2019 December Newsletter additional content

Quality Management

External Auditing in conjunction with Bureau Veritas to ISO 18385 – 18385 ‘Minimizing the risk of human DNA contamination in products used to collect, store and analyze biological material for forensic purposes’.

Forensic Foundations and Bureau Veritas are currently the only providers for certification to this standard. As at December 2019 there are six companies certified to ISO18385 (Australia, USA, Germany, UK and China) with another five part way through the process (Australia, UK and China) and a further eight companies who have made enquiries. Detail of companies who hold certification can be found at here

Consulting

In 2019 we were involved in a number of consulting activities, however our major consulting activity in 2019 was three months(!) with the Myanmar Police Force Forensic DNA Department and Criminal Investigation Department. Reda more about this project here.  This project took Anna to Myanmar for one three-week and one nine-week period, Peter Gunn for two weeks and Maritta Parsell for one week, and topics covered included Forensic DNA interpretation and reporting, together with the underpinning issues of collection, contamination minimisation and quality management.

The Forensic DNA Department was formed in 2016 with the intention

‘To make a positive contribution to society by using science responsibility and ethically to help create a safer and more secure our country(sic). We also strive to advance the cause of justice through the use of technologically advanced products and services.’

The seven participants covered an enormous amount of information during this period and justly deserved the certificates with which they were presented at a special ceremony held in their honour.

In 2020, we are expecting that we will be involved in at least two overseas consultancies and will be able to provide you with more detail, once the arrangements have been confirmed.