The FPA’s cladding testing rigs have received reaccreditation by UKAS following a successful relocation to the organisation’s long-established fire testing laboratory in Gloucestershire.
Featuring two full-height test rigs capable of testing Parts 1 and 2 of BS 8414:2015 (with 2017 amendments) and BS 8414:2020, the reestablished cladding testing facility is now fully operational, with all of the FPA’s testing services now being delivered from a single site in Blockley.
Rachel Brooks, Head of Operations and Compliance at the FPA, explained that the UKAS reaccreditation process formed an “essential step in validating” the new, enhanced facility at the FPA’s Fire Testing Laboratory:
“Accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 is a key benchmark, demonstrating that our laboratory operates with the competence, impartiality, and consistency required to produce reliable and repeatable test results. For our clients, this provides assurance that testing is carried out to the highest recognised standards,” she said.
Ongoing UKAS accreditation involves regular assessment and auditing to ensure that the process, controls, and technical capability of the testing facility are continually reviewed and maintained. The FPA’s commitment to doing this “underpins the integrity of our BS 8414 testing service”, Brooks said, “giving clients confidence that their systems have been independently and rigorously assessed.”
Speaking in more detail, Lead Cladding Technician for the FPA, Josh Mason, said: “After the UKAS [accreditation] test, we got some very positive feedback. They highly commended us on our technical resilience, thorough documentation, a high level of professionalism and compliance when following our procedures, and our high level of health and safety practices.”
Mason added that the reaccreditation by UKAS confirmed that the FPA’s cladding testing rigs had “reached the high standards expected”.
More details about the FPA’s cladding tests can be found here.
