iaai - uk newsletter autumn 2004 issue 3 · contents president’s message 1 committee talk; 2...

CONTENTSPresident’s message 1

Committee talk; 2 - Regional Representatives - Election nomination forms

Fires of Special Interest 3

Articles; 4-7 - Deadly dusts - Dust explosion case study - Landlord commits manslaughter

IAAI-UK merchandise 8

Membership application 9-10

Recall notices 11

Arson Prosecutions 12

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEDear Members,

I hope that you are all well and keeping safe. Much has happened over the past 6 months, not only in the UK, but also within Europe and the USA.

The first UK CFI exams are to be held at London Fire Brigade’s Southwark Training Centre on 18th November. First Vice President Kirk Hankins is flying over from the USA to form part of the examination panel. The exam will be independently scrutinised by rep-resentatives from the Institution of Fire Engineers and Strathclyde University.

There are 10 investigators taking the exam: a truly positive indication of the high standards that are amongst our Chapter members. I urge all eligible members to apply for CFI, as the application process takes time. An additional 13 members are completing their applications at the moment.

We now have 10 Regional Representatives (RR’s) who, due to time passing far too quickly, must feel as they have been forgotten! I personally apologise for that. However, much work is being done in the background and their offer to take on the role is appreciated by all the Committee members. Details

of the RR’s will soon be published on the web-site, with links for contact details. We are aiming to get all the RR’s together twice a year and filter local issues, such as membership and training through them.

Our membership stands at 223 to date. Recent events have highlighted the need to create a more robust system so as to prevent unsuitable individuals from joining the Chapter.

Whilst we are happy to welcome and support new individuals in the field of fire and arson investigation, some form of vetting procedure is being considered, such as a reference from an existing Chapter member, or providing a curriculum vitae. It doesn’t matter how many or how few members we have in the Chapter, but we have a duty to ensure that ALL the potential members are bone-fide to protect the integrity of the Chapter and the Fire and Arson Community of the UK.

On the 19th November 2004, the first IAAI-UK ‘Training Road-Show’ is being held at the offices of the Arson Prevention Bureau in the City of London. Following the high interest and uptake of this inexpensive day’s training, we intend to repeat the day in Strathclyde next summer and at two other locations around the UK during the Spring and Autumn. The web-site has further details.

Our Scottish Regional representative, John Gow, together with Niamh Nic Daeid, have found a venue in Glasgow for our next IAAI-UK Summer Meeting, and also considering holding the Training Road Show the day before.

Finally, I would like to thank all our members that keep me informed of local issues and problems. Without expanding on specifics, the ‘network’ system that we have created within our Chapter works incredibly well. When it is necessary to offer support, I can safely say that the system has been tried and tested!

Peter Mansi

EVENTS DIARY

5 - 7 November ‘04 Bedfordshire Autumn conference and AGM This meeting will launch the Forensic Science Society as a professional body. Speakers include senior members of the scientific, legal, and policing professions. The main theme will be the new role of the Society as a learned and professional body. There will be an extensive scientific programme with a wide range of specialist workshops including DNA, drugs, imaging and shoe marks. E-mail: info@[email protected]

18 November ‘04 London Certified Fire Investigator - EXAM

19 November ‘04 London Forensic Awareness Training Day The first in a series of one-day training workshops aimed at improving the skills and knowledge of those involved in fire investigation. The syllabus will meet the job performance requirements set out in section 4.4 Evidence Collection/Preservation of NFPA 1033. Contact: [email protected]

31st January ’05 London IAAI-UK Annual General Meeting

April ’05 IAAI-UK Newsletter, Issue 4 Submission date 31st March, please

27 - 29 June ’05 Brunel Live, Learn and Pass It On Already an impressive list of speakers and subjects has been collated for the annual collaboration of fire investigators.

5 - 7 July ’05 Teesside International Fire & Arson Conference A range of speakers, providing an international perspective and insight into developments and intervention techniques used in fire investigation.

18th July ’05 Glasgow IAAI-UK Summer Meeting A tentative date for next years calendar.

19th July ’05 Glasgow Forensic Awareness Training Day Due to the interest generated in the first workshop, another event is scheduled for our northern membership, to coincide with the summer meeting. We are not yet ready to make bookings, but please send expressions of interest to the Secretary; Contact: [email protected]

IAAI - UK Newsletter

www.iaai-uk.org.uk 1

Autumn 2004 Issue 3


Letter to the Editor…In the April issue of the IAAI-UK Newsletter, Hilary Brown has provided a very helpful article explaining the differences be-tween deflagrations and detonations. She gives a table of “flame speeds”, but I am concerned that the uninformed reader may not appreciate the difference between “flame speed” and “burning velocity”, a term which she also uses.

Properly, the term “burning velocity” refers to the rate at which the flame propagates into the unburnt gas ahead of the flame front - i.e. the rate is measured with respect to the unburnt gas (which may or may not be stationary). “Flame speed”, on the other hand, is the rate at which the flame propagates with re-spect to a fixed observer.

They differ if the unburnt gas is pushed ahead of the flame front as will almost certainly happen if the flammable mixture is in a confined space. This is particularly important in pipes and ducts when ignition occurs at a closed end. The process generates turbulence in the unburnt gas which enhances the rate of burn-ing (“self-turbulised flames”, in Ms Brown’s terminology) and is manifest as an increase in both the observed flame speed and the burning velocity.

It is important to make the distinction between these two terms. The “fundamental burning velocity” is defined as the rate of propagation of flame into a non–turbulent or quiescent stoichiometric mixture of a gaseous fuel in air and is a good measure to compare the relative reactivities of different fuels1, 2.

In principle, the fundamental burning velocity can be regarded as a basic property of a flammable gas or vapour. “Flame speeds” on the other hand are apparatus-dependent and do not give a proper comparison of the reactivities of these three gases or their potential behaviour.

Dougal Drysdale, University of Edinburgh

In her reply, Hilary admitted using flame speed and burning velocity somewhat synonymously, but appreciates the difference between them. Her aim was for a basic grounding in explosions, and didn't want to confuse the readers with scientific terms and definitions. For the purpose of the article, the values were used to signify the differ-ence between the gases, rather than the values themselves. How-ever, a note of thanks for Professor Drysdale for clarifying the mat-ter, lest any confusion that may have arisen.

Regional RepresentativesIn order to assist the work of the committee, there are ten Re-gional Representatives. Each will promote the IAAI, Certified Fire Investigator programme and be a focal point for the com-mittee, and the membership. It is intended that this will strengthen our growing membership, within the IAAI-UK Chap-ter. Contact details will be available shortly (on the web).

Martin Bloomfield – South East Pete Sandell – South West Ken Wall – Wales Steve West – West Midlands Mark Ross – London Malcolm Sawdy – East Dave Brocklesby – East Midlands Steve Clayton – North West Graham Thomson – North East John Gow – Scotland

Membership FeesIf you owe membership fees, then please pay them and com-plete a standing order form ASAP which can be filled in on p10 or downloaded from our web-site.

Training WorkshopAll 40 places for the Forensic Awareness workshop in London on the 19th November have filled up very quickly, as expressed by the members at the AGM when it was first mentioned.

John Gow, Regional Rep for Scotland has been busy organising the summer meeting, to be held in Glasgow. We are already looking forward to the next workshop, and have decided to schedule it in conjunction with the Summer Meeting.

Although the Glasgow fixture is still tentative, in light of how quickly our first workshop filled, please send expressions of in-terest to Claire Purton. If there are 8 or more from a region applying, then let us know - we are willing to consider more lo-calised workshops, if there is a demand.

Annual General MeetingIt is once again that time when we start to look forward to the upcoming New Year. Of course, the Chapter Annual General Meeting will already be firmly booked in you calendars. Anyone who is seeking a place on the Executive or Committee is invited to send their written nominations to;

Secretary, IAAI-UK Chapter, PO Box 28694, London, N20 0WT by the 30th November 2004.

Please include;

Your full name Position applied for Name of Proposer Name of Seconder

Fuel Stoichiometric concentration

Fundamental burning velocity (m/s)

Methane 9.5 0.37

Acetylene 7.8 1.7

Hydrogen 29.6 3.2

1. J F Griffiths and J A Barnard, “Flame and Combustion” Third Edition, (Blackie Academic and Professional Press, 1995) 2. Dougal Drysdale, “Introduction to Fire Dynamics” Second Edition (John Wiley and Sons, 1999)

Committee Talk


Modern chip fireA Cornwall fire crew attended a fire involving a microwave. On arrival, they found the kitchen partially smoke logged. Inside the microwave was a box of McCain Micro chips, in which the contents had been reduced to carbon. They had apparently been cooked for the correct amount of time.

The occupier took this up with McCain, who stated that these chips become dehydrated after the sell-by date, hence not enough moisture for cooking with the resulting fire.

There was a faint date stamp on the remains of the box, and it appeared that they were well out of date. Do you check all your frozen food for dates?

Ray Dawe, Cornwall County Fire Brigade

130-year-old fire put outA fire that broke out in 1874 at a Chinese coalfield has finally been extinguished.

Over the last four years, $12m has been spent in efforts to put out the flames. The fire at the Liuhuanggou colliery, near Urumqi was the largest among eight major coalfield fire areas in the Xinjiang province.

Xinjiang accounts for 1.8 trillion tons, or 40.6%, of China's total coal reserves. While ablaze, the fire burned up an estimated 1.8m tons of coal every year.

The continuing blaze is also thought to have caused environmental damage to the region: the burning coal emitted 100,000 tons of harmful gases - including carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide - and 40,000 tons of ash every year.

Reported on the BBC news website, on 03-Nov-04

Dust ExplosionsHere is a quick summary of some recent investigations carried out by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board: an independent federal agency that investigates industrial chemical accidents.

29 January 2003, Kinston, North Carolina, USA

The accident killed 6 workers and injured 38 others, including two fire-fighters. The blast was felt 25 miles away and burning debris ignited fires in wooded areas as far as two miles away. A large fire at the plant burned for two days.

The process involves passing rubber strips through a tank of fine polyethylene powder and water and were then air-dried with fans. Polyethylene dust the consistency of talcum powder became airborne in the process and was drawn above the suspended ceiling by heating and air conditioning intake ducts.

20 February 2003, Corbin, Kentucky, USA

An explosion and fire damaged the CTA Acoustics manufacturing plant, fatally injuring seven workers. The facility produced fibreglass insulation for the automotive industry. Investigators have found that the explosion was fuelled by resin dust accumulated in a production area, likely ignited by flames from a malfunctioning oven. The resin involved was a phenolic binder used in producing fibreglass mats.

29 October 2003, Huntington, Indiana, USA

A series of explosions severely burned two workers, injured a third, and caused property damage to the Hayes Lemmerz manufacturing plant. One of the severely burned men subsequently died. The Hayes Lemmerz plant manufactures cast aluminium automotive wheels, and the explosions were fuelled by accumulated aluminium dust.

All information from http://www.csb.gov

Fires of Special Interest


Although not a modern phenomenon, in 1785 the destruction of an Italian flour mill was the first documented case of a dust explosion. There have been several historic dust explosions since and it has been estimated that this type of explosion occurs on average once a week, and accounts for hundreds of deaths and cause many millions of pounds in damages.

However, although the flammability of gases and vapours is well understood, the hazards associated with dusts are one of the least recognised of industrial fire hazards.

IntroductionIn much the same way as a flammable gas or vapour, dusts also have the potential to explode. These explosions are most common in the food industry, as the majority of organic powders will form combustible dust clouds; flour, custard powder, instant coffee, soup powder, dried milk and sugar.

In addition, coal, pharmaceuticals, some plastics and many metal powders have the potential to form a flammable dust cloud. Even unlikely substances, such as PVC (polyvinyl chloride), which is not normally considered flammable, if in a suitable format, can explode.

Common dust-generating processes include paper processing, milling, grinding, mixing, screen separation and filtration, spray drying, pneumatic conveyance, storage and finely divided materials.

CriteriaAs with gases, certain criteria must be applied;

• The dust must be combustible.

• A sufficiently powerful ignition source must be present.

• The atmosphere must contain sufficient oxygen to support and sustain combustion.

• The particle must be capable of becoming airborne, either by being finely divided (small) or forced by the process.

• Conditions within its explosive limits - analogous with upper and lower flammability limits of gases and vapours.

The explosive limits of dusts are dependant on shape, size and size distribution of the particle, and moisture content, as well as the composition of the dust itself. As a general rule, the smaller the dust, the more explosive the powder.

Due to the fundamental nature of dust, it is usually possible to determine whether a dust cloud may be explosive, as visibility will be impaired, even at the lower explosive limit (between 20 and 50 gm-3 for the majority of dusts).

Hence, susceptible dusts are often sold in pellet form if possible to reduce the likelihood of producing a flammable dust cloud.

Secondary Dust ExplosionsDust has the potential to cause another serious problem: it settles. Thick layers of dust can build up unnoticed on inaccessible beams and ledges, in a relatively short space of time.

In this context it’s not a problem.

However, this settled dust can very easily and suddenly form a flammable cloud when it becomes disturbed. When this happens due to the pressure wave of an explosion, be it gas, vapour or dust, then it includes an ignition source as part of the package, and a secondary explosion occurs. These subsequent explosions can be very much worse that the initial one.

Another problem that arises when dust is disturbed in this manner, is turbulence. Turbulence increases the severity of an explosion because of the destabilising effect on the flame front*. An explosion causes immense turbulence. In this manner, a relatively small explosion can lead to a series of devastating explosions due to a laxity in housekeeping.

However, one redeeming factor is that dust explosions are relatively slow compared to explosions involving gases and vapours. This is due to the more complicated process of combusting solid particles. As such, dusts explosions are unlikely to result in a detonation.

Interconnecting vesselsAs we know, an explosion inside a compartment results in expansion of the combustion gases. If there is a duct, then the gases are channelled through and they accelerate due to the smaller relative volume of the duct and the single direction of expansion. This is for all explosions, not just dusts.

In addition to the acceleration, yet more turbulence is introduced into the system. If there are flammable conditions in the duct, or a layer of dust is stirred up causing a secondary explosion, than at the exit, the result is a jet flame emission.

If the duct is connected to another compartment, then the contents would already have been stirred up by the turbulence before the arrival of the jet flame. As the size of the explosion is proportional to the size of the ignition source, then the results can be catastrophic. In very rare circumstances, it may even be sufficient to result in detonation.

Hilary Brown MChem MRSC MIFireE

References

*Big Bang Theory, IAAI-UK Newsletter, April 2004: Issue 2

Deadly Dusts


BlayeDate: 20th August 1997

Place: Société d’Exploitation Maritime Blayaise, Blaye, France

Summary: An explosion at the grain storage facility caused major structural damage and killed eleven people, including a local fisherman on the bank of the Gironde. The immense destruction of the incident was caused by the interconnecting geometry of the silo. A jet flame was formed as the explosion propagated through the narrow gallery, and discharged into the second tower.

Background: The facility on the bank of the Gironde estuary had a storage capacity of 130 000 tonnes of grain was a mixture of warehouses and a twin-tower vertical silo. Grain is brought in by road tankers, for export by the sea. The surrounding area also boasted storage tanks for caustic soda, aromatic oils and molasses.

The grain silos, before the incident

The vertical grain silo has capacity for holding some 37 200 tonnes of wheat. Various belt conveyors moved grain between the silo and warehouses, depending on the required situation. Grain bagging was carried out at the base of the silo. The workforce consisted of 21 people to operate the facilities.

A gallery running across the top of the silo linked the twin-towers. It housed four conveyor belts. Inside the silo, dust was removed in a number of different ways. A fan sucked air out from several points. The air was filtered and the dust recovered.

Incident: A delivery of wheat had just been completed. Another truck arrived at the reception pit and began unloading its cargo of maize into the silo. At some point that morning, it was thought that the fan developed a fault, allowing the built-up of mobile dust to within its explosive limits.

The explosion initially began in the dust chamber at the upper part of the northern tower. Settled grain dust in the gallery linking the towers allowed the flame front to propagate through the gallery and discharge as a jet flame into the southern tower.

The southern tower violently exploded, causing its complete destruction.

The grain silos, after the incident

From its origin in the northern tower, the force expanded downwards. There were no vent surfaces or pressure relief system. The concrete reinforced silo violently disintegrated, dumping its grain load.

Propagation of the explosion through the inter-space chambers allowed the flame to accelerate significantly, owing to the geometrical configuration, resulting in substantial pressure effects. Chunks of concrete were projected through the site, striking other storage tanks and transfer pipes. The pressure wave managed to shatter glass 500m from the silo.

Conclusion: The only plausible ignition source was given as a fault inside the dust filter, but it was difficult to be more specific given the destruction and scale of the damage. The following types of ignition source were found to be most likely: mechanical impact or friction from the fan, or self-heating of grain in the dust chamber.

Ground view of damage to grain silo

Reference: ‘Explosion of a grain silo - summary report’, F. Masson, INERIS, July 1998

Dust Explosion Case Study


A recent case at Exeter Crown Court (R –v- Camp) established a duty of care on the Landlord of a HMO (House in Multiple Occupation) which will have repercussions throughout the rented accommodation sector, and a recognition by Fire & Rescue Services and local authorities, that they can take action in such cases. It is hoped that the Housing Bill currently going through Parliament will strengthen existing arrangements and put these sorts of premises on a much more regulatory footing.

It is well known that the most vulnerable members of society tend to live in such accommodation; it is where more fires start and consequently they are responsible for more deaths and injuries in our communities. Having been a fire investigator for over 18 years and having investigated in excess 150 fire fatalities, I can speak from some experience and say the majority were in bed-sits or similar types of accommodation, involving the more “at risk” members of society.

Charles Camp aged 62 was found guilty of Gross Negligence Manslaughter and sentenced to three years imprisonment.

The case arose in January 2003 when the Exeter Station of Devon Fire & Rescue Service was asked to attend a fire in the early hours of the morning at a property known as Rockside Villas near to St David’s Railway Station.

The house, an old 3-storey property, had been converted into single rooms over all floors with a common bathroom and kitchen. One of the residents was alerted to a fire in a ground floor room opposite his own, when he heard the tenant Patrick Langley crying out. He had heard other noises some minutes before but disregarded them. On opening his door, he was confronted by flames coming from the room so had to make his own escape via his front window. He alerted Emergency Services and other tenants, who all managed to escape except one, trapped on the upper floors. He was rescued by fire fighters using a ladder, and the tenant of the affected flat, who although rescued by a team of fire-fighters in breathing apparatus was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators from the Devon & Cornwall Arson Task Force, led by Station Officer Peter Sandel along with Crime Scene Investigators and Detectives from Devon & Cornwall Police launched a suspicious death enquiry into the fire and loss of life of the tenant, Patrick Langley.

Fire Safety Officers were called in and were so concerned with the state of the premises they issued a Section 10 (Fire Precautions Act 1971) prohibition notice immediately. The building was effectively out of bounds for many months.

The comprehensive and detailed investigation established that the fire was caused by the deceased who, whilst under the influence of alcohol set light to his clothing or the furniture he was sitting on. This started a free burning fire which quickly developed into the life threatening situation seen by the tenant who called the emergency services. Langley died from the inhalation of fire fumes. Excavations also recovered the remains of a smoke detector, alarm sounder and the wiring in the fire

damaged room. A reconstruction revealed that the detector, situated on the ceiling would have been within a very small radius of where the fire started.

The subsequent investigation also uncovered that the hard wired fire alarm system had been deliberately disabled by removal of the main fuse and disconnection of the battery back-up cells. The system components were tested and, had they been connected, the alarm would have worked either from the mains or battery back up in case of a power failure. A detector head in the kitchen had also been taped over to prevent its actuation.

In court witnesses told of events leading up to the fire which identified a clear time line of when the fire could have started, eliminating a slowly developing fire. Experts presented evidence that showed Langley would have been alive for some minutes as the fire developed and that the detector would have actuated quite quickly in the room where the deceased was found and alerted both him and other tenants. They all could have escaped unaided and also, (in the case of the tenant opposite) who discovered the fire, attempted the rescue of Patrick Langley.

Other witnesses called by the prosecution told of the indifference of the Landlord Charles Camp to complaints about the alarm system being faulty. An electrician told of his visits to the property due to the alarm continually sounding. When he arrived he found the alarm had been disconnected. Having rectified the fault (dust in a detector head) the system was left in full working order. The advising authority for HMO’s Exeter City Council also told of their voluntary inspection programme, letters of advice written to the Landlord detailing his responsibilities, and the provision of a log book to carry out his duties of testing the system. The log book was seized by police from Camp’s house and was found completely blank.

In his defence Camp (who declined to give evidence) admitted failing to maintain the system and that he had breached his duty as a Landlord by failing to ensure the alarm was in working order. His counsel Howard Godfrey QC told the Court that they had to be sure Camp’s negligence killed Mr Langley and had to consider carefully the Crowns’ case that had the alarm sounded he would have survived and a fellow resident would have definitely rescued him. “That is making an intellectual jump, he might have done, he might not have done”

After the Jury returned the guilty verdict, Judge Graham Cottle said Camp had shown a complete disregard for his tenants, adding “I am sure you disconnected that system. In doing so you demonstrated a cavalier attitude towards their safety, with the result that a man died”.

This case proved difficult to take to court, as in order to establish criminal liability the facts must be such that, in the opinion of the Jury, the negligence of the accused went beyond a mere matter of compensation between subjects and showed such disregard for the life and safety of others as to amount to a crime against the state and conduct deserving of punishment.

Landlord Found Guilty of Manslaughter


It was necessary to prove the links between the tampered alarm system, the Landlords’ involvement and subsequent death of his tenant, Patrick Langley.

Negligence may become gross by one of several routes;

1. The degree to which the accused’s conduct falls below the standard of care to be expected of him in respect of the risk of death, or

2. Because the conduct of the accused, or his omission to act, involves the deliberate exposure of the victim to an obvious and serious risk of injury to their health and welfare and the taking of that risk is unreasonable in the circumstances, or

3. Because of his “couldn’t care less” attitude to such a risk arising from his conduct or omission to act, or

4. Because of the high degree of negligence the accused displayed in the means he adopted to avoid the risk of death which he had recognised to exist.

It is only in the first and fourth situations that a jury are involved in making a value judgement that the accused’s conduct is so negligent that it merits criminal punishment.

With case law now established it is hoped that many more Landlords will take notice, recognise their legal responsibilities and the consequences of not protecting their tenants from fire

Peter Sandel, Fire Consultant (ex. Devon & Cornwall Arson Task Force)

Good Practice SeminarThe West Midlands Arson Task Force hosted a regional Good Practice Seminar on 29th September for firefighters, police officers and co-ordinators of Arson Task Forces in the UK. The message came across loud and clear that by taking the initiative and engaging positively with key stakeholders, a real impact could be made on the numbers and costs of deliberate fires.

While the practical goal was the prevention of arson, a crucial aspect of the work of Arson Task Forces was working with young people.

Two initiatives in Staffordshire have proved highly effective; The Student Firefighters Course, aimed at young people seen at risk of exclusion and the internationally renowned "Xtinguish"programme, with its unique method of addressing offending behaviour and helping to correct the cognitive deficit disorders of young convicted arsonists.

Experience of how arson reduction work could be applied to improve communities and clean up the environment, citing legislation used to address problems involving abandoned and/or derelict cars and rubbish. The need to work closely with local authorities to develop local solutions was stressed.

In Northumberland, a non-uniformed service approach to educate young persons in the dangers of fire and fire play. After suitable training, young persons in local schools were encouraged to undertake supervised fire safety audits of their schools on which they were assessed.

"Play It Safe" is a guide to fire protection and fire education in schools developed jointly by West Midlands police and fire services, and Zurich Municipal Insurance.

"Staywise" is an interactive learning resource for young people developed originally within Berkshire, but with the shared ownership of all services as a central resource for the emergency services for safety education and applied learning.

Avon’s "Car Clear" is a joint venture by the police and fire services of Avon and Somerset in association with the local authorities. The aim was to remove abandoned vehicles before they could become targets.

"Keep Your Business in Business" is an initiative aimed to give free one stop shop advice on fire/arson prevention covering all aspects of the law and crime prevention to businesses.

The benefits of data sharing using centralised IT systems, particularly with regard to vehicle data. Elvis-VR was designed to track vehicles through all stages of the life cycle.

The seed funding from the Arson Control Forum, coupled with the work of the dedicated local teams had in many instances already led to significant reductions in the incidence of arson, saving lives and millions of pounds.

Terry Pretious, Secretary of the Arson Control Forum

Potential

^


Following demand for merchandise, we are showing off our highly sought-after IAAI-UK brand collectibles, together with an order form, for your convenience.

Embroidered Polo Shirt, £18

Available in M, L or XL

Coffee mug, £5

Enamel lapel pin, £2 2cm diameter

Cloth badge, £2.50 To sew onto your favourite shirt or bag

Please make cheques payable to 'IAAI-UK Trading' and send your completed order form to;

IAAI-UK Chapter, PO Box 28694, London N20 0WT

Thank you for supporting your Chapter!

IAAI-UK Merchandise

Description Price Quantity Size Total, £

Embroidered polo shirt £18

Coffee mug £5

Cloth badge £2.50

Lapel pin £2

Mouse mat £3

Explosion Training CD and DVD (Minnesota Chapter)

£17.50

Order total

Postage

Total Cost

Postage and packing;

UK and Europe £1.50 for orders up to £5.00 £2.50 for orders up to £20.00 £3.50 for orders over £20.00

USA £5.00


I hereby make application for membership of the International Association of Arson Investigators - UK Chapter in accordance with its Constitution. All information given by me is warranted to be true.

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Applicant’s signature: Date:

Please send application form, completed Standing Order form / membership fee to:

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Office use only:

Membership Application

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Date received: Application No.: Mem. Fee: £ S/O:

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Please complete the standing order below for membership of the UK Chapter of the IAAI.

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Please debit my account in the sum of £12.00 (twelve pounds) immediately and then annually on the same date continuing each year until you receive written notice from me.

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Please send application form, completed Standing Order form / membership fee to:

Mr J Galvin. IAAI-UK Membership Co-ordinator, 9 Bushey Bartrams, Shenley Brook End, Milton Keynes, MK5 7HE.

The International Association of Arson Investigators – United Kingdom Chapter

Standing Order Form


IBM Power AdaptersIBM is to recall 553,000 power adaptors for a number of ThinkPad laptop models, due to a risk of them overheating.

Numbers of IBM ThinkPad i and s Series, 390 and 240 laptops have all shipped with the adaptor between January 1999 and August 2000. The adaptor may also have been bought separately as an accessory as well.

The 56-watt AC adapters were manufactured by Delta Electronics Inc. To find out if you have one of the problematic adaptors visit this page on the IBM site. And if you determine that you do in fact have one you can call 01475 555 055 for a replacement.

ShowerDate: 20-Oct-04 (repeat notice)

Item: NewTeam & Showerforce Showers

Model: Showerforce '201 Power and Power Thermostatic', NewTeam '201 Power' and Power Thermostatic', Iflo Super Thermostatic Power Shower and Ikon Super Thermostatic Power Shower

An internal water leak results in a potential fire hazard, as it can cause overheating of the internal microswitch.

Vacuum CleanerDate: 24-Jun-04

Item: Swan 1400W Cyclone Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner

Model:: SC2008/VC340

A manufacturing problem has been identified, that may result in a fire.

Contact: Index 0870 2644444

Ceramic Glass HobDate: 02-Oct-04

Item: AEG & Electrolux Touch-Control Ceramic Glass Hobs

Model: Code

AEG: 66201KF N 24F 76301KF N U25 79301KF N 23F 66300KF AN 753

Electrolux: EHS6651 PU03 EHS6691X 18A HS669lU 18A

The code is clearly shown in the corner of the ceramic glass.

In certain circumstances, the hob could remain switched on, even if the main "off" switch has been pressed.

Contact: AEG/Electrolux 0800 334353

DishwasherDate: 04-Jun-04

Item: Zanussi Electrolux Dishwasher

Model: DE6850 and DE6855

A number of dishwashers may have a faulty electrical connection that could overheat. This could result in the dishwasher catching fire.

Contact: Zanussi/Electrolux 0800 334353

DishwasherDate: 01-Jun-04

Item: LG Electronics dishwasher

Model: LD-2050WH LD-2050SH LD-12BS6 LD-12BW5 LD-12BT7 A faulty component may cause the unit to overheat and produce smoke which appears from the handle.

The recall notice advises that if no signs of smoke are visible, then it is okay to continue normal use (although it is strongly advised that it is not left unattended whilst in operation).

The model number is located on the inside of the door at the top and the serial number will be in the following format: xxxKWxxxxx

Contact: 0800 4580266

Christmas LightsDate: 09-Oct-04

Item: Tesco outdoor lights

Model: 10m Multifunction Rope Lights Snowflake Silhouette Merry Christmas Silhouette Reindeer Silhouette Santa Silhouette Skiing Penguin Silhouette Snowman Silhouette Santa Sleigh & Reindeers

Due to an electrical safety issue.

Contact: 0800 50 55 55

Further Information...http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk

http://www.london-fire.gov.uk

Recall Notices


The Case of Kenney RicheyThe following case has been put together from various sources in the media. It involves a man called Kenney Richey, who is currently on death row in Ohio, USA, pending execution. As such, the case is highly emotive. It has been difficult to find any factual evidence pertaining to the incident.

The Incident: Kenney Richey was a neighbour to Hope Collins. She sometimes asked him to baby-sit her young daughter, Cynthia. Hope was out for the night when fire broke out in her apartment during the early hours of the morning. 2-year old Cynthia was found in her bedroom, having succumbed to smoke inhalation.

The Case: Hope pleaded guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter and Child Endangerment, spending 45 days in prison.

Kenny was arrested and charged with arson, aggravated murder, child endangerment and breaking and entering. The basis of the case presented at court was;

• Kenny was asked to watch the child

• Evidence of accelerants were found on the carpet

• A large pour patterns was found on the floor

• The smoke alarm had been disconnected

• Kenny’s motive was to harm his ex-girlfriend and her new partner who lived in the flat below.

The Appeal: Much of the evidence is now in dispute and certain evidence was not presented in court. This includes;

• Cynthia’s fascination by fire: she had played with matches and lighters, resulting in the attendance of the fire department on three occasions in the month leading up to the incident.

• The County Children Services had investigated Hope for neglecting her daughter (leaving her unattended), and for giving her adult prescription sleeping tablets.

• The Assistant State Fire Marshall’s initial assessment was accidental ignition by the electric fan.

• The entire building was gutted soon after the incident, and the carpet spent 36 hours in the municipal dump before being sampled, and therefore did not have any continuity of evidence.

• The accelerant analysis did not conform to American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) test method. The test method that was used was highly criticised.

• The size of the pour pattern and the synthetic nature of the carpet had led to the marking being misinterpreted for a pour pattern.

• Hope had disconnected the smoke alarm herself, due to her method of cooking and heavy smoking habit. Other residents of the building had done the same.

It has been suggested that the whole case, from arrest, charges, conviction and death penalty was to promote the name of the Prosecutor in view of the upcoming elections for County Judge.

For this to happen, the County Prosecutor, Assistant State Fire Marshall, Defence Attorney and Judge all had to have lied and falsified evidence.

These are not the views of the author. The intention of this article is to highlight problems that can arise from such an investigation, how facts differ from opinions, and the level of evidence that should be secured to gain a successful arson conviction: something that is relatively rare.

SubmissionsEver been to a scene where the fire has apparently defied the laws of physics? Carried out an investigation that fitted perfectly together like a jigsaw? A surprising twist in the tale of the Evil Arsonist? Tell us about it! The next newsletter is due out in April 2005. Contact;

[email protected]

Wharf fire, Falmouth DocksA series of photographs depicting a100

foot crane collapsing into the sea.

Ray Dawe, Cornwall Fire Service

Erratum NoticeAt the NFPA 921 committee meeting in June, several errors in the 2004 edition were announced;

• Section 5.3.6.1.3. should be deleted • Section 9.9.7.2.D change Adsorption to

Absorption in the title and first sentence • Section 19.2.1 change probable to

possible

Arson Prosecutions

iaai - uk newsletter autumn 2004 issue 3 · contents president’s message 1 committee talk; 2...

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