Delmar R. "Trey" Morrison, III, Ph.D., P.E., CFEI

Dr. Morrison’s practice areas encompass both product and process safety pertaining to the control of hazardous energy sources such as fires, explosions, and chemical releases. He specializes in both field and laboratory investigations of origin, cause, and engineering issues related to hazardous chemicals accidents, fires, explosions, and chemical technology. Dr. Morrison’s expertise includes chemical engineering, fire dynamics, and the system safety of products and processes.

Dr. Morrison provides consulting services for a variety of industries. Beyond the wide range of consumer and industrial appliances he evaluates, he has focused on dryer systems including residential and commercial clothes dryers and industrial dryers, ovens, and furnaces. He provides analyses of heat producing processes such as self-heating materials, ignition, and combustion. As a chemical engineer, his areas of expertise include analyzing the effects of chemical plant operator actions, control system response, and process unit response during upset situations and hazardous operations that can lead to a hazardous release of energy. As part of Dr. Morrison’s proactive safety consulting services, he leads hazard assessments using industry-accepted methods such as HAZOP studies, What-If studies, and LOPA studies, combined with analytical studies such as Fault Tree Analysis, Event Tree Analysis, and Root Cause Analysis.

Dr. Morrison’s doctoral studies in Chemical Engineering focused on the safety of self-heating materials and reactive chemical hazards. He developed highly specialized skills in the application of ignition theory of solid materials to wood and other cellulosics through external heating and spontaneous ignition as a result of internal self-heating. He applies these skills accident scenarios ranging from spontaneous ignition of oil-contaminated fabrics to self-heating of bulk solid oxidizers.

Morrison DR. Fire containment and clothes dryers. Appliance Mag 2009; 66(9):16–19, November/December.

Morrison DR, Ogle RA, Gidaspow D. Internal natural convection effects on the self-heating of solids. American Institute of Chemical Engineers, 2009 Annual Meeting, Nashville, TN, November 13, 2009.

Morrison DR. Analysis of a two decade old arson investigation using scientific fire investigation methods: The People vs. Madison Hobley. Invited guest lecture, Knox College Forensic Sciences Class, October 2009.

Blum A, Long RT, Ogle RA, Morrison DR, Dillon SE. Performing a high-rise life safety analysis: Lessons learned from the cook county administration building fire. 2009 NFPA America’s Fire and Security Exposition, Miami Beach, FL, July 30, 2009.

Morrison DR. Industrial accident investigation. Lecture in the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, Northwestern University, May 20, 2009.

Su YS, Morrison DR, Ogle RA. Chemical kinetics of calcium hypochlorite decomposition in aqueous solutions. J Chem Health and Safety 2009; 16(3):21–25 May/June.

Morrison DR, Martens JD, Ogle RA, Cowells JT. Root Cause Analysis of a Cryogenic Refrigeration System Explosion. American Institute of Chemical Engineers, 2009 Spring National Meeting, 43rd Annual Loss Prevention Symposium, Tampa, Florida, April 26–30, 2009.

Morrison DR, Martens JD, Ogle RA, Cowells JT. Accident Investigation Using Process Control Event Diagrams. American Institute of Chemical Engineers, 2009 Spring National Meeting, 24th Annual CCPS International Conference, Tampa, Florida, April 26–30, 2009.

Morrison DR, Ogle RA, Dillon SE, Lucas RJ. Analysis of a two decade old arson investigation using scientific fire investigation methods: The People vs. Madison Hobley. Proceedings, 2009 Fire and Materials Conference, San Francisco, CA, Interscience Communications Limited, London, January 2009.

Ogle RA, Morrison DR, Carpenter AR, Ramirez JC. Common causes and corrections for explosions and fires in improperly inerted vessels. The 2008 Annual Meeting of the Venezuelan Society of Safety Executives (SegurShow 2008), Caracas, Venezuela, October 29–31, 2008. (In Spanish).

Ogle RA, Morrison DR, Carpenter AR, Ramirez JC. The relationship between automation complexity and operator error. The 2008 Annual Meeting of the Venezuelan Society of Safety Executives (SegurShow 2008), Caracas, Venezuela, October 29–31, 2008. (In Spanish).

Morrison DR, Ogle RA, Ramirez RA. Evaporator upset investigation in a sugar processing plant. First Andean Congress on Safety and Health at Work, Lima, Perú, October 22–24, 2008. (In Spanish).

Morrison DR. Thermal ignition studies of wood flour. Ph.D. dissertation in Chemical Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, May 2008.

Morrison DR. Self-heating materials and thermal stability hazards. Lecture in the School of Engineering, Stanford University, May 5, 2008.

Morrison DR, Ogle RA. Evaluating kinetic parameters for solid substances exhibiting complex self-heating behavior. American Institute of Chemical Engineers, 2008 Spring National Meeting, 42nd Annual Loss Prevention Symposium, New Orleans, LA, April 7–9, 2008.

Dillon SE, Carpenter AR, Ogle RA. Comparative fire risk of motor vehicle fuels: Gasoline vs. ethanol. Presented at American Institute of Chemical Engineers, 2008 Spring National Meeting, 42nd Annual Loss Prevention Symposium, New Orleans, LA, April 7–9, 2008.

Morrison DR, Ogle RA. Further application of the Semenov model to evaluate the possibility of spontaneous combustion in tumble dryers. J Fire Sci 2008; 26(2):173–190.

Morrison DR, Ogle RA, Gidaspow D. A new assessment of the finite Biot number correction to thermal ignition tests. American Institute of Chemical Engineers, 2007 Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT, November 8, 2007.

Ogle RA, Morrison DR, Carpenter AR. The relationship between automation complexity and operator error. J Hazard Mat 2006; 159(1–3):135–141.

Morrison DR. ‘Transient self-heating vs. steady state theory for ignition of wood flour’ and ‘scientific investigation of incendiary fires.’ Invited guest lectures, Knox College Chemistry Department, October 2006.

Morrison DR, Su YS, Fecke MJ. Spontaneous combustion tendency of household chemicals and clothes dryers – Part 2. Appliance Mag 2006; 6:26–30, July.

Morrison DR, Su YS, Fecke MJ. Spontaneous combustion tendency of household chemicals and clothes dryers – Part 1. Appliance Mag 2006; 7:26–31, June.

Morrison DR, Su YS, Fecke MJ. Spontaneous combustion tendency of household chemicals and clothes dryers. 2006 International Appliance Technical Conference, March 2006. This paper received the Dana Chase Memorial Award for the Best Paper presented at the conference.

Ogle RA, Morrison DR, Carpenter AR. The relationship between operator error and automation complexity. 2006 Annual Symposium, Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, October 2006.

Ogle RA, Morrison DR, Carpenter AR, Su YS. Missed opportunities in reactive chemical hazard evaluations. Process Saf Prog 2006; 25(1):2–7, March.

Morrison DR, Ogle RA, Viz MJ, Carpenter AR, Su YS. Investigating chemical process accidents: Examples of good practices. Process Saf Prog 2006; 25(1), March.

Caligiuri RD, Morrison DR. Using root cause analysis in product safety investigations. Presentation for Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers Product Liability Seminar, Washington, D.C., October 2005.

Ogle RA, Morrison DR, Viz MJ. Emergency response to a noncollision hazmat release from a railcar. Process Saf Prog 2005; 24(2):81–85, June.

Ogle RA, Carpenter AR, Morrison DR. Lessons learned from fires and explosions involving air pollution control systems. Process Saf Prog 2005; 24(2):120–125, June.

Morrison DR, Ogle RA, Viz MJ, Carpenter AR, Su YS. Investigating chemical process accidents: examples of good practices. Engineers Process Plant Safety Symposium, 2005 Spring National Meeting, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Atlanta, GA, April 11–13, 2005.

Ogle RA, Morrison DR, Carpenter AR, Su YS. Missed opportunities in reactive chemical hazard evaluations. 39th Annual Loss Prevention Symposium, American Institute of Chemical Engineers Spring National Meeting, April 11–13, 2005.

Ogle RA, Carpenter AR, Morrison DR. Explosion of a railcar containing toluene diisocyanate waste. Process Saf Prog 2004; 23(4):316–320, December.

Ogle RA, Megerle MV, Morrison DR, Carpenter AR. Explosion caused by flashing liquid in a process vessel. J Hazard Mat 2004; 115(1–3):133–140.

Ogle RA, Morrison DR, Viz MJ. Emergency response to a non-collision HAZMAT release from a railcar. 19th Annual CCPS International Conference, Emergency Planning: Preparedness, Prevention and Response; Orlando, FL, June 2004.

Ogle RA, Carpenter AR, Morrison DR. Lessons learned from fire and explosions involving air pollution control systems. 38th Annual Loss Prevention Symposium, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, New Orleans, LA, April 2004.

Morrison DR, Ogle RA, MacDonald M. Analyzing lint deposition within the residential electric clothes dryer. 2004 International Appliance Technical Conference, March 2004.

Morrison DR, Ogle RA, MacDonald M. Assessing electric dryer lint fire cause scenarios. 2004 International Appliance Technical Conference, March 2004.

Ogle RA, Carpenter AR, Morrison DR. Explosion of a railcar containing toluene diisocyanate waste. 18th International CCPS Conference and Workshop: Managing Chemical Reactivity Hazards and High Energy Release Events, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, September 25, 2003.

Ogle RA, Haussmann G, Lucas RJ, Carpenter AR, Morrison DR. The scientific investigation of arson fires. 2003 DRI Fire and Casualty Seminar, Defense Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ, November 2003.

Ogle RA, Megerle MV, Morrison DR, Carpenter AR. Explosion caused by a flashing liquid in a process vessel. 2003 Annual Symposium, Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, October, 2003.

Morrison DR, Carpenter AR, and Ogle RA. Common causes and corrections for explosions and fires in improperly inerted vessels. Process Saf Prog 2002; 21(2):142–150, June.

Morrison DR. Basic fire origin and cause investigation. Presentation and Training Program for the Illinois Association of Special Investigation Units, March 2002.

Ogle RA, Morrison DR. Investigation of an acid spill caused by the failure of an air-operated diaphragm pump. Process Saf Prog 2001; 20(1): 41-49, March.

Morrison DR, Carpenter AR, Ogle RA. Common causes and correction for explosions and fires in improperly inerted vessels. Beyond Regulatory Compliance: Making Safety Second Nature, Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 2001.

Ogle RA, Morrison DR. Evaluation of accident investigations conducted by regulatory authorities and advisory agencies. Beyond Regulatory Compliance: Making Safety Second Nature, Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, October 2000.

Process Safety

• American Institute of Chemical Engineers (Senior Member)
• Member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Loss Prevention and Process Safety Programming Group (Area 11a of the AIChE Safety & Health Division)
• Vice Chair for the 2010 AIChE Loss Prevention Symposium
• Chair for the 2011 AIChE Loss Prevention Symposium

Fire Safety

• National Fire Protection Association (member)
• National Association of Fire Investigators (member)

Product Safety

• Member of Underwriters Laboratories Standards Technical Panel (STP) for UL 2157, Standard for Electric Clothes Washing Machines and Extractors
• Member of Underwriters Laboratories Standards Technical Panel (STP) for UL 2158, Standard for Electric Clothes Dryers
• Member of Underwriters Laboratories Task Group for Clothes Dryer Exhaust Duct Power Ventilators