OSAC Standards Bulletin 1 March 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). 

Please consider providing comments on documents that are open for comment.

OSAC Registry Standards open for comment: 0 Items

SDO Documents open for comment: 3 Items

OSAC REGISTRY NEWS

Intent to Add to the OSAC Registry – Items Open for Comment

There is currently nothing open for comment in the OSAC Registry Approval Process.

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

Comment Adjudication Phase.

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 moved to Standards at FSSB for Vote.

OSAC Draft Standards Submitted to Standards Developing Organizations (SDOs)

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

Disaster Victim Identification

The following draft standards were submitted to American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) 

Academy Standards Board (ASB):

• Best Practices Recommendations for DNA Analysis for Human Identification in Mass Fatality 

Incidents

• Examination of Human Remains by Forensic Pathologists in the Disaster Victim Identification 

Context

OSAC Standards Bulletin

March 2018
OSAC Standards Bulletin 2 March 2018

• Forensic Anthropology in Disaster Victim Identification: Best Practice Recommendations for the 

Medicolegal Authority

• Mass Fatality Incident Data Management: Best Practice Recommendations for the Medicolegal 

Authority

• Mass Fatality Scene Processing: Best Practice Recommendations for the Medicolegal Authority

• Postmortem Impression Submission Strategy for Comprehensive Searches of Essential 

Automated Fingerprint Identification System Databases

STANDARDS DEVELOPING ORGANIZATION (SDO) NEWS

Comment Period Open on Draft Documents

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

ASB Standard 011, Scope of Expertise in Forensic Document Examination, First Edition (Comment period 

closes March 26, 2018) Please note that comments on a re-circulation will only be accepted on revised sections of a document, 

comments made to text not revised from the original public comment period will not be accepted.

ASB Standard 022, Standard for Forensic DNA Analysis Training Programs, First Edition (Comment deadline, 

March 19, 2018)

ASB Standard 040, Standard for Forensic DNA Interpretation and Comparison Protocols, First 

Edition (Comment deadline, March 5, 2018)

Please visit the Notification of Standard Development and Coordination area of the AAFS Academy 

Standards Board website to view the comment resolutions from the initial public comment periods, the updated 

documents, and redline versions of the documents. The comment template can also be downloaded from the 

website. Please send any questions to asb@aafs.org.

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 27, in ANSI Standards Action on 

February 9, 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 027-201x, Crime Scene/Death Investigation Dogs and Sensors - Patrol Dogs: 

Tracking/Trailing/Area Search/Building Search/Evidence Search of One or More Persons Based 

on Last Known Position 

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

February 23, 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 044-201x, Standard for the Examination of Documents for Indentations (new 

standard). This standard summarizes commonly accepted techniques, technologies, and 

procedures in examinations of indentations found on paper and other writing or printing media

BSR/ASB Std 057-201x, Standard for the Scope and Sensitivity of Forensic Toxicological 

Testing (new standard). This document defines the minimum scope and sensitivity for forensic 
OSAC Standards Bulletin 3 March 2018

toxicology laboratory casework. The document identifies the analytes for which a forensic 

toxicology laboratory shall possess validated methods. Such methods are based on the scope 

of testing and the sensitivity (or minimum performance limits) for which these analytes must be 

tested. This document is limited to the testing of biological samples in forensic cases involving 

driving-under-the-influence of drugs (DUI/DUID), drug-facilitated crimes (DFC), and medicolegal 

death investigations (MDI).

Revised/Reapproved Standards

These revised/reapproved standards are eligible for consideration by OSAC:

ASTM International E30.01 Criminalistics:

• ASTM E1610 - 18 Standard Guide for Forensic Paint Analysis and Comparison

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

Examinations

OTHER NEWS

Research Needs Identified by OSAC Fire Debris and Explosives Subcommittee

• Concentration of Extracts Containing Volatile/Unstable Explosives

• Identifying Post-Blast Residue of Liquid Explosives

• Potential Transformation of Chlorate to Perchlorate and Visa-Versa During Explosion

• Research and Evaluation of Storage Conditions for Archiving Extracts from Fire Debris Samples

• Source Attribution for Post-Blast Residues