OSAC Standards Bulletin – July 2019 1

 

 July 2019 

Bulletin Summary 

This Bulletin provides an update on forensic science standards that are moving through the Registry Approval Process at 

the Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science (OSAC) and those that are moving through the 

development process at standards developing organizations (SDOs).

New Standards Placed on the OSAC Registry: Two (2) documents 

OSAC Registry Standards Open for Comment: Three (3) documents

SDO Documents Open for Comment: Six (6) documents 

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

 

The OSAC Registry serves as a trusted repository of high-quality, science-based standards and guidelines for forensic

science practice. A document included on the Registry has progressed through the formal SDO process and has been 

published as a standard. OSAC elevates standards to the OSAC Registry as an endorsement of the document’s high 

quality and to encourage its adoption by relevant stakeholders in the forensic science community.

New Standards Placed on the OSAC Registry 

OSAC is excited to announce the following standards have been placed on the Registry:

ISO/IEC 17025:2017 General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories

(Interdisciplinary Virtual Subcommittee) – approved June 18, 2019
OSAC Standards Bulletin – July 2019 2

ANSI/ASB Standard 017, Standard Practices for Measurement Traceability in Forensic Toxicology, First Edition, 

2018 (Toxicology Subcommittee) – approved June 18, 2019

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

OSAC is currently seeking feedback on whether the following standards should be included on the OSAC Registry: 

• ASB Technical Report 025, Crime Scene Death Investigation – Dogs and Sensors – Terms and Definitions, First 

Edition, 2017. Submit your comments by 11:59 PM ET on July 2, 2019.

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

Searches of Essential Automated Fingerprint Identification System Databases, First Edition, 2018. Submit your 

comments by 11:59 PM EST on July 18, 2019.

• ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendation 010, Forensic Anthropology in Disaster Victim Identification: Best 

Practice Recommendations for the Medicolegal Authority, First Edition, 2019. Submit your comments by 11:59 

PM ET on July 18, 2019.

Standards Moving through the OSAC Registry Approval Process 

The following standards have moved from one step in the OSAC Registry Approval Process to another during the last 

month: 

• ANSI/ASB 037, Best Practice Recommendation, Guidelines for Opinions and Testimony in Forensic Toxicology, 

First Edition, 2019 has moved to the Comment Adjudication Phase. 

• ASTM E2917-19a: Standard Practice for Forensic Science Practitioner Training, Continuing Education, and 

Professional Development Programs has moved to the Comment Adjudication Phase.

For a list of standards currently under consideration, please visit the OSAC website. 

OSAC Draft Standards Submitted to Standards Developing Organizations (SDOs) 

The Speaker Recognition Subcommittee has developed the following draft standards and has submitted 

them to an SDO for formal development:

• Speech Collection Guideline for Speaker Recognition: Audio Collection at a Temporary Location

• Guidelines for The Exchange of Speech Files for Use in Speaker Recognition Using ANSI/NIST-ITL 

Transactions

 

 
OSAC Standards Bulletin – July 2019 3

SDO News 

 

New or Revised Standards 

ASTM International 

• ASTM E2917 – Standard Practice for Forensic Science Practitioner Training, Continuing Education, and 

Professional Development Programs has been revised to E2917-19a (developed by Committee E30.11)

• ASTM E2825 – Standard Guide for Forensic Digital Image Processing has been revised to E2825-19 (developed by 

Committee E30.12)

 

Comment Period Open on Draft Documents 

American Academy of Forensic Science Standards Board (ASB):

• ASB Best Practice Recommendation 012, Best Practice Recommendation for Articulating a Source Identification 

in Friction Ridge Examinations. This new document offers guidance for articulating the reasoning and 

foundational principles behind the source identification conclusion resulting from the examination of friction 

ridge evidence. Comment deadline is July 8, 2019.

• ASB Best Practice Recommendation 068, Safe Handling of Firearms and Ammunition. This new document

provides best practice recommendations for the safe handling of firearm and ammunition evidence during 

forensic analysis. Comment deadline is July 8, 2019.

• ASB Standard 106, Wildlife Forensic-Protein Serology Method for Taxonomic Identification, First Edition. This 

standard addresses the protocols required for general protein serology methods for taxonomic identification 

routinely used in the laboratory. These protocols include: serology methods routinely used in the laboratory, 

the validation process, and statistical analysis and interpretation of serology results generated in the laboratory. 

This document also covers the use of quality controls (positive, negative, and comparison samples) and the 

analysis of results if controls fail. The document explains how differences in expressed proteins can be used to 

identify animals at family and/or species level using a suite of serology methods. Comment deadline is July 29, 

2019.

For the ASB documents listed above, please send your comments by the deadline to asb@aafs.org (with optional copy to 

psa@ansi.org). Please visit the Notification of Standards Development and Coordination section of the ASB website for 

the documents, comment template, and additional information.

ASTM International:

• ASTM WK67862 – Standard Practice for the Forensic Examination and Identification of Intact Explosives. This 

guide is intended to assist forensic explosive examiners in their evaluation, selection, and application of 

techniques to identify intact explosives. Comment deadline is July 14.

• ASTM WK64631 – Standard Guide for a Systematic Approach to the Analysis of Ignitable Liquids. This guide 

describes a systematic approach for the analysis of solid (e.g., fire debris) and liquid samples for the presence of 

ignitable liquids and their residues. Comment deadline is July 14.

• ASTM WK66357 – Standard Guide for Latent Print Evidence Imaging Resolution. This guide provides procedures 

for verifying that digital cameras and scanners can capture the necessary details in images of latent print 

evidence. Comment deadline is July 21.

If you are a current member of ASTM, you will be able to access the ASTM documents listed above and submit your 

comments. If you would like to submit comments, and you are not an ASTM member, please consider joining ASTM 

E30, Committee on Forensic Science by visiting the Membership page.
OSAC Standards Bulletin – July 2019 4

New Work Proposals for New or Revised Standards 

ASB:

• On June 14, 2019, a Project Initiation Notification System (PINS) was published on pages 18-19 in the ANSI 

Standards Action. This will begin a 30-day period for public comment on the initiation of ASB’s work on the 

following documents:

o BSR/ASB Std 119-201x, Standard for the Analytical Scope and Sensitivity of Forensic Toxicology Testing 

for Medicolegal Death Investigations. This new document delineates the minimum requirements for 

target analytes and analytical sensitivity for the toxicological testing of blood specimens in medicolegal 

death investigations. This document does not include the analysis of urine, tissues, or other specimens 

that are commonly analyzed in medicolegal death investigations. 

o BSR/ASB Std 120-201x, Standard for the Analytical Scope and Sensitivity of Forensic Toxicology Testing in 

Impaired Driving Investigations. This new document delineates the minimum requirements for target 

analytes and analytical sensitivity for the toxicological testing of blood and urine specimens collected 

from drivers suspected of being impaired. This document does not cover the analysis of breath, oral 

fluid, or other potential specimen types collected in impaired driving investigations.

o BSR/ASB Std 121-201x, Standard for the Analytical Scope and Sensitivity of Forensic Toxicology Urine 

Testing in Drug-Facilitated Crime Investigations. This new document delineates the minimum 

requirements for target analytes and analytical sensitivity for the toxicological testing of urine 

specimens collected from alleged victims of drug-facilitated crimes (DFC). This document does not cover 

the analysis of blood and other evidence that may be collected in DFC cases.

o BSR/ASB BPR 122-201x, Guidelines for Performing Alcohol Calculations in Forensic Toxicology. This new 

document provides guidelines for performing ethanol (alcohol) calculations, to include calculations for 

retrograde extrapolation, forward estimations, minimum drinks consumed, and other typical situations. 

Considerations are provided for subjects not in the post-absorptive stage, various antemortem 

specimen types (whole blood, serum/plasma, breath, urine), and population variances. Reporting results 

of such calculations will also be addressed.

o BSR/ASB Std 124-201x, Minimum Requirements and Recommendations for a Firearm and Toolmark 

Examiner Training Program. This new standard covers the minimum requirements and 

recommendations for firearm and toolmark examiner training programs. The requirements include the 

essential skills and knowledge needed to perform successfully in the discipline. Requirements and 

recommendations include training topics, documentation, casework exercises, and methods for testing 

competency of the examiner. This document also provides guidance regarding which training elements 

may be removed in cases where a trainee is being qualified in only one category of testing. 

• On June 21, 2019, a PINS was published on page 23 in the ANSI Standards Action. This will begin a 30-day period 

for public comment on the initiation of ASB’s work on the following documents:

o BSR/ASB BPR 049-201x, Best Practice Recommendation for Lifting of Footwear and Tire Impression 

Evidence. This new standard provides the best practice recommendations for personnel responsible for 

lifting footwear and tire impressions. The recommendations in this document optimize the recovery of 

impressions. The procedures included in this document may not cover all aspects of lifting footwear or 

tire impressions. Deviations from this document may/may not preclude examination of recovered 

impressions and is not intended as a substitute for training in the lifting of footwear and tire-track 

evidence. 

o BSR/ASB BPR 050-201x, Best Practice Recommendation for Photographic Documentation of Footwear 

and Tire Impression Evidence. This new standard describes best practices for photographic 

documentation of footwear and tire impression evidence. Deviations from this document may/may not 

preclude examination of captured images. The procedures included in this document may not cover all 

aspects of footwear and tire photography and is not intended as a substitute for training in the 

documentation and photography of footwear and tire-track evidence. 
OSAC Standards Bulletin – July 2019 5

 

Other News 

On June 5, 2019, OSAC held its annual OSAC Public Update and 

Open Discussions meeting at the NIST campus in Gaithersburg, 

MD. Representatives from OSAC’s FSSB, SACs, Resource 

Committees, and the Statistics Task Group shared updates on 

their activities and the latest forensic science standards under 

development. If you weren’t able to join us, you can view a 

video of the event and review the slide presentations which will 

be available on the OSAC website soon.