Incident Investigation & Failure Analysis
Incident Investigation
Incident investigation is a structured approach used to analyze unexpected events that disrupt normal operations. These incidents may involve injuries, property damage, environmental releases, or near misses—situations that could have caused harm but did not.
The purpose of an investigation of an incident is to determine what occurred, why it happened, and how to prevent it in the future. This involves uncovering root causes, collecting and preserving evidence, and implementing corrective actions to reduce the likelihood of recurrence.
Why Conduct an Incident Investigation?
In high-risk sectors such as chemical processing, oil and gas, and manufacturing, investigating incidents is essential for:
- Identifying the underlying causes of fires, explosions, and chemical releases
- Preventing similar events by addressing contributing factors
- Ensuring compliance with OSHA regulations
- Improving safety protocols and emergency response plans
Proactive incident investigation is both a regulatory requirement and a moral obligation to protect employees, the environment, and operational assets.
For example, following a major fire and explosion at an industrial processing facility, a comprehensive incident investigation was conducted to determine the root cause of the structural damage and operational failure. The investigation involved site documentation, witness interviews, and incident investigation to identify ignition sources, fuel contributors, and potential process deviations.
Failure Analysis
Failure Analysis of Lithium-ion batteries is a systematic investigation of why a battery failed either during normal operation, storage, testing, or under abusive conditions. This process is essential for improving battery design, manufacturing, safety, and reliability, particularly in high-risk industries like EVs, aerospace, medical devices, and consumer electronics.
Our experts have conducted root cause failure analyses of cells and battery packs used in laptops, power tools, HEV cells, cell phones, and other consumer electronics. This work was done on several battery chemistries (Li-ion, Li-polymer, Lead acid, Nickel metal hydride, and Alkaline) and designs (cylindrical, prismatic, pouch, and coin cells). During the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, our experts worked with major laptop and Li-ion cell manufacturers to find the root cause of these failures. Various issues were found such as improper winding of the jelly roll, uneven coatings, unbalanced effective electrode mass, and foreign contaminant particles. This study found that two of the major causes of cell failure were the presence of contaminants and spot welding of the current collector.
Cell disassembly
