This article was first published by Scottish Enterprise on 29/01/25. You can view the original post by clicking here . UKTC has received a grant award from Scottish Enterprise of £835,000 towards an expansion project totalling £2.5 million that will extend its premises and create a new furnace capable of testing structures up to 5m high. In increasing the size of its factory UKTC will create around 20 new jobs taking the team to 38 employees as well as improving its energy efficiency and bringing services in-house that it currently sub-contracts to a European supplier. Employment and Investment Minister Tom Arthur said: “Since 2007, Scotland’s productivity rate has grown by 1.1% a year compared to 0.4% across the UK. “Our draft budget for 2025-26 aims to build a more productive economy, setting out more than £320 million for our enterprise agencies who are tasked with helping businesses to grow, scale and become more productive. “In the last financial year alone, Scottish Enterprise marked its best performance on jobs and capital investment. This included securing and safeguarding more than 16,700 jobs and unlocking £1.9 billion of capital investment spend.” Managing director of productivity and business growth at Scottish Enterprise Rhona Allison said: “UKTC’s expansion highlights what’s possible when a company commits to growth and innovation. “We know that those businesses that focus on investing and expanding through either new equipment or premises by creating room for further growth in turn create higher value jobs, improve sustainability and profitability in the process. “This investment helps increase UKTC’s productivity and brings benefits to the construction sector supply chain as well as supporting a safer built environment. The project also highlights how Scottish Enterprise can work with businesses to boost productivity and the economy.” UKTC provides a vital test lab service to passive fire protection product manufacturers in the construction industry with rigorous analysis of building materials from doors to wall panels and building membranes to determine and certify their suitability for use in different applications.   The company was established as a response to demand for high-quality fire testing services following tragedies such as the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 that was caused by flammable building material and has led to increased scrutiny around the safety of buildings. Andrew Hutchison, Head of Technical at UKTC said: “The construction industry is facing growing demand for fire testing, which is why we are investing in a new test hall to expand our services for both existing and new customers, while also creating new jobs as we grow. "The safety of materials used in homes and buildings is critical, and at UKTC, we remain committed to the protection of lives and assets. "Our planned extension, set to be completed next year, will house a new full-scale fire resistance test furnace. This would not have been possible without the support from Scottish Enterprise. Upgrading our facilities will enable us to continue delivering the highest standards of fire testing in the UK.” The expansion of United Kingdom Testing and Certification during National Productivity Week (27-31 Jan) highlights how companies can invest to improve productivity. National Productivity Week is a campaign organised by The Productivity Institute that aims to raise awareness of, and offer solutions to, addressing productivity challenges. More at www.productivityweek.co.uk

Approved Document B (fire safety) Volume 1 (Dwellings) and Volume 2 (Buildings other than dwellings) has been updated by The Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government (MHCLG) to incorporate future amendments. The recently issued consolidated document sees the 2019 edition, which incorporates the 2020 and 2022 amendments, now updated to include the forthcoming 2025, 2026, and 2029 amends. The document, which can be viewed here , highlights the forthcoming changes as follows: The 2025 amends, highlighted in blue, will take effect on the 2nd of March 2025 for use in England. These amends include for the removal of national classes for reaction to fire and roofs. The 2026 amends, highlighted in purple, will take effect on the 30th of September 2026 for use in England. The 2029 amends, highlighted in orange, will take effect on the 2nd of September 2029. These amends include the removal of the national classes for fire resistance . These updates to Approved Document B were announced in a parliamentary statement on the 2nd of September 2024, allowing for a transition period of 6 months for reaction to fire and 5 years for fire resistance. The removal of the national classes (BS 476 fire tests) ends “the dual classification system that has operated since the early 2000s in favour of the more rigorous, internationally recognised European standard (BS EN 13501).” as detailed in the 2nd September statement. If you want to know more about the transition to BS EN 13501 and how it will impact your future tests, contact our team by clicking here .

Next in our ‘Let’s Learn’ series is BS EN 1365-1:2012, a European standard that specifies testing methods for the fire resistance of load bearing walls, including both internal and external walls. What is BS EN 1365-1:2012? BS EN 1365-1:2012 is a European standard that specifies the testing methods for evaluating the fire resistance of load bearing walls, including both internal and external walls. The standard assesses the ability of a wall to withstand fire exposure while maintaining its structural load bearing capacity, which is crucial for ensuring the safety and integrity of a building during a fire. What is the Scope of BS EN 1365-1:2012? The scope of BS EN 1365-1:2012 includes: Applicability: It applies to internal and external load bearing walls. Exclusions: The standard does not cover non-separating load-bearing walls, which are addressed under EN 1365-4 (testing as columns). Testing Conditions: It tests walls without perforations like doors or windows. Effects of any openings or fire-resistant features must be assessed separately. Exposure Conditions: The fire resistance performance can be assessed under conditions simulating either internal or external fire exposure. How do we test for BS EN 1365-1:2012 Compliance? Testing for compliance with BS EN 1365-1:2012 involves several key steps: 1. Preparation: Assemble the wall unit as it would be used in practice, ensuring it is representative of actual construction, including its materials and method of construction. 2. Load Application: Apply a specified load to the wall to simulate real-world stress conditions during a fire. 3. Heating Protocol: Subject the wall to a controlled heating environment that mimics fire conditions as per EN 1363-1:1999 standards. 4. Monitoring: Use thermocouples and other measurement tools to assess the wall's integrity, insulation, and load bearing capacity throughout the test. 5. Documentation: Record all observations regarding the wall's performance in terms of structural integrity and thermal transmission. What test procedures do we use? The test procedures used under BS EN 1365-1:2012 include: Installation: The wall specimen is installed in a test frame designed to replicate its use in a building. Load Simulating: A load is applied to simulate the actual conditions under which the wall would need to perform during a fire. Fire Exposure: The wall is exposed to a specific temperature curve intended to replicate the progression of a fire over time. Data Collection: Data on thermal transfer and structural behaviour (such as deflection and potential failure points) is collected using various sensors and monitoring equipment. What is the Criteria for success? The criteria for success in the BS EN 1365-1:2012 test is: Load bearing Capacity (R): The wall must maintain its required load-bearing capacity throughout the test duration without excessive deflection or collapse. Insulation (I): The wall must prevent the transmission of heat to the unexposed side to such a degree that it does not exceed temperature limits that would cause ignition of materials on the unexposed side. Integrity (E): The wall should not develop openings or cracks large enough to allow the passage of flames or hot gases. Are you looking to find out more information on fire resistance testing? Contact us at info@uktestcert.com or call us on 01355 433122; our experienced team will be happy to help.

Doors, shutters and windows are crucial in everyday life. They play a major role in the safety of your family and yourself. But what if these doors, shutters and windows were not safe? What would happen then? Well, you need to make sure that everything is tested before it's put into use for this very reason. That is why there are fire safety experts who test these items for their resistance against fire and smoke. UK fire safety experts carry out a variety of tests in order to ensure that doors, shutters and windows are able to resist fire and smoke. The most common test is the fire resistance test, which is used to measure how long a door, shutter or window will withstand a fire. Other tests include the smoke leakage test, which measures how much smoke can escape from a closed door or window, and the flaming droplet test, which assesses how well a door or window prevents the spread of fire. In the UK, laws exist in order to ensure that doors, shutters and windows are able to resist fire and smoke such as the Building Regulations 2000. These regulations state that all new buildings must be tested to make sure they adhere to strict safety guidelines and testing standards such as BS 476-22. There are several ways to determine whether an item has successfully passed the fire safety test. One way is to check for the official certification mark. If a product has this certification mark, it means that it has been tested and certified by an accredited laboratory. Another way to tell if a product is fire safe is to see and verify a fire resistance test produced such as the comprehensive and internationally recognised fire resistance test report that is accessible from your online portal with video documentary evidence of the test; this report meets the strictest standards at our own UKAS Accredited Laboratory. Fire safety is critical in any building, whether it’s a residential home or a commercial property. That’s why it’s important to have doors, shutters and windows that can resist fire and smoke. To ensure your safety, these components must be tested by experts to make sure they meet the required standards. To find out more information get in touch with our team of fire safety experts .

United Kingdom Testing and Certification strike a strategic partnership with UKAS accredited laboratory to meet growth in demand for Reaction to Fire testing. This partnership enables UKTC to bring the classification of building materials under BS EN 13501-1 to its technical service provision. This will include the following internationally recognised Reaction to Fire test methods: · Single Burning Item (SBI) – BS EN 13823:2020 · Non-Combustibility – BS EN ISO 1182:2020 · Small Flame – BS EN ISO 11925-2:2020 · Calorific Value – BS EN ISO 1716:2018 Andrew Hutchison, Head of Technical Services at UKTC, said: “We have seen a huge increase in demand for reaction to fire testing, particularly in relation to building envelope products. This is being driven by regulatory changes as well as an increasing understanding from manufacturers of the value that testing adds to their products. “That’s why, despite economic uncertainty, UKTC continues to commit significant investment to position ourselves as the benchmark in fire testing. In turn, enabling our customers to demonstrate compliance, minimise risk and reduce time to market”. For more information about Reaction to Fire testing please visit: https://www.uktestcert.com/reaction-to-fire-testing

Following the United Kingdom's exit from the EU, many things have changed for construction product manufacturers and those who specify products for use in the built environment. The largest of these changes is what product marking is required for certain products being placed on the market in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). Since its advent in 1985, most products are marked using Conformitè Europëenne (CE) marking. CE marking indicates that the manufacturer has assessed a product's characteristics and deemed it to meet the minimum safety, health and environmental protection requirements for that type of product. Over the years, the CE mark has become a familiar sight on many construction products across the United Kingdom and the rest of the European Economic Area (EEA), reducing the barriers associated with selling products across territories. However, following the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum and the United Kingdom's formal exit from the European Union (EU) in 2020, a new product marking scheme came into effect. The United Kingdom Conformity Assessed (UKCA) marking regime was launched on 1st January 2021. This mark will not be recognised in the EEA and products being sold in those territories that require marking will have to be done under the CE marking regime as before. From 1st January 2023, CE Marking will no longer be used in Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales), and many products will require UKCA marking instead before being placed on the market. Despite concerns and lobbying from construction product groups and industry bodies, there is a hard push for the 2022 deadline to be met as the deadline has already been extended once. Compounded with the impact of a global pandemic, the introduction of the new UK Building Safety Bill and greater enforcement powers for the Office for Product Safety & Standards (OPSS), manufacturers are feeling the pressure. Thankfully though, the technical requirements of the UKCA marking scheme have been aligned with those in CE marking scheme. This means that the supporting standards, test methods, declarations of performance (DOP) and factory production control requirements are essentially the same. However, despite many are lobbying for continued alignment, this isn't guaranteed to last forever. Indeed, the current UK government has been vocal about the potential benefits of being able to diverge from the EU regulations. United Kingdom Testing and Certification (UKTC) fulfils several roles when it comes to UKCA marking. However, most importantly, UKTC has a 40,000 sq. ft. UKAS accredited testing facility based in the UK. This offers Manufacturers the rare opportunity to demonstrate their products' compliance with regulatory requirements from a single source supplier. In turn, this allows manufacturers to position themselves competitively in the market a reassure customers of the safety of their products. To learn more about how UKTC can assist with UKCA marking of construction products, get in touch with our team of experts.

The fire testing laboratory is the place where a project undergoes the process of being tested in order to check for safety. There are many factors that can influence which one you choose, including location, experience, and cost. It’s important to know what standards will be applied to your project before choosing a lab because not all labs are equipped with knowledge about every standard. The right company should take into account your specific needs in order to provide you with accurate results. Here are some things you may want to consider when deciding on a fire testing laboratory: Experience level of staff members Services offered by the lab (e.g. sampling, installation, certification, etc) Size and capabilities of the lab (e.g. what fire testing equipment they have available) Report quality and turnaround time Lead time for tests Cost of services rendered Working with a laboratory that has experience with the relevant standards will ensure that your project is tested correctly and accurately. We recently wrote on BS 476-20 which covers the scope of Fire Tests on Building materials and structures . It is also important to have a good understanding of the fire testing standards that will be applied to your project before you choose a lab because not all labs are equipped with knowledge about every standard (e.g. BS 476-22, BS EN 1634-1, BS EN 1364-1, etc). The right company should take into account your specific needs in order provide you with results which are accurate and can be used towards your existing third-party certification. United Kingdom Testing and Certification is accredited by UKAS which is the UK's accreditation service and the sole national accreditation body recognised by the British government to assess the competence of organisations that provide testing, certification, calibration and inspection services. Consider if your product or item for testing meets the standards held by your chosen laboratory; for instance, United Kingdom Testing and Certification is accredited by UKAS to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 for Fire Resistance Testing of the non-load bearing elements of construction including; door and shutter assemblies, walls and partitions, linear joint seals, glazing and architectural hardware. You can read more about accreditation and how UKTC can help you meet your legal obligations here.

United Kingdom Testing and Certification invest in U-Value calculation to meet increased demand for sustainable buildings. As energy prices continue to soar and the awareness of sustainable buildings continues to grow, performance measures such as u-values are becoming increasingly important. This has been reflected in the recent revision of Approved Document L which came into force earlier this year. The revised Approved Document L has targeted new-build dwellings with a 30% decrease in carbon emissions, along with a much improved method for the energy modelling of buildings. There is also ‘fabric first’ approach, which has long been called for. This stops new homes being constructed poorly but still meeting the requirements by adding renewables, such as solar panels allowing an 'offset' in emissions rather than a reduction. Most significantly, the supply chain will now have to comply with increases in the ‘backstops’ (the minimum allowable performance for walls, floors, ceilings, windows and doors) in a bid to improve the energy efficiency of new-homes. UKTC can undertake U-Value calculations of doors and windows to the following internationally recognised calculation methods: BS EN ISO 10077-1:2017 BS EN ISO 10077-2:2017 Andrew Hutchison, Head of Technical Services at UKTC, said: “As a result of the recent energy crisis, there is a heightened awareness of importance of the energy efficiency of the building stock in the UK. Couple this with the mandates set out in the recently revised Approved Document L, U-Value calculation is going to be an increasingly important performance characteristic for walls, floors, ceilings, windows and doors going forward. “That’s why, despite economic uncertainty, UKTC continues to commit significant investment to position itself as a benchmark in performance testing of construction products. In turn, enabling our customers to demonstrate compliance, minimise risk and reduce time to market”. For more information about U-Values & Energy Ratings please visit: https://www.uktestcert.com/u-values-and-energy-ratings -

British Standard BS476 is a series of test standards for fire testing on building materials and structures. BS476 relates to the British standard for fire testing on building structures and materials; it's split between several parts. For the determination of the fire resistance of elements of construction. Read in conjunction with BS 476 Part 21, BS 476 Part 22 and BS 476 Part 23, together they constitute a complete revision to BS 476 Part 8, which is now withdrawn despite being referenced through building regulations and other legislative documents. Materials that show conformity to BS 476 can provide the added assurance regarding the contributory safety factor in the event of a fire. For the purposes of these parts, elements of construction are categorized into three main groups: Loadbearing elements that have a fire resistance Non-loadbearing elements that have a fire resistance Elements that make a contribution to the fire resistance of a structure The specific requirements for the testing of these groups are described in Parts 21 to 23 respectively. Guidance and background information that will assist the designer and the testing authority to select and evaluate specimens that are more representative of situations in practice are given in appendices to the four Parts. This form of Fire Resistance testing is conducted on vertical and horizontal furnaces on which the elements of construction and supporting via a supporting construction and heated under extremely controlled conditions for the duration that is required. Specimens are tested to destruction and evaluated against specific performance criteria including the specimens ability to maintain it’s separating function by resisting the passage of fire and minimising the temperature rise on the unexposed surface. The UKAS accredited laboratory at United Kingdom Testing and Certification boasts a large 3 x 3 meter vertical furnace with a bespoke data acquisition software package capable of automating the test procedure to ensure high compliance with the BS 476 Part 20. At United Kingdom Testing and Certification, we offer an economical route for research and development testing and also regularly collaborate with Notified Bodies to provide a suite of fire certification. United Kingdom Testing and Certification currently offers fire resistance testing of Doorsets , Glazing Systems , Walls & Partitions and Linear Joint Seals . Our team are on hand to guide you through the Fire Resistance process.

Designated Standards allow businesses to show their products, services or processes comply with essential requirements of the legislation. A designated standard is a standard which is recognised by the Government. This is done by publishing its reference GOV.UK in a formal notice of publication. Designated Standards allow manufacturers to demonstrate that their products, services or processes comply with the essential requirements of the legislation. Depending on the type of product, a designated standard can be a standard which is adopted by any recognised standardisation body: British Standards Institution (BSI) European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC) European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) International Organization for Standardization (ISO) International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Whilst the quality and technical adequacy of the standards remains the fundamental responsibility of the standardisation body, the UK Government encourages UK stakeholders to shape the content of the standards. This is done via BSI who represent the interest of UK stakeholders in the development of international and regional European standards. If you are a stakeholder, you can get involved in standards development by: viewing and commenting on proposals for new standards viewing and commenting on draft standards apply as a BSI committee member and provide input on the standards-making process The GB regulatory framework, which came into effect on 1st January 2021, gave powers to the relevant Secretary of State to "designate" standards for regulatory conformity purposes. The coordination of this is now led by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) which enables a consistent approach. When deciding if a standard is appropriate for designation, the responsible government department or agency will review the standard and assess how far it covers the essential requirements set out in the relevant GB legislation. The Government may decide to designate a standard in full, designate with restriction, or not to designate. Any such restrictions are published on GOV.UK. Designated standards are prefixed "BS", "EN", "EN ISO" or "EN IEC". The "EN" prefix indicates that the standard has been adopted by a regional European standardising body. Where the designated standard is prefixed "EN", it is acceptable to reference this version in technical documentation, or a version of the standard with the national prefix (e.g. "BS EN"). This is because regional European standards are adopted identically by the 34 national members of CEN and CENELEC. Whilst the essential requirements of GB legislation remain the same as equivalent EU legislation, the informative Annex ZA/ZZ and any references to EU legislation in the designated standards should be read as applying to the legislation for GB in the same way, subject to any restriction or points made in the relevant notice of publication. This will change if and when the essential requirements in GB change. A list of the designated standards relating to construction can be accessed here .

United Kingdom Testing and Certification has accelerated the rollout of its digital service provision through the introduction of thermal imaging. In addition to a 1080p recording of the test procedure, customers can now access a thermal imaging video of the specimen under test. UKTC has invested in the same technology employed by fire fighters in tactical firefighting to enable the real-time recording of temperatures up to 400°C at any location on the product subject to test. In conjunction with raw data recorded at locations prescribed by the standard test methods, observations, and feedback from our expert personnel, customers can harness more information than ever before, enabling critical research and development decisions to be taken at pace. Speak to our team regarding Thermal Heat Imaging on your next test with us.

We're proud to welcome Daniel Fitzsimmons to the team United Kingdom Testing & Certification. I'm excited to join a client focussed accredited laboratory that is a genuine alternative and putting clients needs first. Daniel will be heading up our testing and joins us from Warrington Fire where he managed their testing for the last 8 years. Learn how we can help manage your testing needs with our independent laboratory, fully accredited by UKAS for British & International standards.