Fire Expert, Gareth Dobinson, was recently invited to present to Howdens Insurance Brokers in their London office.
Gareth’s presentation ‘Investigations: Fire and Escapes of Water’ explained how our experts conduct investigations into such incidents, the type of evidence they look for, and included a review of some recent case studies. He explained that every escape of water investigation is different, but the starting point is to check pipes and fittings. When investigating a fire, he would look at the patterns of fire, areas of significant damage, and ignition sources. Fire and engineering failures all come with an associated risk. Not only can fires be destructive and affect the structure of a building, but vital evidence may be destroyed, making it harder to determine the root cause and whether the incident could have been prevented.
To help combat the lack of evidence, Gareth highlighted the importance of witness information to establish what was present before a loss. For example, understanding the original structures, and how any relevant systems were operating before a failure. Each of these factors can help identify the origin of the failure and provide our clients with crucial evidence when assessing claims.
Gareth joined Hawkins in 2011 and has investigated fires in domestic and commercial premises as well as engineering failures. He is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer and Regional Manager of our London office. Gareth regularly presents on fire and escapes of water losses to clients and at external events. If you would like Gareth or any of our other experts to present to your organisation, please get in touch.
