IQ Forensics perform fire, explosion and technical assessments with integrity, trust, and responsibility to assist clients with determining liability. The goal is to enable the affected organisation to restore the interruptions of products and services to their customer base, both efficiently and effectively.
IQ Forensics Pty Ltd is a registered organisation with the CIPC, here in South Africa.
Through vast and varied experience gained over many years, IQ Forensics offers a comprehensive investigative value proposition to our current and potential clients. IQ Forensics perform fire, explosion and technical assessments with integrity, trust and responsibility, assisting with determining liability. We are committed to service excellence, honesty, loyalty, integrity and transparency.
Our partnerships are retained and expertise sought after, based on critical engineering interpretation and sound judgement of events. We and our client’s value quick turn-arounds with an accurate exposition of events, whilst remaining impartial. An engineering background with experience in complex systems, serves the responsibility well.
About Us
IQ Forensics is headed up by Brendes Gresse, who has investigated fires, explosions, and failures in various types of environments, including vehicles, ships, machinery, mechanical plants, residential buildings, commercial kitchens, retail parks, industrial facilities and office blocks. To-date, Brendes has conducted over 600 forensic engineering investigations of incidents attributed to mechanical, chemical, or electrical failures.
By assisting organisations to remain in business, we are supporting the economy through the scientific detection and time critical causation of incidents which brings businesses to a standstill. The expedient resolution of causation translates into the finalisation of claims or other outcomes resulting in the overall benefits to society.
IQ Forensics
In the forensic investigative market segment, we differentiate ourselves with the competitive advantages of specialisation, scientific approach (conceptual and analytical) and teamwork. Each investigation is approached as a new project.
Impartiality
It is understood that independent investigations should be performed by professionals with no apparent, or otherwise, vested interest or bias in the outcome.
Clients
Our principals include international insurers, loss adjusters (who normally act as intermediaries for insurance companies), attorneys, solicitors, marine insurance clubs and insurance brokers. Brendes also investigates incidents on behalf of corporate and private clients.
Skills
IQ Forensics gets involved in the practical elements to undertake the job. If necessary, we carefully dismantle machinery, equipment, or component assemblies in a systematic manner to obtain the evidence required to determine the cause of the fire, explosion or failure. This practical aspect of the work also includes the requirement to devise and possibly undertake tests with outside agencies as well as the collection of samples for laboratory examination if and when the need arises.
It should be considered that an investigation is always in preparation for possible or potential litigation. The evidence should be persuasive. The opportunity to collect factual information must be optimised, once a scene has been disturbed the veracity of evidence is forfeited. Should it be considered of value, IQ Forensics involve specialists who may act as expert witnesses in order to further strengthen evidence in case of a claim being tested in court.
A network, both nationally and internationally, has been established with specialists in the below areas of expertise;
• Building compliance to SANS
• Fire rational of buildings
• Polygraph analysis of witnesses
• Electrical compliance
• Accounting forensics
It is our goal to provide a logical explanation that is thorough and complete, leaving no questions concerning origin and cause of the fire, explosion, or failure.
“Through vast and varied experience gained over many years, IQ Forensics offers a comprehensive investigative value proposition to our current and potential clients.”
Our Modus Operandi
A fire investigation is a complex endeavour involving skill, technology, knowledge, and science. The compilation of factual data, an analysis of those facts must be analysed objectively, truthfully, and without expectation bias, preconception, or prejudice. The basic methodology of the fire investigation relies on the use, by IQ Forensics, of a systematic approach and attention to all relevant details.
The systematic approach recommended is based on the scientific method, which is used in the physical science. This method provides an organisational and analytical process that is desirable and necessary in successful fire investigations.
Investigations are performed according to the recommended prescripts of NFPA 921 Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations, this however, only serves as a guide and is not governed by law. IQ Forensics has developed, in addition to the precepts of the NFPA 921 guide, unique forensic investigative processes and procedures.
IQ Forensics is responsible for managing the technical investigation from the initial call-out, collecting the evidence on site, preparing the final technical report and ultimately giving expert evidence, should the claim be subjected to litigation.
In addition, we are familiar with the protocols regarding joint investigations involving multiple parties of teams comprising of Insurers, Loss Adjustors, and Forensics. We are experienced in acting as ‘Lead’ in forensic analysis.
Output
We communicate effectively and clearly, initially, during and after an appointment. Communication is undertaken both verbally and easily understood written reports for our clients. These expert reports assist our clients with claim handling for financial decisions regarding liability, recovery aspects or other particulars of a claim.
IQ Forensics is proud of our very successful track record of evidence tested in court as an expert witness. Our geographical coverage includes Southern Africa and further afield as required.
Costing
No two incidents are ever the same. IQ Forensics recognises this, and each case is investigated independently and thoroughly in order to determine what actually happened. Due to the uniqueness of investigations, it is impossible to provide clients with a fixed cost prior to being appointed. It is however possible to provide budgetary figures for evaluation of the affordability to appoint forensics. The reason for involving forensics is to ensure that insurance companies don’t miss out on opportunities to pursue subrogation against third parties whose product or services may have been faulty.
Due to the processes and costs involved, the forensic team must endeavour to investigate all possibilities to determine the exact cause of the damage. A verdict of “cause undetermined” should only be used when all possible forensic avenues have been exhausted.
Pricing can easily be a contentious issue if it is not fairly structured so that all parties can benefit from the appointment. Time spent and difficulty of the forensic investigation determines the price. We strongly support the idea that a conclusion discussion following the investigation be held with insurers to determine the liability and possibility to recover from third parties which will determine the type of report required. If recovery is not an option, a short report will close the claim, but should the report be in preparation for litigation, a more comprehensive report will be required.
Depending on the circumstances of the investigation and location of incident, IQ Forensics will uphold its values by minimising travel and on-site expenses.
IQ Forensics is open to negotiation to establish service level agreements with principles that are beneficial for both parties.
Get in touch
Please contact us to discuss potential working arrangements for the future.
082 882 9639
brendes@iqfor.co.za
