Category: Accident Analysis / Reconstruction, Chemicals / Toxic Substances, Construction, Personal Injury, Safety Hidden Hazards of Confined Space TASA ID: 3404 Frequent headlines in breaking news stories convey the tragic results of yet another confined space fatality accident. With fatality statistics indicating that more than 60 percent of rescues in confined spaces result in a workplace fatality. Since most of these cases are fully preventable, sadly they involve local firefighters responding to trapped workers injured on the job. A common misunderstanding many people share is that local firefighters respond to emergencies fully equipped as technical rescuers. Having experience in structural fire control or vehicle emergency response doesn’t necessarily qualify one as a technical rescuer. Comprehensive training, practical experience, and a working knowledge can adequately prepare responders to engage as rescue professionals, not before. Read more
Category: Business & Commerce A Simple Test to Determine your Firm's Competitive Advantage TASA ID: 4374 Defining a firm’s competitive advantage is difficult. Both my students and friends in the business world struggle with this often. Many students and practitioners of business strategy fail to understand whether a firm has the ability to do something better than the competition. There can’t be a more important question in business strategy, can there? Unless we understand what our company does better than the competition, then we can’t understand how we should compete. It’s similar to a boxer going into a match without knowing his best punch; he won’t have a very good strategy for defeating his opponent. Read more
Category: Business & Commerce, Employment Are You Prepared to Deal With Marijuana in the Workplace? TASA ID: 321 Medical marijuana is now legal in 23 states and Washington D.C. which is proving to be confusing for businesses, employees and job applicants. It becomes even more confusing because federal law classifies marijuana as a schedule 1 drug -- the same as heroin and overrides state laws. So how does this affect your company policies? Read more
Category: Appraisals / Valuations, Aviation What You Need to Know Before Hiring an Aircraft Appraiser TASA ID: 4642 One of the factors which impacted both the S&L collapse of the ’80s and the real estate crisis early in the 21st century was artificially inflated evaluation reports from supposedly professional real estate appraisers. Aircraft financing has been impacted just as seriously, even though this situation isn’t something most lenders will discuss openly. However, it raises a question regarding the legitimacy of any individual aircraft appraiser or “professional” appraisal organization. After all, there are no legal requirements placed on the aircraft appraisal industry; therefore, anyone can call themselves an aircraft appraiser – regardless of their knowledge, skills and abilities. Read more
Category: Accident Analysis / Reconstruction, Auto Safety, Automotive/Trucking, Transportation Event Data Recorders (EDR) and the importance of evaluating the data with the available physical evidence This expert has retired from practice TASA ID: This EDR data, as I tell jurors, is only as good as the paper it is printed on. The EDR data cannot tell how a collision took place of if the speed recorded by the EDR was the actual speed of the vehicle. Was the vehicle sliding on ice or was it rolling over? The collision reconstructionist must be critical of the EDR Data... Read more
