Personnel Protective Equipment
Personnel protective equipment (PPE) must be worn by each agency that enters the crime scene for one main reason this being to limit contamination within the scene. PPE is disposable clothing that will help limit contamination as it will allow no fibers from the individuals clothes to fall onto any evidence located at the scene. Each individual at the scene must wear gloves so that there fingerprints aren't transferred onto any evidence and also if there is dirt located underneath the individuals fingernails this also wont be transferred as the gloves will prevent this from happening, the gloves will also help protect the individuals hands if any dangerous items are located at the scene e.g. a sharp object. Goggles must also be worn by each individual as they help to protect the individual from coming into contact with anything dangerous that might damage there eyes, they also limit contamination as the individuals eyelashes wont be able to shed on to any evidence. Shoe covers are also an important pieces of PPE that must be worn by each individual that enters the scene, this also limits contamination as no footwear marks will be transferred to the scene giving false hope of further evidence they also ensure that no evidence is effected by footwear marks and that footwear marks aren't destroyed. SOCO's must also wear a full body suit for the exact reason located above (no fibers from the individuals clothes will fall onto any evidence) each individual wont be expected to wear this as they may not come into contact with any evidence at the scene for example paramedics wont collect evidence from the scene they will only help to treat any victims/ suspects. By putting this procedure into place correctly this can contribute to valid evidence collection as it limits the chance of contamination occurring and it also limits the chance of false evidence being located at the scene.
Personnel Protective Equipment within the Soham Murders
Full PPE was worn by everyone who entered the crime scene where the bodied where located, this ensured that no contamination occurred and all evidence was effectively retrieved from the scene. It was important that the full PPE was worn due to the bodies being stored there for a long time so decomposition could have occurred which could have meant minimal evidence was left to retrieved. This means all evidence left at the scene was vital to collect correctly and securely, all evidence was collected correctly due to wearing PPE this stopped contamination occurring and made the evidence more reliable.