18 Sep Emirates Safety Laboratory
Emirates Safety Laboratory (ESL) is a new facility for undertaking products/systems fire testing and conformity assessment body (CAB) certification. We now learn more about ESL from Major General Expert Ali Hassan Almutawa – director general assistant for fire and rescue.
Located in Al Warsan 3, Dubai ESL is the first-ever government-controlled facility for fire testing and safety product certification services in the Middle East, North Africa, and Indian sub-continent regions. It is accredited by IAS, EIAC, and GAC and ends up testing approximately 100 plus standards and product certification to more than 600 standards.
Additionally, esl supports government, academia and manufacturers for research and development and has an ambition to be a leading testing, inspection, and certification (tic) provider, making Dubai and the UAE a global hub for tic services. Esl collaborates with European entities, like Ul EU, to offer regional-based manufacturers access to CE and UKCA marking for market entry into the European Union’s single market.
We also undertake to provide testing to satisfy the united arab emirates (UAE) fire and life safety code of practice, the North American standards (ANSI, ASTM, NFPA, UL, ULC, ETC. ), the International Standard Organisation (iso), European standards (en), British standards (bs), and various other globally recognised international standards. Our testing laboratory operates following the iso/ iec 17025 standard requirements, with the conformity assessment body (certification) operating under the provisions of the iso/iec 17065 standard.
The testing laboratory houses cutting-edge technology that tests the products and materials to the applicable standards with high-quality efficiency while mitigating and reducing risks of environmental pollution.
We have one of the most extensive facilities for undertaking products and fire safety systems testing and conformity assessment certification. We assist manufacturers, project owners, developers, construction contractors, designers, consultants, fabricators, installers/applicators, and inspectors with advice in achieving product compliance and certification.
The laboratory now employs more than fifty technical specialists and experts who originate from the tic, manufacturing, consulting, construction, and government sectors and contribute a wealth of knowledge and fire & life safety experience to our customers.
Esl focuses not only on local uae standards but also the various international and regional codes and standards to support a diverse cross-section of fire protection manufacturers, including and not limited to below products/systems:
Fire Pumps
• Fire Extinguishing Systems (Wet/Dry,
Foam, CO2, Deluge, Etc.)
• Inert/Chemical Gas Clean Agent
Systems
• Foam Concentrates and Equipment
• Sprinklers, Hose, Pipes, Fittings,
Valves, Monitors & Nozzles
• Aerosol Extinguishing System (Fixed
and Portable)
• Water Mist Systems
• Seismic Sway Brace/Pipe Hanger
Equipment
• Bus Fire Suppression System
• Fire Detection and Alarm System
[Wired, Wireless, Interconnected, and
Hybrid types]
• Aspiration Smoke Detection
• Voice Evacuation System
• Emergency Lighting and Exit light [Central battery type and Contained type]
• LPG Equipment and Components
• Atmospheric Tanks for Flammable and
Combustible Liquids
• Portable Fire Extinguishers and Fire
Blankets
• Photovoltaic Panels / Systems
• Structural Resistance to Fire for Walls,
Columns, Beams, etc.
• Fire Rated Doors, Windows, Shutters,
Rollers, Access Panels, Linen, And
Garbage Shoots
• Fire Rated Ceilings and Flooring
Systems
• Carpets and Flooring Materials
Reaction to Fire Testing
• Fire Rated Cables
• Fire Rated Ductwork and Kitchen
Extraction Systems
• Fire/Smoke Dampers
• Roofing Materials and Systems
• Facades and Cladding Systems
• Cavity Barriers
• Firestop Systems – Through Penetration and Linear Joints
• Interior Finishing Materials and Decorations
We break down traditional barriers encountered by customers in the region, avoiding the global copy/paste blueprint approach experienced by providing a tailored solution customised for these fast-paced and dynamic business geographies. Esl’s emphasis is not limited to product testing and certification; we support our clients through the complexities of product registration and facilitate by offering market entry services where they play a vital role in assisting the submission and handling of uae cd product registration for bringing products into the UAE market.
ESL is proud to cooperate with educational institutions like the American University of Sharjah (aus) and UAE University to assist with developing engineering and science students and undertake research projects to support the students’ learning. This cooperation includes opportunities for students to undertake internships and graduate placements. We will also support the future Aus and civil defence safety and fire engineering programs to enable local Emirati students to graduate and enter fire sciences and fire protection engineering careers.
Esl this year became an associate member of the European group of organisations for fire testing, inspection and certification (egolf). This has resulted in esl being part of a network of experts so that clients can appreciate a higher quality of service that accredited member organisations offer, which organisations collectively strive for excellence and devote time and effort toward accepting test results across national borders. Egolf membership also has provided ESL access to harmonised training courses on the various European test methods.
It ensures ESL remains informed about new standards, guidelines and other documents issued by the European Commission and related organisations and access to egolf agreements and recommendations on technical issues supporting harmonised testing and acceptance of test results. Esl has facilitated and participated in numerous round-robin harmonisation tests amongst some of the best testing laboratories across the European union, where the facility and personnel have demonstrated their skills to be on par with their European counterparts. This cooperation and participation ensure that testing with ESL is equivalent to European facilities, and this represents an excellent opportunity for skills development and experience working on such harmonisation projects.
The UAE is a magnet for innovation and is rapidly becoming the go-to place for manufacturers to establish new production facilities for exporting to the greater region and around the globe. Esl has actively supported these manufacturers of new innovative products in developing new test and product standards. One such project is devising a product standard for masking or coating media intended to be applied to the surface of photovoltaic panels to inhibit its function during a fire event.
Esl has also recently achieved accreditation for providing testing to the recently published UAE standard (uae. S 5041: 2020: fire suppression systems intended for engine compartments of buses and coaches) and completed registration with the Ministry of Innovation and advance technology to provide notification to bus engine compartment suppression system manufacturers who will be fitting the systems to all buses across the UAE. Another area of innovation we are supporting is the wireless mesh detection systems for private and commercial villa projects. Esl provides product certification to manufacturers supplying these wireless smoke and heat detectors with their control panel systems for the 10,000 homes of low-income families. This initiative ensures safety for the entire community. Influenced by innovation and change, the soon-to-be-released updated UAE fire and life safety code manual of practice is currently being drafted, and ESL is supporting the DCD in preparing the changes to the body of the new code, which includes new standards and rationalising of the use or application of some older, less relevant standards and considerations for areas and technologies where advances have been realised in recent years, and the current code is silent on.
Esl is striving towards becoming a significant fire and life safety testing and certification facility, with the ambition of making the UAE a global hub for conformity assessment services and towards Dubai being one of the safest cities in the world. The facility offers extensive tic services to manufacturers and the construction industry ensuring compliance with national, international, and regional standards and codes to ensure a safer and more sustainable future.