For nearly 50 years, Exponent (formerly Failure Analysis Associates) has been a leader in the investigation, analysis, and prevention of accidents and failures. We are one of the largest consulting firms in the world that has a specialty in failure analysis. We have conducted over a hundred thousand investigations over the years for corporations, insurers, individuals, and their counsel to figure out “what happened?”

Exponent provides independent, third party design and process safety reviews for clients that are designing, manufacturing, and distributing products. With nearly 50 years of analyzing accidents and failures, our consultants provide a valuable service to companies to address potential product or process risk concerns, construction or manufacturing issues, as well provide supplemental engineering or scientific support services to their design team. We work with companies of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies, to perform services such as mechanical, electrical or structural analyses, testing, materials characterization, product usage, health or environmental risk evaluations, construction management and regulatory support.

Exponent’s Environmental and Health consulting groups specialize in timely, high-quality, creative, and practical solutions to problems that affect our clients' ability to conduct business globally. Our scientists, physicians, and regulatory specialists provide unparalleled, interdisciplinary expertise to evaluate the full range of environmental and public health issues that face our nation and the world. These issues include potential environmental and health effects associated with environmental agents, chemicals, consumer products, food safety and nutrition, and pharmaceutical products. Indeed, members of our staff are leaders in developing the risk assessment methodologies that are essential to address the complexities of these issues. Our national and international clients rely on us for incisive and objective assessments that address physical, chemical, and biological phenomena in order to arrive at solutions that can be relied upon to make important decisions.

Exponent’s team of engineers and scientists provide clients with a comprehensive suite of support services once a product has been put to into the stream of commerce. Exponent provides support to assist with warranty claims, pro-active product recall, regulatory investigations, or litigation. Our consultants work with clients to respond to regulatory requests and have presented findings in front of the major U.S. regulatory bodies, including the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Our approach is focused on the robustness of the product related to particular safety concerns, so that if and when a failure occurs, it will occur safely.

Whether it involves workers in your facility or the people in the neighboring community, safety is paramount in a company’s operational plan. Exponent’s scientists and engineers work hand-in-hand with the company's environmental health and safety (EHS) team to evaluate human and environmental risks as well as provide emergency response when events or incidents occur.

Exponent provides scientific support to assist clients comply with federal, state, and international laws, regulations, guidelines, and specifications relevant to the products or processes that they develop. We provide timely, high-quality, creative, and practical solutions to regulatory issues affecting our clients' ability to conduct business globally. Our experienced staff includes both technical and regulatory consultants who are experienced in dealing with U.S. and international regulatory agencies. Our consultants work with clients across the product life cycle, from early phase development to post-market programs. We have presented findings in front of the major U.S. regulatory organizations, including the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as well as regulatory bodies in the EU, Asia, and Canada.

Exponent works with commercial and governmental entities of all sizes on their technology development and research challenges. The breadth and depth of our highly degreed professionals is constantly being refreshed by recruits from the top universities around the world. This stream of talent allows us to maintain a deep and current knowledge base of leading technologies, cutting edge health, environmental and engineering research, and novel testing techniques that we can bring to bear on our clients’ hardest challenges. Similarly, our strong ties and experience across a broad range of industries puts us in a unique position to assemble cross-domain teams and leverage our independent research and technologies proven in one domain and apply them to our clients’ benefit in another. Where appropriate, our consultants publish research in peer-reviewed journals and present findings at national or international scientific venues.

Exponent helps clients address risks that are technical in nature and where it is critical to have a deep understanding of business issues, scientific and technical issues, and how they relate to each other. As such, many of our consultants have engineering, health, environmental, construction, and business expertise. We routinely address issues such as risk management, asset management, reliability planning, technology planning, business planning, business operations, construction management, capital budgeting, and economic analysis.