1. Type of product
2. Brand or trade name
3. Specific identification
(a) Serial number
(b) Make
(c) Model
(d) Style
(e) Date of manufacture
4. Identity of manufacturer and manufacturer's address.
5. Identity of wholesaler and wholesaler's address.
6. Identity of retailer and retailer's address.
7. Date of sale to wholesaler.
8. Date of sale to retailer.
9. Date of sale to customer.
10. Circumstances of sale.
(a) By whom selected.
(b) How ordered
(c) Reason for selection
(d) Recommendations
(e) Name of salesperson
(f) Assurances of safety (written or oral)
(g) Writings between consumer and maufacturer, wholesaler or retailer
(h) Disclaimers of liability
(i) Warnings
(j) Optional safety devices
11. Nature of defect.
(a) Manufacturer
(b) Design
(c) Labelling
(d) Warning
(e) Component part
(f) Assembly
(g) Packaging
12. Location of product involved.
13. Duplicate or sample should be obtained.
14. Tests and inspection of product before occurrence.
(a) By manufacturer
(b) By assembler, wholesaler or retailer
(c) By industry (competitors)
(d) By testing firms
(e) By insurers
(f) Government agencies
(g) Others
15. Testing, inspection or analysis or product after occurrence.
(a) By whom
(b) When
(c) Type of examination or test
(d) Photographs
(e) Measurements
(f) Results
(g) Reports
16. Brochures, descriptive literature or advertisements.
17. Operating manual and maintenance manual.
18. Industry trade journals.
19. Safety publications.
20. Other literature describing product or its use. (For example, patent documents.)
21. Normal manner of use.
(a) Purpose of use
(b) Method of use
(c) Special training or qualifications or user or operator
22. Circumstances of occurrence.
(a) Relation of product to occurrence
(b) Causation
(c) Possibility of other causes
23. Witnesses (Pre-occurrence, occurrence, post occurrence, and product witnesses such as engineers, designers, quality control inspectors, etc.)
(a) Name
(b) Address
(c) How to locate
(d) Knowledge
24. Investigation.
(a) Police, fire, coroner
(b) Other governmental agency (State Fire Marshall)
(c) Defendant
(d) Insurers
(e) Safety or testing companies
(f) Others (consumer protection groups)
25. Past history of product.
(a) Similar prior occurrences (mechanics and servicemen)
(b) General knowledge of defect
(c) User's knowledge of defect
(d) Maintenance
(e) Compliance with modification directives
26. Contractual relationship between manufacturer, jobber and retailer.
27. Statutes or ordinances relating to the product.
28. Regulations relating to the product.
(American National Standards Institute, National Safety Council, National Electrical
Manufacturers Association, National Fire Protection Association, Factory Mutual
Engineering Division.)
29. Installation of the product.
(a) When
(b) Where
(c) By Whom
(d) Description
(e) Records
30. Modifications to the product.
(a) When
(b) Where
(c) By Whom
(d) Description
(e) Records
31. Repairs to the product.
(a) When
(b) Where
(c) By Whom
(d) Description
(e) Records
32. Circumstances of use of product.
(a) Length
(b) By whom
(c) Nature of use
33. Abnormal or unintended use of the product.
(a) Prior to accident
(b) At time of accident
34. Prior complaint of defects or malfunction.
(a) Date
(b) Place
(c) By whom
(d) To whom
(e) Action taken
(f) Records
35. Complete history of product after the occurrence.
Reprinted from "Fires & Explosions Determining Cause and Origin", John Kennedy and Patrick M. Kennedy