Early knowledge about upcoming changes to standards enables Falck to ensure that products from their subcontractors comply with future requirements.
Every year, numerous products are imported to Denmark and the EU, but even though the products are CE marked, it is not always a guarantee that they comply with current EU regulations. At Falck Teknik, this is something they pay extra attention to. Therefore, Falck’s portable fire extinguishers – produced by various overseas subcontractors - are sent to Force Technology’s laboratory for test and approval of their compliance with the standards EN3 and DS 2320
Bo Kurt Nielsen, Technical and Production Manager at Falck Teknik, says: ”We get Force Technology to check our portable fire extinguishers as we must be 100 % sure that the products we put on the market comply with the EU standards.”
Based on these tests and approval, Falck’s portable fire extinguishers achieve a certificate and the right to be labelled with the DS marking. The same process applies for other DS marked portable fire extinguishers.
Knowing about regulatory requirements and actual conditions
Force Technology has in-depth knowledge of the standards for portable fire extinguishers and performs type testing on all certified portable fire extinguishers in Denmark to ensure that the fire extinguishers meet the requirements of the standards and comply with both Danish and European regulations.
In addition, Force Technology inspects filling stations for certified portable fire extinguishers – including Falck Teknik’s filling stations – to verify that the fire extinguishing products and the employees at the filling stations comply with the applicable regulations and regulatory requirements.
Force Technology’s specialists update their knowledge about standards for fire extinguishing equipment through their active participation in the standardisation committee S-008 ’Fire extinguishing equipment’. Being an independent third-party body, who inspects and verifies fire extinguishing equipment, Force Technology’s input to the standardisation committee S-008 is important. This input help to ensure that current and future new standards will also work in practice.
Advice about standards
The fact that Force Technology’s employees are involved in the standardisation work means that they have updated knowledge in the field. This is of great importance to Falck Teknik and other certified companies that are members of the security industry - an industry for fire extinguishing equipment in Denmark.
”Force Technology has important knowledge from their standardisation work, which means that we can exchange knowledge with each other about standards for portable fire extinguishers, and e.g. debate how we can achieve better fire classes,” says Bo Kurt Nielsen.
Better prepared
For Bo Kurt Nielsen it makes a difference to know about new standards and requirements as early as possible as it generates a better dialogue with their subcontractors:
”It is important for us to be at the forefront of developments with regards to standards. By knowing about new requirements and new standards, I am better prepared in the dialogue with suppliers. It means that at an early stage, I can say to the suppliers that their products must comply with the new requirements and that they must make sure to test accordingly.”
The DS 2320 standard
Certified portable fire extinguishers on the Danish market must be inspected at least once a year according to the DS 2320 standard. The national DS 2320 standard is through the S-008 committee subject to a revision process. The updated DS 2320 is expected to be ready by 2020. The standard must first and foremost be consulted and then approved by among others the Danish Emergency Management Agency, the Danish Safety Technology Authority, and the Danish Working Environment Authority.
Type testing and the DS label
Every year, Force Technology performs type testing of more than 80 different certified portable fire extinguisher models in Denmark. This is done to ensure that the products comply with the EN3 standard and thus can continue as certified with the right to have a DS label as proof that they comply with the standard and are certified.
Fire classes
All fire extinguishers are classified as a particular fire class stating which type of fire and the size of the fire, which the fire extinguisher can extinguish.
