Sean Moran's Blog, page 12
August 21, 2020
Expert Report Professional Negligence Water Engineering
I've produced a new draft expert report this week, and carried out an associated site visit under Covid conditions, which was interesting.
July 31, 2020
Expert Witness Sewage Sewerage Drainage Field Soakaway Infiltration Words Matter
One of the reasons why I started work on a dictionary of chemical engineering practice was a case in which I acted as expert witness where the difference between the terms "drainage", "sewerage" and "sewage treatment plant" was crucial.
This is not an uncommon situation, even though every competent professional in the area knows what these words mean, and they are defined in British Standards in a way entirely compatible with this common understanding. Lawyers however make a living on the meaning of words, making such common understanding less than the last word on the subject.
Whatever the law says, what competent professionals mean when using these words is not a matter for lawyerly word games. These are technical terms, not everyday words. They mean what we who use them as common currency think they mean.
This is not an uncommon situation, even though every competent professional in the area knows what these words mean, and they are defined in British Standards in a way entirely compatible with this common understanding. Lawyers however make a living on the meaning of words, making such common understanding less than the last word on the subject.
Whatever the law says, what competent professionals mean when using these words is not a matter for lawyerly word games. These are technical terms, not everyday words. They mean what we who use them as common currency think they mean.
July 25, 2020
Industrial Effluent Expert Witness Advisory Report
I've mainly been busy this week writing an advisory expert report broadly in line with Part 19 requirements for a potential case to do with industrial effluent consent to discharge breaches.
I visited site last week (cautiously, as it is a meat processing plant, and some of these have been the focus of covid outbreaks), and had a telephone conference this week (unusually, not on zoom, as my client doesn't trust it). Other than that, it has all been about gathering information, analysing it statistically, and offering an initial opinion on what I think is happening, and what might be done about it.
I've got three other jobs waiting for an agreed start date, so I'm keen to get this one out of the door before they start coming in. Experience suggests that they will come in all together, but I'd be happy to be pleasantly surprised. I'm prepared for the spike if it comes.
With all the real work, I've made little progress with my dictionary, but I did treat myself by doing "Z", a section with tens of entries rather than the hundreds of the early letters in any dictionary, mine included.
I also got an article sent out for the Process Industry Informer yesterday. I think the last one (on my lockdown in Panama) went down well....
I visited site last week (cautiously, as it is a meat processing plant, and some of these have been the focus of covid outbreaks), and had a telephone conference this week (unusually, not on zoom, as my client doesn't trust it). Other than that, it has all been about gathering information, analysing it statistically, and offering an initial opinion on what I think is happening, and what might be done about it.
I've got three other jobs waiting for an agreed start date, so I'm keen to get this one out of the door before they start coming in. Experience suggests that they will come in all together, but I'd be happy to be pleasantly surprised. I'm prepared for the spike if it comes.
With all the real work, I've made little progress with my dictionary, but I did treat myself by doing "Z", a section with tens of entries rather than the hundreds of the early letters in any dictionary, mine included.
I also got an article sent out for the Process Industry Informer yesterday. I think the last one (on my lockdown in Panama) went down well....
July 18, 2020
Expert Witness Water Engineering :Picking Up
So I have three or four UK expert witness jobs on the books at the moment, as well as talking to people about a couple of international training and proper engineering jobs.
Two of the jobs are however incredibly slow-moving (as insurance work often is). There is still plenty of time to fit it all in, as long as I don't allow people to rush me unnecessarily.
Mind, I am working a bit of Saturday, though that is mainly to allow me to do leisure activities in the week...
It's a excuse to slack of the dictionary for a while, which is welcome. It's hard work.
Two of the jobs are however incredibly slow-moving (as insurance work often is). There is still plenty of time to fit it all in, as long as I don't allow people to rush me unnecessarily.
Mind, I am working a bit of Saturday, though that is mainly to allow me to do leisure activities in the week...
It's a excuse to slack of the dictionary for a while, which is welcome. It's hard work.
July 5, 2020
Expert Witness Drainage, Sewerage and Sewage
I've picked up a new bit of expert witness job to do with drainage, sewerage and sewage. These are three different things, an issue I has to give evidence on in my last expert witness court appearance.
I've got another slow-burning case to do with sewerage / drainage piping, and I'm still talking to the Central American client about going back to finish what I started there once travel is allowed again. We'll see.
I'm still working on the dictionary of professional chemical engineering terminology. Its going to take longer than I initially thought. Dictionaries are hard work!
I've got another slow-burning case to do with sewerage / drainage piping, and I'm still talking to the Central American client about going back to finish what I started there once travel is allowed again. We'll see.
I'm still working on the dictionary of professional chemical engineering terminology. Its going to take longer than I initially thought. Dictionaries are hard work!
June 26, 2020
Expert Witness Drainage Sewerage Sewage Treatment
I've had a couple of new expert witness enquiries this week. One for cellar flooding, which I get a lot of enquiries about, but is usually more something for a quantity surveyor or structural engineer, (so I turn them down, as I'm no a report mill).
The other was for a package plant and associate sewerage and drainage field, which is much more my kind of thing. We'll see how that goes. It's often hurry up and wait...
I also got an invitation to go back to Central America, but that's off the cards for a while, at least until they reopen the airport!
I took the opportunity for a easy week, enjoyed a bit of rare Derbyshire sunshine. Back the rain tomorrow...
The other was for a package plant and associate sewerage and drainage field, which is much more my kind of thing. We'll see how that goes. It's often hurry up and wait...
I also got an invitation to go back to Central America, but that's off the cards for a while, at least until they reopen the airport!
I took the opportunity for a easy week, enjoyed a bit of rare Derbyshire sunshine. Back the rain tomorrow...
June 21, 2020
Expert Witness Water Engineering
I'm still working on an expert witness job to do with water pipelines and fittings, but other than that, I'm working on my chemical engineering dictionary.
June 13, 2020
Chemical Environmental Water Engineer Expert
I've a got a few things to do other than continuing to work on my Chemical Engineering Dictionary. I have a live expert witness job, and I've just picked up a bit of design work. For now I'm just happy to be out of self-isolation, having managed to get through Latin America without contracting Covid-19.
May 29, 2020
Chemical Engineering Expert: Working In Self-Isolation
I've just done my first week of voluntary self isolation after coming back from Central America. I've been wrapping up the paperwork for the job over there, and made good progress with my dictionary.
I'm unsure about what is happening next with Panama, but by the time I have completed self-isolation I will be unable to travel abroad on business, as I cannot renew my travel insurance until after the pandemic ends if I stay in the UK for 14 days.
I have a UK expert witness appointment, and various writing assignments, so I can stay busy for the foreseeable future, which is as much as anyone can say in these unusual times...
I'm unsure about what is happening next with Panama, but by the time I have completed self-isolation I will be unable to travel abroad on business, as I cannot renew my travel insurance until after the pandemic ends if I stay in the UK for 14 days.
I have a UK expert witness appointment, and various writing assignments, so I can stay busy for the foreseeable future, which is as much as anyone can say in these unusual times...
May 24, 2020
Water Sewage Effluent Treatment Engineer and Expert Witness: Open For Business
I got back from Panama yesterday, courtesy of a humanitarian flight to Mexico City organised by the Mexican Government, finally arriving at a virtually empty Manchester Airport.
I expected the UK to look more different, and for lockdown to be more restrictive, but the only restrictions on me are really those I have imposed on myself, for the good of others.
The Panama job is on hold. We simply did not have the manpower or the kit to even make a start in the end. It's going to need to wait until the uncontrolled pandemic is over.
I have an expert witness job on the books, and my dictionary and a few other things to write, so I won't get bored.
I expected the UK to look more different, and for lockdown to be more restrictive, but the only restrictions on me are really those I have imposed on myself, for the good of others.
The Panama job is on hold. We simply did not have the manpower or the kit to even make a start in the end. It's going to need to wait until the uncontrolled pandemic is over.
I have an expert witness job on the books, and my dictionary and a few other things to write, so I won't get bored.
