Insurance Claims and the Internet (an article from 25 years ago!)

INSURANCE CLAIMS AND THE INTERNET

September 30, 1998

Forensic engineers, among others, use legislation, codes, and standards on a regular basis when evaluating a personal injury or property damage situation.?When establishing liability, issues such as code compliance and deficiencies, are critical.

The Internet has become an easy and cheap reference guide for engineers, adjusters, and others needing information.

For example, the Ontario government has a website at https://legis.acjnet.org/Ontario, which allows you to review legislation, codes and other documents on-line, and if you are interested in purchasing something, you can order with your credit card.

The full text of the Ontario Building Code and Ontario Fire Code are available in this way.?The Fire Marshal site https://www.gov.on.ca/OFM/ also contains numerous papers on many topics, including smoke detectors, recycling centres, chimney fires, and user guides to the new Fire Code.

This information is all free, and can be very useful when analyzing a situation for compliance or deficiencies.

There are many other sites out there, which can also be useful – the Canadian Standards Association, the International Standards Organization, and the list goes on.?Just use your favourite search engine, and go find the information you need.?It’s free and usually quick too.

Here are a few sites to get you started:

www.nfpa.org – National Fire Protection Association

www.astm.org – American Society for Testing and Materials

www.scc.ca – Standards Counsil of Canada

w3.pwgsc.gc.ca/cgsb/ - Public Works and Government Services Canada

Happy surfing!!

Rene G. Caskanette, B.A.Sc., P.Eng.

CASKANETTE & ASSOCIATES Consulting Engineers