CertAlarm has published the updated versions of its Scheme Rules following confirmation of the successful audit from the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA) and its members, the European National Accreditation Bodies.

The Scheme Rules form the basis for CertAlarm’s approach, which is unique in Europe, to offer a pan-European quality mark in the fire protection and security systems industry.

While all other quality marks present in this industry in Europe primarily focus on the acceptance of their brand in their local markets, CertAlarm aims at the acceptance of the CertAlarm mark throughout Europe.

The updates made to parts 1 to 3 of the CertAlarm Scheme Rules are to ensure that one of CertAlarm’s long-standing partners, which is based in the UK, can still operate under the CertAlarm Scheme after Brexit and to create the possibility for Certification Bodies and Test Laboratories based outside Europe to become CertAlarm partners.

Benoît Stockbroeckx, Technical Manager of Euralarm and Chair of CertAlarm’s Technical Advisory Group, commented: “Furthermore, the change is intended to strengthen the active participation of the Certification Bodies and Test Laboratories in the activities of the Technical Advisory Group to further improve their alignment in the application of the standards.”

Part 2 of the Rules (“Standards specified for various products, systems and services”) has been adapted to the effect that the standards listed herein are now undated. This change was made to put in place a more flexible system to inform the users and the partners of the CertAlarm mark about the applicable version of the standards.

The new system avoids changing the Rules Part 2 each time a new version of a standard is available. The dated versions of all standards within the CertAlarm scope remain to be available on CertAlarm’s website.

Anja Kinsky, General Manager of CertAlarm, added: “We are very pleased that the CertAlarm Scheme has once again proven that it fulfils the requirements of an international certification scheme and thereby remains to be the only pan-European certification scheme for fire safety and security products and systems in Europe.”