As construction on Warringtonfire’s flagship fire resistance testing facility concludes and we head into 2025, Jason Dodds, Built Environment Vice President at Element Materials Technology, talks about what the future of fire testing looks like.
What does the Birchwood Park laboratory mean to the fire safety industry, and how does it answer the construction and fire safety industry’s challenges?
In a nutshell, the challenge is quite simple. Fire safety regulations in the built environment industry are becoming stricter, and so, the demand for material testing is on the rise. However, over the past five years, fire testing capacity has been tight, often leading to long wait times in certain product sectors.
We've been working hard to address this, and I'm excited to share that we're significantly expanding our fire resistance testing capacity across all product segments with our new Birchwood Park laboratory, one of the largest fire testing facilities in the world.
We're also boosting capacity at our existing labs for certifying safety-critical construction products. This includes investing in new fire testing equipment, like the single burning item furnace added at our Holmesfield Road site earlier this year. Our accreditation at Warringtonfire covers all product segments in the construction industry, including doors, fire stopping products, partition systems, and structural steel. With decades of expertise, we can effectively service all safety-critical products, unlike other labs that might focus on just one area.
Birchwood Park offers a state-of-the-art facility, allowing customers to develop and validate their products using the latest technology and methods. The new site will also create recruitment and development opportunities for lab technicians and engineers, including graduate programs to foster the next generation of industry leaders.
In addition to our direct investments in new capabilities and people, we're committed to enhancing quality by working with standards organisations and trade bodies to promote best practices and ensure standards protect people as intended. This commitment is fundamental to Warringtonfire and our sister company BM TRADA product certification, both part of Element Materials Technology. Our Built Environment colleagues have voluntarily dedicated over 2,500 hours to various committees, including BSI and other European bodies, to drive improvements and share knowledge. We're fully committed to contributing these hours to ensure the highest quality standards and industry guidance.
To stay ahead of industry changes, we established an internal Technical Competence and Governance (TCG) team about 18 months ago. This team guides our technical approach and enhances our business competency. We also participate in educational events to raise awareness about recent and upcoming changes in fire safety within the industry. Ten members of the TCG team are dedicated to supporting standards and committees, ensuring we maintain a forward-thinking approach and stay on top of the latest industry developments in fire testing and certification. The TCG has also been involved in every step of the new site’s Steering Committee, providing technical and governance oversight.
What do you foresee happening in the fire safety and construction industry in the next two, three and five years, and what would you like to see?
When it comes to fire safety and regulations, we expect increased scrutiny and focus from all industry stakeholders. We welcome the industry reviews, like the Dame Judith Hackitt report and the Morrell and Day report, which have highlighted significant improvements that should be considered.
The introduction of the Building Safety Act 2022, along with other regulations like the Fire Safety Act 2021 and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, aims to enhance the fire safety of buildings. These regulations are already driving the demand for more testing on construction products. The government has also committed to a comprehensive reform of the construction products regulatory regime. Although the future direction is still uncertain, we anticipate greater scrutiny of the performance of construction products used in buildings, increasing the need for enhanced fire testing capacities.
The construction industry has faced real challenges due to a lack of certainty and investment. However, the recent investments announced in the Autumn Budget, such as the £5bn for housing in 2025-26, is a welcome boost for the sector. Now that we’re firmly in post-Brexit territory, it's crucial to work closely with our European counterparts regarding CE/UKCA marking to ensure mutual recognition of testing.
Change is inevitable and, in some cases, already here. As an industry, we need to embrace these changes collectively and stay current with our thinking. This won't be without challenges, whether due to changes in test standards or past approaches, so it's vital that we collaborate to address these obstacles.
The industry must also understand that a detailed end-to-end testing and certification process takes time. We should be cautious of any certification offered overnight, as it's not that simple. It's advisable to plan ahead and work with a reliable testing and certification partner who understands the regulations and can guide you through the process.
I encourage more industry professionals to get involved in the standardisation process through BSI or relevant trade bodies. While these organisations are doing excellent work, we need more people involved. This will help drive a cultural shift within the construction industry. Our hope is to see stronger collaboration between bodies to ensure a state-of-the-art TIC sector supporting the construction industry. We want everyone to be involved in making this change.
What is next for Element and Warringtonfire, beyond the launch of the laboratory and adding the two further furnaces by the end of 2026?
We're always focused on enhancing customer experience and efficiency, and this will continue. We know there's room for improvement to help our customers reach the market faster. To achieve this, we're conducting end-to-end process reviews in both testing and certification, with significant changes on the horizon that will benefit everyone.
We're also planning further investments in our new site, with potential additions like more furnaces and spray booths. Plus, there will be more investment to come in our High Wycombe and Holmesfield Road laboratories to keep them cutting-edge. We're transforming Holmesfield Road into a Centre of Excellence for Reaction to Fire testing, building on significant investments already made to enhance our construction, rail, and marine testing services with upgraded equipment and expanded capacity for single burning item and roof testing.
Our people are incredibly important to us, and we're always striving to recruit skilled engineers and competent professionals. We're very proud of our two-year graduate scheme, which provides comprehensive training, mentorship, and hands-on experience. By September 2026, 12 candidates will have successfully completed the program. Meanwhile, our IGNITE program is an internally developed learning and development initiative that enhances the technical competencies of our colleagues in passive fire protection.
We're committed to investing in the future of our business and the safety-critical TIC sector in which we operate. By nurturing the skills and knowledge of colleagues early in their careers, we equip our company with the talent and capabilities needed to thrive in an ever-changing marketplace, while also supporting the entire industry.
If you were to sum up the differentiating characteristics of the Birchwood Park laboratory, what would they be and why?
Industry-leading, innovative, and customer focussed.
Our facility is industry-leading because it's one of the world's most advanced centres with market moving capacity improvements supported by one of the largest teams of fire technical experts globally.
We're also innovative. We've invested in the latest fire testing technologies, our own research and development capabilities, and operational efficiency. Plus, we're committed to mitigating the environmental impacts of our facility wherever possible, not least with the significant investment we have made in best-in-class furnace emission abatement.
And our approach is customer focussed. The facility is designed with the client's requirements prioritised, providing dedicated preparation areas to protect product confidentiality interests, improved provisions for clients to witness tests, and bespoke consultations with Warringtonfire’s experts. This ensures that testing aligns closely with technical compliance requirements and project goals. We offer customised testing solutions, including bespoke testing methods, tailored reporting, and specific compliance certifications. Our full-service facility simplifies the process for clients by offering fire resistance testing, technical, and certification services all under one roof.
What legislation and regulation do you want to see fast-tracked or improved for the fire safety and building safety industry?
We're all eager to see how both the government and industry will respond to the recommendations from the Phase 2 Inquiry report. We're actively reviewing these recommendations to fully understand their implications. We're committed to supporting the industry in implementing these recommendations and playing our part in the change that will be inevitably necessary. Our goal is to contribute positively to the industry's evolution and help support the changes needed to enhance safety and compliance.
For more about our new Birchwood Park laboratory or to book, please visit our dedicated page.