Burning Questions – A CPD event with Networking Buffet 2024

Join us at the Birch Hotel in Haywards Heath for our free Burning Questions CPD Panel Discussion, where experts from Hawkins & Associates will present on a multi-disciplinary fire investigation, from origin to recovery. This will be followed by a networking buffet.

During the evening

• Anna Knight will share her expertise in fire investigation from the initial instruction, investigating the scene and identifying root cause;
• Ian Major undertakes investigations into the cause and spread of fires and will discuss how the extent of fire damage is influenced by poor design or construction; and
• Niralee Casson will discuss potential building defects and how she can ascertain where the responsibility lies and if there are prospects for recovery.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the session attendees will:

• understand the evolution of a fire from the ignition, through to growth and spread
• understand the different stages of a fire investigation including root cause analysis, whether the fire spread in an unusual or unexpected way and how the building design,
• structure and potential defects can impact a fire
• be able to identify the types of experts at each stage of an investigation including a forensic fire investigator, forensic fire engineer and a forensic architect
• have a clear view of how a thorough investigation can ascertain potential liability and if there are prospects for recovery

About our Speakers

Dr Anna Knight – Anna joined Hawkins in 2005, specialising as a fire and explosion investigator, although she also investigates other incidents, such as paint spills and other damage incidents. She has carried out numerous forensic investigations, which have varied greatly in scale from relatively small domestic incidents to large warehouse fires.

Anna has, as part of her Masters Degree, completed the well renowned Bond Solon course relating to reporting and giving oral evidence in Court, which she has used in the course of her time at Hawkins. Anna has also completed the Fire Protection Association course on Hot Works, a Confined Space Training course provided by Essential Health & Safety Ltd and a number of internal training courses. Since joining Hawkins, Anna has provided impartial advice to the Police, loss adjusters, lawyers and insurers.

Ian Major – 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 Building Regulations and relevant design standards.

Niralee Casson – Niralee is a Chartered Architect with over 10 years of construction industry experience. She has been appointed as an architect expert witness on a variety of technical issues and has supported the named expert on numerous occasions.

Niralee specialises in the forensic investigation of building defects, including fire safety and basement waterproofing, where she has undertaken site investigations, reviewed other experts’ reports, re-constructed building models from architectural drawings and produced multiple expert reports for disputed claims. These claims include allegations of architectural professional negligence and regulatory compliance with the Building Regulations and other jurisdictions’ building codes. She is also experienced in opining on the intersection between different design consultants’ responsibility and scope.