Enhancing Fire Investigation Expertise

Nick Carey Fire training

As part of our commitment to continuous professional development, Hawkins recently hosted a comprehensive electrical training programme, led by Fire Expert Nick Carey and Electrical Engineer David Edwards. The training, delivered to our experts, covered two key courses:  Electricity for Fire Investigation and Electrical Installations & Testing. These sessions covered a broad spectrum of topics – from the fundamentals of electricity to the operational principles of domestic wiring systems. Attendees engaged in hands-on exercises, including the installation of consumer units and the live testing of appliances to the point of failure. The training combined classroom-based theory with practical exercises, including: Noise impact assessments Room acoustics evaluations Noise at work assessments Vibration measurements Design consultations “I attended both the Electricity for Fire Investigation and Electrical Installations & Testing courses run by Nick and David,” said Adam Ashing, Mechanical Engineer at Hawkins. “They covered a range of topics, from the fundamentals of electricity, to the wiring diagrams and operational principles of common domestic devices. I found the presentation on Nick’s research into arcing patterns and damage most interesting. There’s not much available online or in textbooks showing the range of possible shapes and patterns. This is beneficial for fire and fault investigation, as the subtle details are easily missed […]

Hawkins Welcomes Chemistry Expert Louisa Laing

Hawkins Welcomes Louisa Laing to the team

We are pleased to welcome Louisa Laing to our London office as a valued addition to our team of chemistry experts. Louisa brings to Hawkins a strong background in materials science, chemistry and electro-optical physics.

Louisa Laing

Profile picture of Investigator Louisa Laing

Louisa graduated with a Masters degree in Chemistry from Durham University, where she developed a strong foundation in analytical and materials science. During her studies, she completed a year in industry with Intrinsiq Materials Ltd, working on conductive nanomaterials for printed electronics. After graduating, she returned to Intrinsiq as a Research Scientist, focusing on the development and characterisation of nanocopper pastes. In 2018, Louisa joined QinetiQ, where she specialised in electro-optical physics and advanced material systems for defence applications. As Team Leader of the Electro Optical Physics group, she led a team of scientists delivering research and development projects focused on coatings, textiles, and composite camouflage materials. Her work included designing and testing novel materials, using optical and infrared measurement techniques to evaluate performance. She also collaborated with military stakeholders and QinetiQ’s legal team, contributing to intellectual property development and presenting technical findings to the NATO Science and Technology Organisation. Throughout her career, Louisa has developed strong expertise in technical investigation and data interpretation—skills that closely align with forensic methodologies. She has authored technical reports for government and industry clients, contributed to multiple patent applications, and provided training and mentorship within her team. Louisa joined Hawkins in August 2025 as […]

Lucy Pinkard Under The Spotlight

Lucy Pinkard - Spotlight Articles

We spent some time finding out more about Hawkins Fire and Explosions expert Lucy Pinkard, and what led her to a career with Hawkins.