New fire testing facilities support safety requirements for manufacturers

Chris Miles, business director at UL Solutions, explores the role of the new fire testing facilities being opened in the UK to drive industry change

The fifth anniversary of the Grenfell Tower disaster has once again brought the need for robust fire testing into sharp focus in the UK. This has led to demands for increased governance of fire safety products, particularly fire and smoke doors, and for more rigorous approvals processes to ensure that products are correctly specified, installed and maintained.

Manufacturers of fire safety products must rise to these challenges and, to help them do so, UL Solutions has built a new testing facility in Blockley, Gloucestershire.

Partnership between UL Solutions and the Fire Protection Association

The new facility is the product of collaboration between UL Solutions and the Fire Protection Association (FPA). For its part, UL Solutions has invested in fire resistance test furnaces, which are installed at the FPA’s Blockley laboratory. These new facilities will reduce the time needed to put products through the fire resistance testing process, which forms the basis of UK regulations and third-party product certification.

“The FPA is delighted to be part of this dynamic collaboration with UL Solutions which will further enhance capacity and capabilities at our Blockley site,” said Jonathan O’Neill OBE, the FPA’s managing director. “UL Solutions certificates are universally recognised as an important demonstration of code compliance for construction projects and products.

“Now, as a result of our work with UL Solutions, manufacturers and system providers will not only have access to the tests and certifications required by UK regulations but will also be able to satisfy the requirements of regulators around the world.”

A facility to increase the capacity for fire testing

The principal goals of the collaboration between UL Solutions and the FPA are to provide a facility that would increase the capacity for fire testing within the UK and Europe, and to extend UL Solutions’ involvement with the science related to the testing of external cladding and facades for buildings.

In addition, UL Solutions actively supports the manufacture and use of products which are physically and environmentally safe, continually applying its expertise to reduce and, where possible, prevent loss of life and damage to property. By increasing the availability and accessibility of medium-scale R&D testing, the new facility will provide manufacturers with a wider range of options for in-depth evaluation of their products to ensure that they meet the highest standards for safe use in buildings.

Fire testing laboratory is within easy reach of UK manufacturers

Located in the heart of the Cotswolds, the fire resistance test laboratory is within easy reach of manufacturers across the UK. The FPA’s existing UKAS-accredited BS 8414 test rigs are complemented by the new furnaces which are the largest of their kind in the UK.

Larger test samples can now be accommodated and more samples can be tested at the same time, allowing UL Solutions to provide users of its services with even better value for money. This is proving to be an attractive proposition and is already leading to repeat business from companies that regularly require fire certification and CE marking services.

New fire safety requirements in the post-Brexit world

Although the fire-resistance laboratory has been developed primarily to support UK- based manufacturers, it also an invaluable resource for businesses outside the UK wishing to access the post-Brexit UK market as they can use it to gain competitive advantage by ensuring that their products meet UK requirements and standards. Additional testing and certification services in the UK are in part aligned with the product areas covered by Wintech, such as fire, smoke and security doors and building envelope systems, including cavity barriers.

For manufacturers looking to place products in both British and European markets, assessments must be completed by both an EU-notified technical assessment body for CE marking, as the EU has indicated it will recognise only the CE mark, and a UK- approved body for the UKCA marking. Separate certificates are therefore needed for each market. Fortunately, technical requirements are essentially the same, including the scope and type of construction products that need to be marked, the product standards and testing regime, declarations of performance, factory production control requirements and ongoing conformity assessment.

This means that for construction products – and for many other types of products in other sectors – UL Solutions can meet the testing requirement of both the EU and the UK. This is thanks to its extensive testing facilities, its wide expertise, its status as a notified body for CE marking and an approved body for UKCA marking, all complemented by the certification services it offers in relation to its own internationally recognised UL mark.

The future of fire testing

This new testing facility at Blockley provides fire-performance type testing to BS and EN standards. Services offered include the testing of building materials and firestopping, audit testing of doors and also certification of products and systems post testing. Additionally, manufacturers can opt for factory inspections as part of the certification process for even greater peace of mind.

“We have always focused on supporting the construction industry with the provision of independent, impartial, third-party testing services,” said Chris Miles, regional business director for UL’s Built Environment division. “We understand the challenges manufacturers face when it comes to complying with aesthetic, fire performance, environmental and structural safety requirements related to building envelopes.

“The new test facility developed as part of the agreement between UL Solutions and the FPA is an important step in the continuing cooperation between the two organisations and will provide the UK with much-needed extra capacity for fire resistance testing. The location in central England, the excellent fire safety knowledge that the two parties bring and, of course, the synergies between the organisations will help to ensure a reduction in fire safety risks”.

For more information on the new Blockley site, visit: www.uk.ul.com