Warringtonfire, a global leader in fire testing, inspection and certification, has welcomed four new engineers as part of its inaugural graduate recruitment scheme. The company, which is part of Element Materials Technology, launched the scheme to help future-proof the fire safety industry and coincides with the 50th anniversary of the
Warringtonfire completes innovative smoke control study for Flemish Government (VIPA department), helping to better protect those in residential care Warringtonfire, a world leader in fire testing, inspection and certification services, has completed the second in a series of three studies at the request of the Flemish Government, that focus on
Third-party certification will be the central theme for Warringtonfire at FIREX 2022, with the company running a series of live demonstrations, interactive exhibits, CPD accredited training and seminars at the show. Taking place at London ExCeL between 17 – 19 May 2022, visitors to Warringtonfire’s stand (FI1430) will be able
Warringtonfire, a world leader in fire testing, inspection and certification services, has made a significant investment in its High Wycombe testing facility to meet the growth in demand for acoustics, smoke leakage and fire resistance testing. The transformation of the facility includes refurbishment of its onsite fire resistance and smoke
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
Warringtonfire, a global leader in fire testing, inspection and certification, has welcomed four new engineers as part of its inaugural graduate recruitment scheme. The company, which is part of Element Materials Technology, launched the scheme to help future-proof the fire safety industry and coincides with the 50th anniversary of the first commercial fire test at its fire testing laboratory in High Wycombe. The extensive history and experience of Warringtonfire’s multiple laboratories enable the company to provide graduates with the support and knowledge needed to make valuable contributions to the fire safety industry going forward. Amman Ahmed, Evandro Valente, Shannon Muir and Susie Hall joined Warringtonfire as graduate engineers in September 2022. The two-year structured training programme will see the four new recruits join Element’s team of over 7,000 scientists, engineers, and technologists working across a network of over 200 laboratories worldwide. It is the first time Warringtonfire has formalised its approach to graduate recruitment, with the scheme receiving over 200 applications for just four places from recent graduates with a minimum of a 2:1 degree classification in a STEM subject. The scheme comprises four rotations through key areas of the business: Reaction to Fire Testing, Fire Resistance Testing, Technical Assessments and Quality. An additional three-week ‘flexible placement’ to focus on a selected topic will complete the programme. As well as a thorough schedule of internal training, the new graduate engineers will also undertake external IFE Level 1, 2 and 3 qualifications throughout the two-year cycle. As a testament to the company’s commitment, each graduate engineer is guaranteed a full-time role within Warringtonfire following their completion of the scheme. Mark Cummings, Technical Director – Built Environment at Warringtonfire comments: “Talent identification and retention are fundamental to the success of any organisation and Warringtonfire is very proud of its record of developing world class fire safety professionals. Many leaders and senior stakeholders within the business have spent the majority of their careers within the organisation. However, given the pace and scale of product development within the construction industry, fostering the next generation of engineering talent is more important than ever. “After a highly competitive application process, which saw over 200 graduates apply for just four places, we are delighted to have welcomed Amman, Evandro, Shannon and Susie into Warringtonfire. We hope the 2022 cohort are the first of many to undertake this programme, all of whom will be playing their part in helping us make tomorrow safer than today.” Amman Ahmed, Graduate in Aerospace Engineering, added: “I’m over the moon to have been selected for the Warringtonfire Graduate Scheme. It really stood out to me how much help and guidance we will be given, and the opportunity to get exposure to different areas of the business, whilst gaining new qualifications, is invaluable. I can’t wait to get stuck in.” To find out more information on Warringtonfire, please visit: www.warringtonfire.com.
Warringtonfire completes innovative smoke control study for Flemish Government (VIPA department), helping to better protect those in residential care Warringtonfire, a world leader in fire testing, inspection and certification services, has completed the second in a series of three studies at the request of the Flemish Government, that focus on the fire safety in residential care buildings. When asked about the goals of the second study, also called the VIPA2 study, Pieter Poppe – project manager, stated, “We wanted to identify the effectiveness of smoke control measures by means of five large-scale fire tests and additional CFD-simulations (CFD: Computational Fluid Dynamics) as part of the evacuation strategy for non-self-reliant occupants of a residential care building.” The VIPA2 study led to new ways of considering fire safety for more vulnerable members of society, such as citizens who reside within care buildings. Since common areas within these buildings can currently include combustible materials (e.g. kitchens, sofas, etc.), a possible fire hazard is inherent in these evacuation routes. This risk is currently not considered within the concept of the current (Belgian) fire safety regulations. “The VIPA2 study has scientifically demonstrated the effectiveness of different kinds of applications of a smoke control system in a residential care building. This kind of smoke control system is not only limited to residential care buildings, but can also be applied to all types of structures with similar geometry. Such application is not mentioned in any normative document related to Smoke and Heat Exhaust Ventilation systems (SHEV-system) and is therefore very innovative.” This research, completed by Warringtonfire has informed a further third study, the VIPA3 study. Pieter Poppe, Head of the Consultancy Department of the Institute for Fire Safety (ISIB), said: “In the VIPA3 study, an assessment framework has been developed where minimum fire safety measures are determined as part of the evacuation strategy (i.e. immediate evacuation or Defend in Place) in case of non-self-reliant occupants of a residential care building. These fire safety measures can be active (e.g. residential smoke control system, fire screen, automatic extinguishing) or passive safety measures (e.g. fire resistant door, smoke control door, fire resistant damper). The effectiveness of the applied fire safety measures has been demonstrated through large-scale fire tests and additional CFD simulations (CFD: Computational Fluid Dynamics) as described in the VIPA1 and VIPA2 studies.” The three studies will act as crucial stepping stones in creating a safer and more secure future for non-self-reliant individuals, by potentially guiding future regulations. For more about Warringtonfire, please visit: www.warringtonfire.com.
Third-party certification will be the central theme for Warringtonfire at FIREX 2022, with the company running a series of live demonstrations, interactive exhibits, CPD accredited training and seminars at the show. Taking place at London ExCeL between 17 – 19 May 2022, visitors to Warringtonfire’s stand (FI1430) will be able to interact with a series of exhibits on an 84m2 passive fire protection (PFP) demonstration zone, featuring a full-size corridor and suspended ceiling simulation which showcases “best practice” passive fire protection. The stand will also feature display models of fire doors, glazing systems, pipes and cables which have all been subjected to a fire resistance test, to demonstrate effective PFP in action. Besides the exhibits, Warringtonfire will also be carrying out live demonstrations on its stand each day. This includes how to correctly install a fire door and the fire stopping measures for the many service pipes and cables that run through compartment lines above a suspended ceiling. As well as installation guidance, Warringtonfire’s technical experts will be on hand to discuss the principles of third-party product and personnel certification and the important role played by its Certifire and BM TRADA Q-Mark certification schemes. In addition, technical manager Peter Barker will show edited highlights from two 30-minute fire resistance tests in the Expertise & Guidance theatre on Tuesday 17th May at 2pm. The seminar will demonstrate in dramatic fashion the importance of correct specification and installation of PFP products. Leigh Hill, Division Director at Warringtonfire, said: “We are delighted that third-party certification is the central theme at FIREX 2022 and will be reinforcing its importance in the built environment through a series of live demonstrations, seminars, training and interactive exhibits over the three days.” For more information, please visit: www.warringtonfire.com / www.bmtrada.com. Building Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction & Property News
Warringtonfire, a world leader in fire testing, inspection and certification services, has made a significant investment in its High Wycombe testing facility to meet the growth in demand for acoustics, smoke leakage and fire resistance testing. The transformation of the facility includes refurbishment of its onsite fire resistance and smoke laboratories. This comprises new smoke leakage testing equipment, a complete re-lining of two test furnaces as well as installation of a new cold abatement system to extract test fumes from the fire laboratory environment. Alongside the additional fire resistance testing equipment, Warringtonfire’s acoustics laboratory has also been revamped, with new acoustic measuring equipment to enhance and improve testing capabilities. Lee Wade, General Manager at Warringtonfire High Wycombe, said: “We have seen a surge in demand for the smoke testing of products. This is being driven by both regulatory changes, as well as an increasing appreciation from our customers of the value that testing and certification adds to their products. “That’s why, despite the uncertainty COVID has generated within the industry throughout the past two years, we have committed to significant capital investment to ensure our laboratory is the benchmark for acoustic, smoke and fire testing, here in the UK”. Further investment has also been made to improve the facility’s sustainability credentials, with the installation of a new cold abatement system to extract fumes and odours from the test area, as well as fitting energy efficient LED lighting throughout the laboratory. Alongside this, the company has added more floor space through a new purpose-built building to ease congestion and improve working conditions, allowing staff to build test specimens away from the furnace. New digital viewing technology has also been introduced at Warringtonfire High Wycombe. The package enables customers to watch live product testing remotely at higher quality and has the capability to share live test data from Warringtonfire’s control system “Given the changing ways we and our clients have had to adapt, we’ve increased our focus on digital technology. This includes new video packages, better viewing angles of tests in ultra-high definition, and the ability to zoom in on specific areas of the test and our furnaces,” said Wade. “In order to maximise the potential of the investments made throughout the site, we’ve also embarked on an internal programme to train and upskill our colleagues in testing capabilities, technical qualifications, and project management. This will help our clients stay ahead of any regulatory changes and help them continually improve their products.” For more about Warringtonfire, please visit: www.warringtonfire.com.
