Two exclusive open days have enabled customers to see Warringtonfire’s new fire resistance testing laboratory in person prior to its official opening.

Warringtonfire, part of Element Materials Technology (Element), is set to launch its new, £23.6million flagship fire resistance testing laboratory in January. The 101,00ft² facility is located in Birchwood Park.

Guests were given a guided tour of what is now one of Europe’s largest fire testing laboratories, along with presentations and a networking event to meet Warringtonfire’s team of technical experts.

Peter Barker, technical policy manager at Warringtonfire, also briefed visitors on the evolution of Warringtonfire’s services to address the industry’s growing fire resistance testing needs, through a presentation titled ‘Construction Products and the Changing Regulatory Landscape’. Delegates were able to learn how the new legislation is shaping the regulatory landscape for construction products, and subsequently influencing conformity assessment activities within the testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) industry.

Leigh Hill, director of Element’s Built Environment Europe division, said: “Now that construction has finished, the team will be focusing on UKAS validation and accreditation for its five furnaces and operations. While this is taking place, we are gradually transitioning our fire resistance team from the Holmesfield Road laboratory to Birchwood Park as they prepare for the launch. We have been able to fill 50 further jobs as part of the expansion, including maintenance engineer, technical officer, and technical assistant positions.”

Tom Owen, technical engineer at Etex, said: “First impressions of the new facility overall are very positive. The sheer scale of the site was impressive, and the layout was very intuitive. I didn’t expect that three tests could run simultaneously and the possible maximum number of tests that can be done is staggering.”

Leigh added: “The positive response from customers is very reassuring. We have meticulously designed the new laboratory with clients as the top priority, intentionally incorporating confidential spray booths, each with its own temperature-controlled environment, as well as custom-made steel screens that can be attached to test preparation bays to protect intellectual property. We have also opted for dedicated client viewing areas to ensure privacy and are in the process of trialling additional confidentiality measures to further safeguard sensitive information.

The new site includes 175 parking bays and 10 EV charging stations as well as accessible welfare facilities like shower and locker rooms, five meeting rooms, three conference rooms, and a lift to platform viewing areas.