UL and the UK Fire Protection Association Advance Fire Safety with Development of New Laboratory

The new fire test laboratory will increase fire resistance testing capacity in the UK.

WARRINGTON, English and MORETON-IN-MARSH, England, July 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- UL, the global safety science leader, and the Fire Protection Association (FPA), an active research and testing organisation and the U.K.'s national fire safety organisation, have joined into an agreement to support fire testing in U.K. The two organisations plan to expand testing and laboratory capacities in Blockley, Gloucestershire in order to enhance UL services in the U.K.

"This agreement between UL and FPA is the next step in a continued cooperation and will provide the U.K. 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 that come from cooperating with FPA will help ensure a reduction in fire safety risks", said Chris Miles, regional business director for UL's Built Environment division.

UL has invested in fire resistance test furnaces to be installed within the FPA's Blockley Test laboratory. As part of the collaboration, tests for fire resistance, which form the basis of U.K. regulations and support third party product certification, will be shortened and processed quickly and effectively.

"FPA is delighted to be part of this developing collaboration with UL which will further enhance our capacity and capability at our Blockley site. UL certificates are universally recognised as an important demonstration of code compliance for construction projects and products across the globe. As a result of this agreement, manufacturers and system providers will not only have access to the tests and certifications required by U.K. regulations, but will also be able to satisfy the requirements of regulators around the world," said Jonathan O'Neill OBE, FPA's managing director.

The negotiations and construction planning for this laboratory facility have already commenced, with the new laboratory planning for opening in early 2022. This cooperation and laboratory demonstrate how UL is levering its scientific leadership and objective authority to help U.K. manufacturers confirm compliance and conformance and solve critical safety challenges.

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