The Challenges Associated with Failure Analysis in Forensic Science

Brian Gestring (4n6Services) will lead this interactive session describing the unique challenges associated with root cause analysis in the field of forensic science. He will outline the long-term strategies he is developing to try and overcome them while seeking input from the CHOL community on his approach.

Despite the critical and often transformative role forensic science has played in the criminal justice system, it has never had uniform guidance, which has complicated standard approaches the development of the science and reporting of results. 

While the obstacles remain significant, they are not insurmountable. As the field has been migrating to accreditation under the ISO 17020 and 17025 programs, the requirements for root cause analysis and corrective action are becoming more robust.  Unfortunately, there is still a significant knowledge gap in how to perform these critical functions. This is due to the various pathways to becoming a forensic scientist. Most current practitioners…