Fire testing collaboration launched to support UK building safety reforms

Fire testing rules tighten inside the FPA UL PartB plan

The Fire Protection Association (FPA) has announced a collaboration with UL Solutions and PartB to deliver independent fire testing for the UK built environment at a time of strengthened regulation and closer scrutiny of construction products.

The collaboration is outlined in a joint paper titled Testing Times: a solutions-focused collaboration for UK fire testing.

According to the FPA, the aim is to provide impartial and transparent testing services that support compliance in a sector shaped by the Building Safety Act and the findings of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

The organisations highlighted that the Building Safety Regulator’s Gateway programme and extended liability under the Defective Premises Act have increased pressure on dutyholders to evidence the fire performance of products and systems.

They stated that stakeholders now need reliable data to show that every component and assembly used in construction meets defined fire safety standards.

Independent laboratory and response to inquiry findings

The FPA said it will use its independent fire testing laboratory to host testing commissioned by UL Solutions and PartB clients in a secure and confidential environment.

The organisation stated that tests will be carried out at arm’s length from the client to protect impartiality and ensure that intellectual property and proprietary data remain confidential.

The initiative is positioned as a direct response to issues raised in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report around the need for independent testing to rebuild trust in the construction sector.

According to the partners, access to impartial fire performance data is intended to help clients make better-informed choices, reduce remediation costs and show a commitment to recognised good practice.

FPA Chief Executive Dr Gavin Dunn said the collaboration is intended to address gaps in how complex building systems are assessed.

Gavin Dunn, FPA Chief Executive, said: “This new collaboration addresses a critical gap in the construction sector: the need to test and certify the fire performance not just of individual products, but increasingly also the interfaces and combinations of systems that often present the greatest fire safety risks.

“Leveraging the FPA’s independent testing capabilities, UL Solutions’ certification expertise, and PartB’s engineering insight, offers a holistic approach to fire safety validation for the whole UK built environment sector.”

Roles for FPA UL Solutions and PartB

UL Solutions was described as bringing more than 130 years of global experience in testing, inspection and certification to the collaboration.

The firm’s work helps manufacturers meet regulatory requirements and obtain market access through established certification schemes.

Through this collaboration, UL Solutions and the FPA plan to offer testing of building products and systems such as wall assemblies, fire doors and joint systems.

The partners said this work will support both UKCA and CE-marking requirements for applicable products and systems.

PartB was presented as a provider of pragmatic fire safety solutions based on real-world project experience and engineering judgement.

The company’s approach is focused on offering engineered alternatives to conventional remediation, which can avoid invasive and high-cost work while maintaining safety performance.

According to PartB, its experience shows that compliance can in some cases be achieved through engineered solutions that maintain fire safety without defaulting to full-scale replacement.

Jamie Davis, PartB Group Chief Technical Officer, explained that the publication of the white paper marks an important step for the partners.

Jamie Davis, PartB Group Chief Technical Officer, said: “We are proud to announce the publication of this white paper.

“It marks a significant progress in enhancing collaboration to ensure proper testing and compliance measures.

“By sharing these insights, we aim to promote safer building environments and strengthen our commitment to innovation and technical excellence in fire risk mitigation, in a proportionate and responsible manner”

Panel session at London Build and access to the paper

The FPA said representatives from the three organisations will take part in a panel discussion on the Fire Safety Stage at London Build to explain how the collaboration relates to modern methods of construction.

The session, titled Ensuring Fire Safety in MMC: Addressing Industry Concerns, is scheduled for Thursday 20 November at 10:00.

Speakers are due to include Simon Ince, Programme Manager – UK/Europe Codes and Regulatory Services at UL Solutions, George Edwardes, Technical Director at the Fire Protection Association, and Richard Howells, Managing Director (Technical Services) at PartB.

The panel will also feature Jon Cumberlidge, Co-Founder and Director at C3 Design Approvals.

The FPA confirmed that hard copies of the joint paper will be available at the panel session and at the FPA trade stand during London Build.

The organisations added that the full Testing Times paper on the collaboration can also be downloaded online.

They stated that the collaboration is intended to support a safer, greener and higher-quality future for UK buildings by providing reliable, independent fire performance data to project teams.

How independent fire testing data could be used in practice

For architects, fire engineering consultants and building services engineers working on UK projects, this collaboration offers a route to obtain independent fire performance data on products, systems and interfaces that have been tested in an impartial laboratory environment.

For facility managers across industrial, commercial and public sectors, the availability of transparent test evidence may help in assessing existing installations and planning remediation strategies where fire safety concerns have been identified.

For system installers, fire-protection contractors and risk assessors, access to testing that covers complete assemblies such as wall systems, fire doors and joints can support more accurate specification and on-site verification of installed solutions.

For standards and certification bodies and relevant government departments, the partners’ stated focus on impartial testing and traceable data aligns with regulatory frameworks linked to the Building Safety Act, the Building Safety Regulator’s Gateway programme and extended liability under the Defective Premises Act.

For organisations working with modern methods of construction, the London Build panel and the Testing Times paper provide insight into how engineered solutions and system-level testing approaches are being applied to address fire safety concerns in newer forms of construction.