OSAC Standards Bulletin 1 June 2018

BULLETIN SUMMARY

This Bulletin provides an update on forensic science standards that are moving through the development 

process at standards developing organizations (SDOs), and those that are moving through the Registry 

Approval Process at the Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science (OSAC). 

There are no documents currently open for comment this month; however, please consider providing 

comments on documents that will be open for comment next month.

OSAC Registry Standards open for comment: 0 Items

SDO Documents open for comment: 0 Items

OSAC REGISTRY NEWS

New Approved Item on OSAC Registry

ASTM E2927-16: Standard Test Method for Determination of Trace Elements in Soda-Lime Glass 

Samples Using Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry for Forensic 

Comparisons was Approved for the OSAC Registry. (Materials Trace Subcommittee, May 31, 2018)

Standards Moving Through the OSAC Registry Approval Process 

This section only lists standards that moved from one step in the OSAC Registry Approval Process to another 

during the last month. A list of all standards currently under consideration is available on the OSAC website.

ASTM E1610-18, Standard Guide for Forensic Paint Analysis and Comparison moved to the 

Standards for FSSB Vote

ASTM E2937-18, Standard Guide for Using Infrared Spectroscopy in Forensic Paint Examinations

moved to the Standards for FSSB Vote

ASTM E2329-17 Standard Practice for Identification of Seized Drugs moved to the Standards for 

FSSB Vote

ASTM E3085-17 Standard Guide for Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy in Forensic Tape 

Examinations moved to Standards in the Appeals Phase.

OSAC Standards Bulletin

June 2018
OSAC Standards Bulletin 2 June 2018

OSAC Draft Standards Submitted to Standards Developing Organizations (SDOs) 

OSAC developed the following draft standards and has submitted them to SDOs for formal development:

There are no OSAC draft standards submitted to SDOs at this time.

STANDARDS DEVELOPING ORGANIZATION (SDO) NEWS

New Work Proposals for New or Revised Standards

American Academy of Forensic Science (AAFS) Academy Standards Board (ASB):

• Project Initiation Notification System (PINS) were published on page 14, in ANSI Standards Action on 

May 11, 2018. This will begin a 30-day period for public comment on the initiation of the ASB’s work on 

the documents listed below: 

BSR/ASB Std 076-201x, Human Remains Canine Detection on Land (new standard)

To state requirements for the training, certification, and documentation pertaining to canine 

teams trained to search for human remains on land. This document does not cover massdisaster victim-location canine activities, which are covered under separate standards.

BSR/ASB Std 082-201x, Crime Scene/Death Investigation - Dogs and Sensors Article Search 

(new standard)

This Standard contains requirements for the development of training of canine handlers and 

canines and also details the canine team assessments and the basis for certification procedures 

including record keeping and document management. This Standard addresses the canine 

scent detection discipline of article search which entails a canine team (canine and handler) to 

search areas, usually near crime scenes, for human-scented articles.

BSR/ASB Std 086-201x, Narcotic Canine Detection (new standard)

This Standard contains requirements for the development of training of canine handlers and 

canines and will also detail the canine team assessments and the basis for certification 

procedures including record keeping and document management. This Standard addresses the 

canine odor detection discipline of narcotics which entails canine teams (canine handlers and 

canines) trained to search for illicit drugs.

BSR/ASB Std 088-201x, General Guidelines for Training, Certification, and Documentation of 

Canine Detection Disciplines (new standard)

This Standard contains requirements for the development of training of canine handlers and 

canines and will also detail the canine team assessments and the basis for certification 

procedures including record keeping and document management. This standard does not cover 

discipline-specific guidelines.

• Project Initiation Notification System (PINS) were published on page 14, in ANSI Standards Action on 

May 26, 2018. This will begin a 30-day period for public comment on the initiation of the ASB’s work on 

the documents listed below: 

BSR/ASB Std 053-201x, Standard for Report Content in Forensic Toxicology (new standard)

This document sets minimum content requirements for forensic toxicology reports. It defines the 

critical elements of the report, explains acceptable reporting language, and provides instructions 

on issuing supplemental or amended reports. The document also provides direction on adding 

interpretive information to the laboratory report.

BSR/ASB Std 054-201x, Standard for a Quality Control Program in Forensic Toxicology 

Laboratories (new standard)
OSAC Standards Bulletin 3 June 2018

This document will provide a minimum standard of practice for quality control practices in the 

field of forensic toxicology. Currently, there are no universally accepted standard practices for 

quality control programs that encompass all subdisciplines of forensic toxicology.

BSR/ASB Std 070-201x, Standard for Forensic Examination of Handwritten Items (new 

standard)

This standard provides procedures for forensic document examiners for examinations and 

comparisons involving handwritten items and related procedures. These procedures apply to 

the examination and comparison of questioned and known items or of exclusively questioned 

items. The procedures in this standard include evaluation of the sufficiency of the material 

(questioned, or known, or both) available for examination. The particular methods employed in a 

given case depend upon the nature of the material available for examination. This standard 

might not cover all aspects of unusual or uncommon examinations of handwritten items. This 

standard cannot replace the requisite knowledge, skills, or abilities acquired through taskspecific

education, training, and experience.

• Project Initiation Notification System (PINS) were published on page 12, in ANSI Standards Action on 

May 25, 2018. This will begin a 30-day period for public comment on the initiation of the ASB’s work on 

the documents listed below: 

BSR/ASB BPR 068-201x, Best Practice Recommendations for the Safe Handling of Firearms 

and Ammunition during Forensic Analysis (new standard)

This document provides best practice recommendations for the safe handling of firearm and 

ammunition evidence during forensic analysis.

BSR/ASB Std 061-201x, Firearms and Toolmarks 3D Measurement Systems and Measurement 

Quality Control (new standard)

This document provides requirements for the measurement systems (the instruments and 

included scan acquisition software) which capture data beyond a flat 2D photographic image for 

Firearm and Toolmark Analysis; in this document, these systems are referred to as 3D

systems. This document provides requirements to ensure the instrument’s accuracy, to conduct 

instrument calibration, and to estimate measurement uncertainty for each axis (X, Y, and Z). 

Included in the standard are procedures for validation of 3D system hardware. The focus of this 

standard is on the hardware and resulting measurement data; this standard does not include the 

requirements for measurement systems software.

BSR/ASB Std 064-201x, Standard Test Method for the Forensic Physical Examination and 

Classification of Firearms (new standard)

This document provides standard test procedures for the physical examination and classification 

of a firearm by a forensic firearm and toolmark examiner or technician.

BSR/ASB Std 067-201x, Test Method for Measuring Trigger Pull of Firearms (new standard)

This document provides a standard for measuring the trigger pull of firearms by a forensic 

firearm and toolmark examiner.

BSR/ASB STD 083-201x, Contraband Canine Detection (new standard)

This Standard contains requirements for the development of training of canine handlers and 

canines and will also detail the canine team assessments and the basis for certification 

procedures including recordkeeping and document management. This Standard addresses the

canine scent detection discipline of contraband which entails a canine team (canine and 

handler) to search for an article or a substance prohibited by law or regulation. This Standard 

does not include narcotics or explosives detection.
OSAC Standards Bulletin 4 June 2018

• Project Initiation Notification System (PINS) were published on page 16, in ANSI Standards Action on 

June 1, 2018. This will begin a 30-day period for public comment on the initiation of the ASB’s work on 

the document listed below: 

BSR/ASB Std 091-201x, Standard for Training of Analysis of Forensic STR Data (new standard) 

This standard defines the minimum requirements in training programs for analysis of capillary 

electrophoresis data including autosomal STRs, XSTRs, and YSTRs.

ASTM International E30.01 Criminalistics:

ASTM WK63459 Terminology for The Examination of Fire Debris (new standard)

New Standards

This new standard is eligible for consideration by the OSAC:

American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) Academy Standards Board (ASB)

ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendation 007, Postmortem Impression Submission Strategy for 

Comprehensive Searches of Essential Automated Fingerprint Identification System Databases, First 

Edition, 2018

Jason Wiersema, Ph.D., Disaster Victim Identification Subcommittee Chair weighs in on the standard: 

“This document... provides best practice recommendations for the submission of fingerprints collected 

during disaster response to agencies that can compare them for identification. No such guidance 

existed before, and local jurisdictions, big and small, now have a reference for proper submission of 

fingerprints to facilitate personal identification during a DVI response.”

OTHER NEWS

Research Needs Identified by OSAC Firearms and Toolmarks Subcommittee

• Assessment of Examiners' Toolmark Categorization Accuracy

• Consistency of Examiner Evaluation of Distance Determination GSR Patterns

• Evaluation of Examiner Conclusions Utilizing a Five-Point Scale

• Resolution Requirements for 3D Virtual Comparison Microscopy

• Study to Assess the Accuracy and Reliability of Firearms and Toolmark Examinations

ASTM Standard Access

The Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science through the National Institute of 

Standards and Technology (NIST) has an existing contract with ASTM International that gives 30,000 public 

criminal justice agencies free access to standards published under ASTM Technical Committee E30 on 

Forensic Science. This agreement applies to the following stakeholder groups:

• OSAC Members & Affiliates – approximately 750 individuals

• NIST and Federal/State/Local Crime Laboratories – approximately 412 laboratories

• Public Defenders Offices – approximately 6,000 offices

• Law Enforcement Agencies – approximately 18,000 offices

• Prosecutor Offices – approximately 3,000 offices

Medical Examiner/Coroners Offices – approximately 3,000 offices