THE COURSE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The course presents the unifying principles of electrical fires to fire investigators, fire service personnel, electrical engineers, forensic engineers, insurance adjustors, and other professionals interested in understanding the causes of fires. At the completion of this course, the attendee should be equipped with a basic understanding of the mechanisms by which the third leg of the fire triangle—“source of heat”—can be caused by electric current or static electricity. Attendees should already have had some previous instruction on the basics of electricity, as only a very brief review of the elementary principles of electricity will be made.

Most other courses on electrical fires available to fire investigators (a) start at a very basic level and run out of time before more advanced topics can be covered; and (b) focus primarily on examples of electrical fires, and do not systematically develop the principles that underlie all electrical fires. It is the purpose of the present course to take up where such courses leave off and it is assumed that attendees already have some knowledge of the more practical aspects of investigating fires in electrical devices or appliances. The first half of the course is devoted to developing a good understanding of the principles that underlie all electrical fires. The remainder focuses on a variety of devices and appliances that can undergo an electrical fire. This is illustrated by color photos of failed devices, and the participants will be given information in the last portion of the course on how these practical failures can be understood in terms of the basic principles of electrical fires.

The course has been expanded and enhanced to include details of electrical explosions, which are also a significant hazard. Also included are much new material on overheating connections, based on recent research in this area.

The course includes extensive, detailed handouts but does not duplicate the material provided in the author's Ignition Handbook (Fire Science Publishers, 2003). Thus it is recommended that attendees have, or procure a copy of the handbook. The course is intensive and in-depth and includes two full days of presentations.

The principles involved are presented in this course in a way to be suitable to both engineers and non-engineers. However, a basic understanding of Ohm's Law and the principles of electricity is expected of all attendees.