Independent fire-testing company Warringtonfire, which is part of the Element Group, has passed three audits at its Frankfurt, Germany laboratory, including a five-year extension to the DAkkS accreditation, and three-year extensions to the designations from the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
DAkkS, which is Germany’s national accreditation body, reviewed the laboratory’s quality management systems and conducted staff assessments as part of the re-accreditation process. Following the assessment, the Frankfurt laboratory achieved EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018, the latest version of the standard. This advancement from the existing accreditation of ISO 17025:2005 required significant commitment from the team and adherence to strict guidelines.
The KBA approves vehicles types and parts, and monitors the work of test centers and quality control at manufacturing plants. Following a stringent audit, it was determined that the Frankfurt laboratory met the requirements for UN-ECE-R 118 for automotive testing. The laboratory also passed the IMO audit for maritime testing according to FTP code MSC 307(88) parts 1,2,5,7-10.
Rob Veitch, EVP of Fire & Building Products, Element said: “Achieving these accreditations and designations demanded the commitment of everyone in Frankfurt, from test operators to the general manager, who worked hard to ensure that we met all DAkkS, KBA and IMO requirements.
“Our qualifications reassure customers that we are providing them with the highest quality, most technically demanding service offering recognized by the fire industry.”
Warringtonfire performs reaction to fire testing to EN 16733:2016-07, which determines a building product’s propensity to undergo continuous smoldering; EN 13501 for construction products; EN 45545-2 for materials used in rail vehicles; FAR 25.853 for materials in aircraft; UN-ECE-R118 testing for the burning rate of materials in motor vehicles; UN-ECE-R34 for plastic fuel tanks; and fire testing in accordance with the IMO.
For more information please: www.warringtonfire.com
