Who We Are

Robert J. Snyder

Education
          B.S. Industrial Safety and Fire Science College of Education, University of Maryland 1984
          Completed coursework for Safety Management M.S.; West Virginia University

Professional Experience

June 1989 - Present and June 1985 - April 1986:

Vice President
Longacre & Associates, Inc.
Washington, DC/Annapolis, MD

Mr. Snyder provides technical safety research and support services to attorneys, expert witnesses, manufacturers, government agencies, and insurance companies involved in product liability litigation. In doing so, he identifies, investigates, and documents potential defects that may have contributed to an accident. Mr. Snyder supports defect analysis through technical safety research obtained from government and industry libraries, data bases, and other information sources. As Vice President, Mr. Snyder is responsible for designing research data bases, preparing financial statements, and designing and writing company literature. Mr. Snyder assists with Longacre and Associates' short and long term planning. His technical expertise is in the following areas:

Highway Safety	Recreational Safety
Vehicle Safety	Medical Safety
Motor Carrier Safety	Marine Safety
Industrial Safety	Fire Protection
Railroad Safety	Hazardous Materials
Consumer Product Safety	Patent Searches

 

April 1986 - June 1989:

Accident Prevention Specialist
Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
Hyattsville, MD

Mr. Snyder was responsible for the Commission's vehicle and driveable equipment safety program. This included accident investigations, driver training, safety inspections, tabulating accident frequencies, and preparing reports.

He conducted safety inspections of all facilities including: water filtration and wastewater treatment plants, garages, metal/woodworking shops, warehouses and other facilities. Mr. Snyder conducted scheduled and impromptu visits to work sites such as excavations, confined spaces, and other maintenance work sites to review proper safety procedures, identify dangerous practices and conditions, and make recommendations for corrective actions.

Mr. Snyder designed machine guards, traffic control plans, excavation safety guides, and other engineering safety control measures in accordance with proper codes and standards. He designed, researched and conducted safety training programs for the labor work force, supervisors, and managers in accident investigation techniques, job site safety, confined spaces, personal protection, hazardous materials, fire protection, driver training, and other topics. Mr. Snyder also served as Acting Safety Manager and supervised five staff members.

Mr. Snyder served as support staff for in-house expert witnesses and attorneys nationwide involved in product liability litigation. He researched codes, standards and state-of-the-art practices including NFPA, OSHA, CPSC, SAE, UL, and others.

Mr. Snyder performed safety studies and conducted accident investigations and accident reconstructions of highway, vehicle, industrial, railroad, recreational, consumer products, and other types of accidents. He reviewed blueprints, engineering plans, and other documents to determine failure modes of defects and to determine whether products complied with appropriate codes and standards. Mr. Snyder authored legal and technical documents including affidavits, interrogatories, deposition/trial questions and Safety Performance Evaluations.

April - June 1985:

Intern
National Technical Institute for Science & Technology (formerly National Bureau of Standards)
Center for Fire Research
Gaithersburg, MD

Mr. Snyder conducted numerous fire tests of plastics, flammable liquids, fabrics, and wood products using the cone calorimeter-- a state-of-the-art test apparatus that measures products of combustion and rates of heat release. His responsibilities included calibrating gas analyzers and test equipment, analyzing test results and assisting in troubleshooting equipment failures and repairing equipment. Mr. Snyder augmented his internship by witnessing other types of fire tests and attending fire engineering seminars.

Mr. Snyder Inspected various plant facilities and equipment for compliance with OSHA and NFPA codes and standards. He conducted numerous industrial hygiene tests including dust, illumination, gas, microwave, and noise level surveys and calibrated test equipment and calculated data. Mr. Snyder also assisted in researching and planning for the company's new fire brigade.

Mr. Snyder reviewed building construction plans and blueprints for compliance with applicable state and local codes and standards and the Life Safety Code. He tested various fire protection systems including sprinkler systems, fire alarms and municipal water systems. Mr. Snyder performed routine and final fire inspections of various facilities including industrial plants, dry cleaners, restaurants, and business offices.

Volunteer Experience

Major positions held:

Captain/Training Officer--Mr. Snyder was responsible for company fire training and leadership at the emergency scene. He designed a 24- hour state-required firefighting orientation training program.

Lieutenant--Mr. Snyder designed and implemented new standard operating procedures and was responsible for training, maintenance of firefighting equipment, and leadership at the emergency scene.

Fire Prevention Officer--Mr. Snyder was responsible for area fire prevention planning and fire inspections of shopping plazas, a hospital, and an LPG storage facility. He researched, organized, and wrote a 20-page booklet on fire prevention for distribution in the community.

Professional Organizations
          American Society of Safety Engineers

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