The 18th
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM)
Our 18th AGM will be a solely virtual event.
Unlike previous years and due to the ongoing pandemic, we have taken the decision to hold the event online for the first time.
AGENDA
The virtual event will be held at 10:00 hours on Monday 25th January 2021.
Should any members wish to attend the AGM please register by following the link below.
Once registered a joining link will be sent prior to the event.
CLICK HERE To register for the UK-AFI 18th AGM
Annual Training Conference
Virtual Event via Zoom
1st & 2nd February 2021
Monday 1st February 2021 -
REGISTRATION: £30.00 (CLICK HERE) Both days (CLICK HERE)
13:00 Cameron Novak – Electrical and Fire Research Engineer ATF USA
“A methodology for the identification and interpretation of damage on electrical wiring”
15:00 Virtual Coffee Break and Photographic Competition
15:15 James Acott – Associate Fire Investigator at Fire Investigation UK LLP.
“Lost Neutrals: Case studies and theories on electrical lost neutral events”
16:15 Closing Comments and Questions
16:30 Meeting ends
Tuesday 2nd February 2021 - REGISTRATION: £30.00 (CLICK HERE)
13:00 Tony Smith – Specialist Battery Engineering Consultant, TS Battery Engineering Ltd.
“Lithium battery Fires: A follow on from the fundamentals to lithium batteries, delivered 10th July 2020”.
15:00 Virtual Coffee Break and Results of the Photographic Competition.
15:15 Dai Hancock – National Fire Investigation Accreditation Lead Officer.
“Chance and Change: A perspective on the route to quality in Fire Investigation through the ISO 17020 accreditation”
16:15 Closing Comments and Questions
16:30 Meeting ends
To Book Click the Link PRICE: Member £30 Per Day or £50 for 2 Day Pass
Non Members £60 Per Day or £100 for 2 Day Pass
Minimising Exposure to Toxic Fire Effluents
"Guidance on how to minimise exposure to toxic fire effluents"
As a best practice report it aims to help protect firefighters’ health by highlighting some of the risks and common sources and suggests preventative measures for minimising exposure to contaminants. The report details best practice for the decontamination of FRS personnel and firefighting equipment after exposure to toxic fire effluent. The Author Professor Anna Stec and friend of the UK-AFI, hopes it can be used by the others who are exposed to contaminants.
The link to this report can be found here: Minimising firefighters' exposure to toxic fire effluents | Fire Brigades Union (fbu.org.uk)
UK-AFI Presentation Webinars
"The Toxicology of Fire Deaths"
"Achieving Best Evidence and Limitations"
Date: 26th November 2020
Time: 11:00 Hours
Duration: 1 Hour
Presenter: Mike Scott-Ham, Mike has more than 40 years of experience as a Forensic Scientist, with 35 of these as an expert in Toxicology. He has advised governments concerning Toxicology matters and written many scientific papers in addition to undertaking 1000s of cases and giving evidence at various courts on many 100s of occasions. He has worked on many high-profile cases. He also lectures to and trains other scientists in all toxicological matters including post-mortem toxicology and its associated issues.”
UK-AFI MEMBERS ONLY EVENT,
Please check your Membership Status prior to registering.
FUTURE EVENTS: Should you wish to deliver a one hour presenation please dont hesitate to get in touch.
Code of Practice
CONSULTATION
The Code of Practice for the Investigation of Fires and Explosions for the UK criminal justice system had been reviewed and is now in consultation.
Below are two documents
A clean version so that members can review the proposed amended document in its current form (CLICK HERE)
A version with tracked changes to highlight the changes from the previous edition (CLICK HERE)
We hope you will take time to provide your views on this proposed Second Edition of the Code, so that the UK-AFI can bring these views to a final discussion to take place with The IFE and the NFCC to agree and finalise the Second Edition.
This final consultation will remain open until midnight on 8th June 2020.
Please send your comments to [email protected].
IAAI Awards
The UK-AFI are pleased to announce the Winners of three prestigious awards at the recent IAAI AGM.
The Winners Included
The UK-AFI (67th IAAI Chapter)
Outstanding Chapter Award
Hampshire Constabulary and
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service Arson Task Force
Outstanding Accomplishment Award
West Midlands Fire Service
Outstanding Accomplishment Award
Further details of the awards can be found at:-
https://www.firearson.com/About-IAAI/Awards.aspx
Congratulations to all the winners of the IAAI Awards
Changes to the Forensic Regulator's
Code of Practice and Conduct
The Forensic Science Regulator has updated her Code of Practice and Conduct and within are some important changes that will affect all practitioners that operate within the criminal Justice system.
Within, there are significant updates regarding the timetable for accreditation of Fire scene investigation.
There is to be a new appendix with guidance specifically for accreditation in fire investigation.
Below is the link to the latest version of the Code.
Codes of Practice and Conduct for forensic science providers and practitioners in the Criminal Justice System
Summer Training Conference 2020
CANCELLED
In light of the current situation regarding
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
We have taken the unprecedented decision to cancel this year’s Summer Training Conference Scheduled to be held in Newcastle on the 6th July 2020
ALL IS NOT LOST
Over the next two months we will be working hard to deliver
a package of CPD Webinars for our members.
Further details will follow regarding how you can login and take part in these
webinar events
The Latest BBC Sounds Podcast
Featuring two of our members Emma Wilson and Nikki Harvey
Annual Photographic Competition
Entries are once again invited for the UK-AFI annual photographic competition, the closing date for entries is 19th January 2020
The winners will be announced at the Annual Training Conference to be held at the VOCO St. Johns Hotel in Solihull on January 27-28, 2020
As in previous years, photos will be judged and prizes awarded in three categories:
•General (related to Fire/Fire Investigation) - £50 Prize
•Investigators at Work - £50 Prize
•Technical (Close up & Forensic) - £50 Prize
A prize will be awarded for the best overall image. - £100 Prize
Photos will be judged on content, technique and composition and published in the UK-AFI Journal.
Entries should be submitted electronically via https://iaai.mediafiler.net/iaai/start
Last Years Winners are Below:
Special thanks to our competition sponsors
17th UK-AFI Annual Training Conference
27th and 28th January 2020
St. Johns Hotel (Voco) - Solihull
Bookings are now be taken for the annual two day training conference
There will be the usual high standard of speakers over two days as well as the regular opportunities for networking with colleagues from all areas of our discipline.
Don't miss out on the Annual Training Conference being held at VOCO St Johns Hotel
Click Here to see the Speakers Schedule
Consultation: Fire Investigation Code of Practice
The Code of Practice for Investigators of Fires and Explosions for the Criminal Justice Systems in the UK came into effect in April 2017.
This Code of Practice is directed only at fire investigation practitioners (public and private sector) who undertake fire scene examinations and the reporting of their subsequent findings within the UK criminal justice systems of the UK (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland).
The Code of Practice is jointly published and endorsed by the Chief Fire Officers’ Association, the Institution of Fire Engineers and the UK Association of Fire Investigators.
These three organisations agreed that the Code of Practice would be reviewed with any updates published in a revised version around 2020.
As the professional body representing fire investigation practitioner’s the UK-AFI are inviting members to participate and submit proposals/comments for consideration in the review process.
The Code of Practice can be found at: https://www.uk-afi.org/sites/default/files/field/page/fi_code_of_practice_for_publication.pdf
It would be appreciated if all comments could be returned, as soon as possible but no later than Monday September 30, 2019.
Have you checked out the latest Product Recalls
Published recalls added weekly
IAAI Board of Directors
Claire Mansi, our past Director of Administration, was election to the IAAI Board of Directors at the IAAI ITC 2019 in Jacksonville, Florida. The IAAI Election results can be viewed at https://www.firearson.com/Alerts/2019-Election-Results.aspx
Forensic Regulator shares information
The Forensic Regulator attended a UK-AFI Training Conference in 2017 and shared some information about free resources that were available to assist in the adoption of Standards.
Regulator’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/forensic-science-regulator
Government launches new Office for Product Safety and Standards
The government has announced the creation of a new national oversight body tasked with identifying consumer risks and managing responses to large-scale product recalls and repairs.
The new Office for Product Safety and Standards will enable the UK to meet the evolving challenges of product safety by responding to expanding international trade, the growth in online shopping and the increasing rate of product innovation.
Today’s announcement comes as part of the government’s response to the Working Group on Product Recalls and Safety. Established in October 2016 by former Consumer Minister Margot James, the group of product and fire safety experts was brought together to build on the recommendations made by Lynn Faulds Wood in her independent review into consumer product recalls.
HM Government announces an update relating to the Grenfell Tower fire in the "Acting on Product Safety" area of its website
HM Government has established an area of its website which is dedicated to product recalls. The website provides links to the product recall databases hosted by Electrical Safety First website, the UK-AFI website and the 'recent' product recalls published on the Chartered Trading Standards Institute website. Please use this link to access the HM Government Product Recalls area and the Grenfell Tower announcement.
Use this link to go to the Electrical Safety First Product Recalls database
Use this link to go to the Chartered Trading Standards Institute website where recenly published prodcut recalls are listed.
Use this link to go to the fire and electrical defect related Product Recalls on this website which has Product Recalls dating back to 1996 and are searchable by product type and manufacturer. In addition, results can be filtered by date.
