Options available to operators to avoid LEZ charges include replacing older vehicles, reorganising fleets so that only compliant vehicles travel into the LEZ, or fitting an exhaust particle filter. The exhaust filter must of a design approved by Transport for London (TfL). Once an exhaust filter has been fitted, the vehicle requires a VOSA issued Reduced Pollution Certificate which is valid for two years.

Exhaust filters are the cheapest available option. Several UK manufacturers are approved by TfL. With the larger exhausts, diesel particulate and nitrogen oxide filters are squeezed into the cramped coach and bus engine compartments, and will run hotter than the original exhaust system. Therefore, we may start to see more exhaust DPF related failures, or ignition of poorly retained soundproof insulation etc. A mechanical failure, such as a turbo oil seal leak, could release engine oil into the exhaust and is also likely to cause overheating in the DPF and a potential fire.

Several of the DPFs available require regular cleaning depending on the operating conditions. Modern diesel fuelled vehicles fitted as standard with a sealed DPF can undergo an electronically initiated regeneration process, increasing the operating temperature and burning-off excess soot. Several of the conversion filters for Large Goods and Public Service Vehicles do not have automatic regeneration capabilities and require disassembly and manual cleaning. Failure to adhere to the maintenance schedule can cause the DPF to run excessively hot and could pose a risk of fire. The soot build-up on the DPF is likely to be higher if the vehicle spends long periods of time traveling at slower speeds or with the engine idling (such as with school run buses).

Several of the after-market filters use electronic backpressure recording. Manufacturers of these systems recommend that if fitted, the filter backpressure be recorded during the maintenance inspection to help identify changes in filter backpressure.

This role will include land and marine based fire investigation, together with problem cargo advice including contamination and liquefaction. Training will be given both in the UK and Hong Kong.

Please send applications with covering letter to john.allum@hfs-asia.com in the first instance.

From the Hong Kong office we will work with P&I Clubs, insurers and loss adjusters to establish the causes of fires, explosions and cargo contaminants.

See our Hong Kong pages of the website for full details.

Unit 1
Guildford House
40 Alpha Road
Surbiton
KT5 8BA

Our telephone and fax numbers remain the same.

BMW has so far only acknowledged that the steering pump could ‘smoulder’. However, when Stephen was given photos of an affected Mini, his experience was telling, Stephen commented “We can see we’ve got an electrical wiring harness here with some damage at one end. The close up view shows that the connector where it was attached to the pump has started to melt. This is copper and it melts at over 1000 degrees centigrade. I’d say if you’ve got temperatures in excess of 1,000 degrees centigrade with these sorts of flammable materials around it, you’ve got the basis of a fire.”

Watchdog will continue to monitor reports of potential Mini fires. If you have been affected by a Mini fire please contact us and let us know.

For more information about where you can see Hannaford Forensic at exhibitions and conferences across the country, please contact us.

This rise in fire-related fraudulent insurance claims led Auto Express to want to understand how the insurance companies are fighting back.  Auto Express therefore spent a day with Hannaford Forensic’s Managing Director, Stephen Magnus-Hannaford, to understand the role of a vehicle fire investigator.

Stephen took Auto Express through the process of fire investigation as he conducted a forensic investigation of a vehicle fire. In doing so Stephen was able to highlight the sequence of events the fire followed and tally this evidence with the driver’s insurance claim.  The process highlighted that vehicle component faults can also be the cause of a fire, putting neither the driver nor the insurance company at fault. Auto Express published a two page ‘Inside Story’ in a January edition of the magazine.

We would also assess any involvement of hazardous or highly flammable materials stored within the premises where the fire started, and compare this to their risk assessment and published industry standards.

Although determining the cause of the fire is crucial, there is also the need to ensure that it was not related to poor workmanship or repair, and also that the vehicle had been mantained to the correct standards. Our vehicle fire specialists are also trained by VOSA as coach examiners, and can check whether the coach was likely to have been roadworthy prior to the fire as part of the forensic process.