A Scientific Approach to the Problem of Post-Incident Recovery - Hawkins Forensic Investigation

Event Overview

Contamination can be caused by a multitude of different issues such as fire, water, mould and asbestos.

Forensic Chemistry Expert Ed Hammersley will talk about these different types of contamination, their sources, and how they are detected and quantified, before detailing some worked examples.

He will also discuss the use of technology in contamination assessments including:

• Its role in the mitigation of both the direct cost and business interruption
• How these technologies can assist the insurer

Speaker Bio

Mr Ed Hammersley – Principal Associate

After graduating from the University of York in 2002, Ed worked at analytical laboratories in Yorkshire and London, specialising in the field of analytical chemistry. He then moved to Pfizer in Kent, as an analytical research scientist within the pharmaceutical research and development group. During his nine years at Pfizer, Ed specialised in analytical method development and trace analysis for low-level impurities and contaminants in drug substances and products. A wide range of analytical techniques were used, with a particular focus on gas chromatography and liquid chromatography, both coupled with mass spectrometry detection. Some of this work was published in scientific literature and presented at conferences.

Ed joined Hawkins in 2021 as a Senior Associate before being promoted to a Principal Associate. He has now conducted more than 850 forensic investigations. Those investigations have included fires, explosions, electrical incidents, contamination assessment, chemical reactions and escapes of water within domestic, industrial and marine environments. He regularly travels overseas to conduct investigations. Several of his high-profile cases have involved material losses of more than £10m, with some exceeding £100m. The marine vessel incidents have involved both engine room and cargo fires, including the TAC Imola, fires onboard large yachts and superyachts, and the MSC Flaminia, for which he gave evidence at Deposition and in the Southern District Court of New York.

Ed is a Chartered Scientist and a Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry. He has experience in the preparation of CPR Part 35 compliant reports, Experts’ Joint Statements and appearance in Court as an Expert Witness.

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