E58.01 - General Practice

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This guide may be useful to forensic engineers, courts, jurists, attorneys, insurance adjusters, and clients of forensic engineers. Although this guide is directed to the practice of forensic engineering, its description of the elements of investigative reports may be useful to practitioners in other disciplines that embrace scientific laws and theories.  
5.2 This guide is based on Guide E2713, which discusses elements of the practice of forensic engineering and provides suggested readings which may be of interest to those creating (or reading) forensic engineering reports.  
5.3 This guide is informational and not mandatory. Not all items necessarily apply to all forensic engineering reports. Practitioners should adopt the requirements stated herein as appropriate to their individual situations. The author should verbally discuss findings with the client prior to the preparation of a written report. Not all clients will require a written report, and some may want a report with a focused scope or a report that follows a particular format.
SCOPE
1.1 This document provides guidance on the purpose, content, and limitations of forensic engineering expert reports, and it discusses report representation in electronic form.  
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.3 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 This guide is intended as a foundation for other E58 Committee standards that are focused on specific technical disciplines, for example Guide E2292.  
4.2 The emphasis of this guide is on the practice of forensic engineering in the United States, though elements of practice in other countries may be similar. Commercial use of the terms “engineer” and “engineering” are regulated by state and federal law; this document uses these terms only to describe a technical discipline, and not to confer title or status. Courts may decide that individuals with qualifications other than those described herein can testify as experts in forensic engineering.  
4.3 Certain forensic engineering investigations of incidents and claims may be related to the behavior or condition of one or more physical systems, or the manner in which they were used. These investigations may also be related to compliance inspections, subrogation, litigation, and other activities. It is important to note that some incidents may be considered alleged, particularly when objective proof of their occurrence is not apparent.  
4.4 Suggested additional readings are listed in Appendix X1.
SCOPE
1.1 This guide provides an introductory reference to the professional practice of forensic engineering, and discusses the typical roles and qualifications of practitioners.  
1.2 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This guide may be useful to forensic engineers, courts, jurists, attorneys, insurance adjusters, and clients of forensic engineers. Although this guide is directed to the practice of forensic engineering, its description of the elements of investigative reports may be useful to practitioners in other disciplines that embrace scientific laws and theories.  
5.2 This guide is based on Guide E2713, which discusses elements of the practice of forensic engineering and provides suggested readings which may be of interest to those creating (or reading) forensic engineering reports.  
5.3 This guide is informational and not mandatory. Not all items necessarily apply to all forensic engineering reports. Practitioners should adopt the requirements stated herein as appropriate to their individual situations.
SCOPE
1.1 This document provides guidance on the purpose, content, and limitations of forensic engineering expert reports, and it discusses report representation in electronic form.  
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.3 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
This guide is intended as a foundation for other E58 Committee standards that are focused on specific technical disciplines, for example Guide E2493.
The emphasis of this guide is on the practice of forensic engineering in the United States, though elements of practice in other countries may be similar. Commercial use of the terms “engineer” and “engineering” are regulated by state and federal law; this document uses these terms only to describe a technical discipline, and not to confer title or status. Courts may decide that individuals with qualifications other than those described herein can testify as experts in forensic engineering.
Certain forensic engineering investigations of incidents and claims may be related to the behavior or condition of one or more physical systems, or the manner in which they were used. These investigations may also be related to compliance inspections, subrogation, litigation, and other activities. It is important to note that some incidents may be considered alleged, particularly when objective proof of their occurrence is not apparent.
Suggested additional readings are listed in Appendix X1.
SCOPE
1.1 This guide provides an introductory reference to the professional practice of forensic engineering, and discusses the typical roles and qualifications of practitioners.