We all love a good whodunnit gripping tale in which we guess and second guess the identity of the murderer. By playing detective and piecing together the snippets of information, we can try to figure out the motive and reason as to who is the culprit. The board game Cluedo immortalised the very principle as far back as 1943 when it was devised in Birmingham by Anthony E. Pratt. In real life the detectives job is to work out who they think has committed the crime but of course they need hard evidence to prove that they have the right person. Forensic science has become an invaluable tool for all police forces around the world in the fight to catch criminals. The very first police crime laboratory was established in 1910 in Lyon, France by Edmond Locard. According to Locard’s ‘exchange principle’ it is impossible for criminals to escape a crime scene without leaving behind traces of evidence that can be used to identify them.

When our sales team received a call from the boys in blue at Greenford, Middlesex they asked us to help create four bespoke workbenches for their forensic science laboratory. We sent along our very own Inspector Clouseau - Jonathan Ball, equipped with smart briefcase, tape measure, notepad and a pen … not to mention 30 years of knowledge in materials handling equipment! Listening to the needs of our clients and understanding their exact requirements is a major part of what we do.

Leaving the site knowing the demands of the application and the physical parameters to work within, ultimately allows for a suitable proposal to be submitted.

In this instance, it was felt that ESD matting as part of the workbench setup would enable disbursement of any electrical charge. ESD matting is designed to drain static charge from items placed on its surface. For a mat to effectively ground an item, it must either be conductive or dissipative and be connected to a suitable grounding point. ESD mats are generally available as both vinyl and rubber mats. This provides significant benefit in so much as the onsite staff who walk back and forth around this area on numerous occasions, will naturally create static electricity. ESD matting will help to disperse this electricity. The mats have electrically conductive carbon fibres throughout, consequently the ESD flows at a slower rate across the surface of the mat which in turn acts as a neutraliser. The bespoke workbench dimensions and accessories were decided upon and then it was left to us to manufacture and deliver the new benches fully assembled within a 4 week timeframe, ready for the client to use.

The new bespoke workbenches included the following specification:

• 1500mm wide x 750mm deep.
• The height to the worktop surface was 840mm.
• The framework was painted blue RAL5010 powder coated.
• Birch plywood was fitted to the top and upper shelf.
• Light rail included a 24W LED light fitting.
• 1 x 1000mm louvre panel and a 500mm pin board.
• 1500mm support bars.
• 1500mm trunking.
• 2 x double power sockets.
• 1 x 1200 x 600 bench top ESD mat.
• 1 x 1200 x 600 ESD floor mat
• 1 x ESD wrist strap.
• 1 x plug to connect the mat to a desktop.

One last thing, if you need bespoke workbenches then please get in contact with Action Handling. Of course it would be a crime not to do so!

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