Webster Mechanical Engineering (WME) provides technical expertise and causation analysis in the areas of design, manufacture, installation, maintenance, and operation of fuel gas fired equipment involved in residential, commercial, and industrial structure fires and explosions. WME conducts fuel gas fired equipment failure investigations based on the International Mechanical Code, the National Mechanical Code, the National Fuel Gas Code (NFPA 54), the International Fuel Gas Code, and in accordance with the ANSI and UL standards relevant to the equipment investigated.
Fuel gas fired equipment includes industrial process ovens, crop dryers, boilers, commercial cooking equipment, residential cooking equipment, furnaces, water heaters, clothes dryers, barbeque gas grills, and decorative gas logs.
WME provides:
- On-site and laboratory examinations of fuel gas fired equipment, the associated fuel gas piping systems, ductwork, and flues involved in fires, smoke damage, and explosions
- On-site and laboratory examinations of fuel gas fired equipment involved in carbon monoxide poisoning incidents
The on-site examinations include: documentation, evaluation, and testing of the fuel gas fired equipment, components, and flue assemblies; inspection and testing of the associated gas piping system; documentation of the clearance between the gas fired equipment and flues to adjacent building materials; documentation of the utility gas service pressure and fuel usage prior to and at the time of the loss; review of the repair and maintenance history of the equipment; and documentation of recent changes to the structure.
Laboratory examinations include the examination, testing, and destructive disassembly of the fuel gas fired equipment and components to determine the primary cause and conditions that led to the loss.
