted an accurate, insightful forensic investigation, determining the root causes of the equipment failures, operational and safety-procedure failures, blast-wave generation, and the release of hazardous chemicals.
Result: EPS's investigation and testimony contributed to favorable outcomes in four lawsuits, including a class action for the community and three workplace injury lawsuits for contract workers.

Technical Evaluation of Renewable Energy Technology Performance

Challenge: A renewable energy biomass cogeneration plant experienced operational deficiencies, including multiple fires, leading to disputes over the provided technology’s design and performance.
Solution: EPS conducted a forensic investigation, assessed the materials handling and quality, and evaluated the technology’s energy-generating performance.
Result: EPS’s forensic analysis established the absence of design deficiencies, demonstrated the contractual compliance of the technology, and identified the owner’s operational inefficiencies, thereby dismissing the litigation.

Oxygen-Enriched Technology Explosion at Steel Mill

Challenge: A steel production facility experienced a catastrophic explosion involving oxygen-enrichment technology, resulting in the tragic deaths of two workers and serious injuries to another.
Solution: EPS conducted a forensic investigation detailing the failed components and performed an effective root cause analysis of the metallurgy and operating conditions, determining the origins and causes of the workers’ injuries and deaths.
Result: The technology provider and associated defendants provided compensation to the estates of the deceased workers and to the injured worker.

Explosion Blast Wave Determination for Injured Houston Neighborhood

Challenge: In 2020, an explosion at an industrial facility resulted in fatalities and damaged more than 1,000 properties across Houston-area neighborhoods.
Solution: EPS, leveraging its leading forensic methodologies, including advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD), quantified the effects of the explosion, including blast wave propagation through the neighborhoods.
Result: Immediately after the analysis was presented, EPS clients obtained a settlement of $52 million, plus undisclosed amounts, covering injuries and property damage for approximately 2,200 claimants.

Engineering Expertise Overcomes Data Gaps in Renewable Ethanol Explosion Investigation

Challenge: A devastating explosion at a farm silo resulted in significant structural damage and loss of life, with renewable ethanol and fermentation-related causes suspected. However, critical production data and laboratory samples were not preserved by the owner, complicating the investigation.
Solution: EPS engineers performed forensic analyses, including debris mapping, blast force calculations, and process evaluations, to identify the origin and cause of the explosion. EPS’s investigation confirmed the presence of ethanol that had been improperly handled during the biofuel production supply chain.
Result: The investigation determined biofuel manufacturing operational missteps, key safety protocol violations, and destruction of data, resulting in a pre-trial award for the deceased’s family.

What Clients Say

John and his team are amazing. They took one of the most scientifically complicated cases I’ve ever been involved in and truly figured out what happened. That was hard enough to do, but perhaps where they really shined was in explaining that science — first to me so that I could effectively question witnesses, and then in deposition — in a way and at a level that those of us who are not engineers could understand and follow.

— Rip Andrews, Partner at Marsh, Rickard & Bryan

John is the consummate professional. In two trials for our firm, he provided clear, data-driven expert testimony explaining blast modeling from an explosion that resulted in two significant verdicts. I think EPS was the only expert firm in the country that could translate highly technical explosion evidence into plain, persuasive language the jury could understand. His meticulous analysis and calm, authoritative presence helped set the table for the remaining experts to explain how they used his work to assist the jury in deciding the case.

— Ryan Loya, Litigation Attorney, Kwok Daniel, Ltd, LLP

Our Services Include

Origin & Cause Determination
Root Cause Analysis
Failure Analysis of Equipment & Processes
Fire & Explosion Investigation
Product Contamination Tracing
Environmental Incident Analysis
Data Forensics & Reconstruction
Regulatory Compliance Evaluation
Expert Witness Reports & Testimony
Litigation Support

Industries We Serve

Energy: Oil & Gas, Power Generation, Renewables
Manufacturing & Industrial Facilities
Chemicals & Refining
Environmental & Waste-to-Energy
Consumer Products
Steelmaking & Glassmaking
Biotechnology & Bioprocessing
Transportation & Logistics

Why EPS?

Experience & Expertise

Over 25 Years: Delivering forensic engineering services
Multidisciplinary Team: Expertise in engineering, chemistry, and operations
Proven Track Record: High-profile cases and complex investigations

Commitment to Excellence

Detailed Reporting: Clear, concise, and defensible findings
Timely Response: Rapid mobilization to address urgent investigative needs
Client-Centered Approach: Tailoring our services to meet your specific requirements

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About Dr. John A. Williams

A Leader in Forensic Engineering

Dr. John A. Williams, PE, ASA, MBA, CFEI, AIChE Fellow, is the founder and General Manager of EPS. With over 40 years of operations, engineering, and construction experience, Dr. Williams is a recognized expert in the engineering analysis and financial appraisal of energy, power, and manufacturing technologies.

With over 40 years of experience, Dr. Williams has led investigations into some of the most complex industrial incidents. His ability to distill intricate technical details into clear, actionable insights makes him a sought-after expert in the field.

Credentials

Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA) by the American Society of Appraisers in Machinery & Technical Specialties: Energy, Environmental, and Manufacturing Technologies.
Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (CFEI) by the National Association of Fire Investigators.
Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE Fellow).
PhD in Chemical and Fuels Engineering from the University of Utah
MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago
BS in Chemistry from the University of Delaware
Licensed Professional Engineer in over 20 states