1. Tom Grisham, President/Owner
GRISCUT, Ltd. – Utility and Manufacturing Consultants
935 South Third Street St. Charles, Illinois 60174
(Cell)
Wildland Fire Litigation Conference April 22-24, 2016 – Monterey, CA Establishing the Root Cause of Wildfires that are “Attributed” to Electrical Lines or Hardware Failure

2. PRODUCT DEGRADATION
“ENTROPY” is the degradation of matter in proportion to the available energy in the system. Any measure of energy in a closed system will vary directly with reversible changes in the temperature, climate, and the specific component design.
Everything degrades over time!
Electrical installations are no exception!

3. CONSIDERATE WILDLIFE The results could have caused a wildfire!
This photo is ‘proof’ that snakes can climb!

4. POTENTIAL SOURCES - #1 Wildlife (contact, streamers, nesting)
Poles and Towers (erosion, fatigue, debris, right-of-way debris, lightning)
Guy Wires (corrosion, unbalanced loads)
Lines (fatigue, corrosion, annealing, lightning, voltage upgrade, improper sag)
Hardware (contamination, fatigue, loading, handling, corrosion, lightning, design variations)

5. POTENTIAL SOURCES - #2 Lack of communications….!
Limited incoming inspection controls….!
Poorly written operating standards….!
Trusting a supplier, without verification….!
Regular maintenance and inspection….!
Overall focus on lowest cost….!
Blind reliance on ‘unknown’ contractors…!

6. KEY ANALYSIS STEPS Determine supplier effectiveness…..
Define “all” details of the incident…..
Determine supplier effectiveness…..
Line design and inspections…..
Defining applicable standards…..
Continuous education of personnel…..
Closure and on-going change…..

7. DEFINE THE INCIDENT Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson…..?
Who are the ‘key’ players…..?
Communicate with all ‘key’ players…..?
Who are the decision makers?
Identify missing ‘keys’ or critical steps….?
What is the conclusion…..?
What do we do next…..?

8. VERIFY THE SUPPLIER Identify “all” suppliers…..?
Think internal and globally…..?
Define the historical records…..?
Are the suppliers ISO qualified…..?
ISO level and certification…..?
Are independent audits performed…..?
Independent inspections of quality…..?

9. Line Design and Inspections
Historical record of line performance…..?
Were regular inspections performed…..?
If yes, what were the results…..?
Should we ‘upgrade’ the line…..?
If yes, to what standards…..?
Has the environment changed…..?
Will suppliers be requalified…..?

10. Continuous Verification
Great Work = Improved Performance…..!

11. DEFINING STANDARDS Current status and philosophy…..?
Historical documentation…..?
Where controlled and by whom…..?
How communicated to ‘key’ players…..?
Product standards and internal specs…..?
Safety codes and internal specs…..?
State and Federal regulations…..?

12. CONTINUING EDUCATION Who receives internal or external training?
Mandatory education for promotion?
Who coordinates education?
Who maintains employee records?
Who has access to review incidents?
When is the next review?

13. CLOSURE AND CHANGE Has the incident been reviewed…..?
Have the department heads reviewed…..?
Have all approved closure…..?
Have changes been recommended…..?
If yes, when will changes be complete…..?
What is the date of ‘final’ closure…..?
“The safety of the people shall be the highest law” – Marcus Cicero – 106 BC