Overview
ISO 21043-2:2018, “Forensic sciences - Part 2: Recognition, recording, collecting, transport and storage of items,” defines requirements for the forensic process from scene assessment through storage of physical items of potential forensic value. The standard focuses on preserving evidence integrity by minimizing loss, degradation, contamination or alteration and by ensuring consistent evidence handling, chain of custody, and quality controls across field and facility activities. It is part of the ISO 21043 series and complements ISO 21043-1 (terms and definitions). Note: procedures for recovering data from digital storage media are outside this document’s scope (see ISO/IEC 27037), although physical media can still yield trace evidence.
Key topics and requirements
- Quality management: documented policies and procedures (document control, record control, corrective action, peer review).
- Personnel competence: defined roles, minimum education/training, demonstrated competence in item recognition, handling, and contamination prevention.
- Initial scene response: guidance for first responders and forensic teams on cordons, safety, PPE and scene preservation.
- Forensic examination strategy: scene assessment, planned examination approach, review and closure.
- Recording and reporting: systematic documentation of actions, scene entries, observations and final reports to support legal use.
- Item handling and control: requirements for collecting, packaging, labelling, transport and secure storage of items to maintain evidential value.
- Equipment and consumables: identification of items that affect reliability with procedures for calibration, cleaning, maintenance and traceability.
- Detection and enhancement: documented detection/screening procedures with quality control and performance checks.
- Facilities and contamination minimization: secure, clean areas and procedures to reduce cross-contamination (Annex B).
- Health & safety: risk assessments and controls throughout the forensic process (Annex A).
- Informative annexes: first responder actions (Annex C) and applicability mapping to the forensic process (Annex D).
Applications and users
ISO 21043-2 is intended for:
- Forensic service providers and crime scene units
- Evidence technicians and lab managers
- First responders and law enforcement agencies
- Quality managers in forensic laboratories
- Legal professionals relying on defensible evidence handling
Practical uses include establishing or auditing evidence handling SOPs, training programs, chain-of-custody practices, and facility/equipment requirements to support reliable forensic results.
Related standards
Keywords: ISO 21043-2, forensic sciences, evidence handling, crime scene, chain of custody, evidence collection, contamination prevention, forensic quality requirements.
Open preview (PDF)Forensic sciences — Part 2: Recognition, recording, collecting, transport and storage of items