Fire & Explosions Archives - Hawkins Forensic Investigation

Bye Bye Bamboo: Why Hong Kong is Phasing Out Traditional Scaffolding

Bamboo Scaffolding on the exterior of a building

Patrick Walsh discusses why Hong Kong are phasing out traditional bamboo scaffolding

Joe Penn

Joe is an electrical engineer with experience in power plant control systems and software engineering.

Enhancing Fire Investigation Expertise

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: Live demonstrations of domestic appliances and wiring pushed to failure, offering insight into how electrical faults can lead to fire Installation of a mock domestic circuit, including consumer units, sockets, and lighting, to simulate real-world electrical layouts Analysis of arcing patterns, based on Nick Carey’s original research, highlighting subtle but crucial indicators often overlooked in investigations “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 […]

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.

Hawkins Returns to the Merchant Hotel for Burning Questions Drinks Reception

It was a pleasure to welcome guests back to the Merchant Hotel in Belfast for our annual Drinks Reception.

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 […]

Ian Major

Ian started his career working for Aspen Burrow Crocker on a variety of civil engineering projects. He was involved in the design of numerous highway and infrastructure schemes, waste transfer stations and the Thameslink rail project. He has also spent time supervising construction work on site including a year working at wastewater treatment plants. In 1999, Ian joined Hyder Consulting where he spent 11 years working predominantly on the design and project management of major infrastructure projects including the N5 in Ireland, the A2 widening in Kent and the A421 improvements in Bedfordshire. Ian joined Hawkins in 2010, specialising in the investigation of property damage and personal injuries involving civil engineering and building incidents. He is also an experienced fire investigator, having investigated over 200 fires including major and complex losses in domestic, commercial and industrial premises. In his specialist field of engineering, Ian has determined the causes of a wide range of losses from small domestic claims of water ingress through to catastrophic building collapses. Other examples of incidents that Ian has investigated include wall failures, subsidence, flooding and problems associated with ground-borne vibration. Much of this work has involved advising on matters in relation to the requirements of […]

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