Our Glasgow team were the latest experts to welcome a group of clients from Aviva to our office, for a Forensic Fun Day. Civil Engineer, Jon Watkins, Materials Expert, Dr Christabel Evans and Fire Expert and Chartered Engineer, Dr Tom Peat, hosted the event and shared their expertise and experience from cases they have investigated.
The event commenced with an introduction to Hawkins and the services we offer, followed by presentations from Jon, Christabel, and Tom.
Jon introduced the first presentation, ‘Construction Incidents & Personal Injury Investigations’ which highlighted the cost associated with workplace injuries, the industries that contribute the highest number of fatalities, and the type of incidents that cause them. He provided an overview of the process that a Hawkins investigator would go through when conducting such investigations, including the use of drones to assist in scene investigations. We are using drones on a daily basis at Hawkins to inspect hazardous or difficult to reach areas.
Christabel and Tom followed with ‘An Introduction to Plumbing Fittings & the Use of Heat’ which put the guests in the shoes of a plumber, to complete a practical exercise using a variety of fittings to gain an appreciation of what a correctly (and incorrectly) fitted plumbing joint looks like. Tom and Christabel explained that if a fault is not identified promptly, the size of a loss can escalate quickly as the escape of water continues to cause further damage. This is particularly the case in multi-occupancy buildings. If evidence can be retained, there is a strong likelihood of establishing the precise cause of the failure and potentially a route for recovery. They concluded with some examples of common types of plumbing fittings and practical advice.
To complete the day, guests were tasked with assembling a particular configuration of pipework fittings, which was then subjected to a pressure test to determine if they were watertight.
Hawkins would like to thank everyone who attended.
Jon, Christabel and Tom have over 20 years of combined experience of forensic investigations and regularly investigate cases ranging from personal injuries to fire and escapes of water incidents. If you would like Jon, Christabel or Tom to present to your organisation or investigate an incident, please get in touch.
