Which action helps prevent contamination of evidence on scene?

• A. Handle all items with bare hands.
• B. Use proper handling and packaging, minimal handling, and change gloves between items.
• C. Move items around to inspect before preserving.
• D. Leave items unprotected after collection.

Answer: (B)

Preventing contamination means limiting what touches the evidence and keeping different items from cross-contact. The best action is to handle and package items with care, minimize how much you touch them, and change gloves between items. This reduces the chance that fibers, skin cells, oils, or DNA are transferred from one item to another and preserves the original condition for analysis and chain of custody. Using gloves and proper packaging also protects evidence from environmental contamination and keeps each item isolated in its own protective container. In contrast, handling with bare hands can transfer contaminants; moving items around to inspect them can disturb context and introduce artifacts; leaving items unprotected after collection invites exposure and tampering or degradation.