Introduction: A contractor suffered thermal burns while hydroblasting near an open and assumed-isolated vessel in a petrochemical facility. To determine the cause of the incident, consequences, and the responsibilities of the involved parties, Baker & O’Brien visited the site, reviewed the equipment diagrams, procedures, permits, and isolation plans. We issued an expert report that the parties used to negotiate a settlement.

An owner hired an engineering, procurement, and construction contractor to build a petrochemical plant, but the pre-commissioning activities delayed the planned startup by months. Baker & O’Brien reviewed the pre-commissioning activities, the schedule, procedures, and industry practices to provide opinions on the causes of the delay and the responsibilities of the owner and contractor. As part of the arbitration, we produced a technical expert report and several joint expert reports.

Introduction: A steel mill plant operator was not certified and authorized to operate a crane when his load struck an aerial lift supporting a welder within the crane operating envelope. Baker & O'Brien investigated the safe work practices and human factors involved in the incident, including the issue of competence. The opinions in our expert report included the error mode for the intentional but mistaken action.