As we approach the two-year anniversary of the Covid-19 pandemic, our personal and work lives continue to be disrupted in countless ways. At FM Approvals, our laboratories in West Glocester, Rhode Island and Norwood, Massachusetts, USA have been open for certification testing since June 1, 2020, following a two-and-a-half-month shutdown at the start of the pandemic.
Upon reopening, laboratory operational hours were extended initially to clear the backlog that occurred during the temporary shutdown. Throughout the pandemic, and continuing today, FM Approvals staff and its customers have collaborated and cooperated at the highest levels to continue to achieve near-normal turnaround times for certification programs.
As of November 8, 2021, FM Approvals' laboratories have reopened for limited customer onsite representation for sample builds and testing.
Remote viewing keeps work flowing
Throughout the pandemic and continuing today, FM Approvals has live streamed video of hundreds of certification tests from its laboratories to customers located around the world. Other services have included remotely witnessing tests conducted by customers at their own facilities; witnessing product sample production; and remote surveillance audits.
"As we begin to emerge from the pandemic in the coming months, I believe the first types of remote testing we want to witness in person are the more complex tests such as foam and water mist extinguishing systems," notes Dave Fuller, FM Approvals vice president and manager of the fire protection group. "I see test complexity as one of the biggest factors in determining which tests we continue to do remotely and which we need to witness in person. I think that eventually we will transition back to conducting the majority of our tests in person, but the most complex will be the first."
Scott Holmes, FM Approvals Operations Vice President Group Manager of the materials group, believes the post-pandemic "new normal" will include a mix of test viewing methods. "When we emerge from the pandemic, I believe the new normal will be a hybrid model of what we've been used to. It's been two years and we've all become accustomed to remote broadcasting and remote witnessing of certification tests. For us, I know that when chemical formulations are involved, we want to witness that sample production in person. For most customers with large test programs, they will want to have a representative at our labs to assist in sample construction and to observe the test in person."
Kingspan adapts seamlessly to remote testing
Most customers have actively continued their certification test programs throughout the pandemic. Many of these customers concur with their FM Approvals colleagues when it comes to doing what's necessary to keep projects moving ahead.
"It's almost as good as being there," begins Jay Humphreys, approvals director for Kingspan Ltd., a global building materials producer based in Ireland, with 159 factories and 15,000 employees. Humphreys is based in Holywell, Wales, UK. "The transition to remote test viewing has been seamless. Before the pandemic, we would send a technician team to FM Approvals' labs and assist them in assembling our products for testing."
He continues, "FM Approvals has been very attentive to our needs. Certification testing is very important to us and we need to have the confidence that products are being assembled correctly and FM Approvals appreciates that. FM technicians are very familiar with our products and how to assemble them."
Humphreys works with 15 testing agencies worldwide and considers FM Approvals certification among the most important in global markets. "Our preference is to go back to being on site to witness testing live. That is the approach we still prefer. Our programs are large and it will always be worth the investment to have our technicians on site."
For Kingspan's Norbert Stysiek, quality specialist for certification and development, based in Lipsko, Poland, when it comes to certification programs with FM Approvals, he knows only remote test witnessing.
"I began this position at Kingspan at about the same time the pandemic struck, so I have yet to actually visit their laboratories," he explains. "Nothing can really replace being there in person, on site. Given the situation we're in, it is very helpful to be able to continue our programs remotely."
He details the process he goes through for a typical wall panel test according to FM 4880, Class 1 Fire Rating of Building Panels of Interior Finish Materials. "There are four key steps or phases we go through, remotely:"
Step 1 – Unpack and identify samples. Kingspan ships pre-manufactured wall and roof panel assemblies to FM Approvals' West Glocester, Rhode Island, laboratories for use in multiple testing programs. "I assist the FM Approvals technicians in identifying the correct product samples for testing. There are different colors, configurations, coatings and so on."
Step 2 – Assemble panels for testing. "I video conference with the technicians to provide instructions on how to correctly fit the panels together in the correct sequence. I take a close look at the joints to make sure they are locked and fitted correctly."
Step 3 – Testing phase. "I observe the test via video and can ask any questions throughout. It can be difficult at times to see the extent of the flames during the testing."
Step 4 – Post-test analysis. "Once the sample is cool enough, they can show it to us via the camera and we can see the extent or scale of any damage and discuss the results with the FM Approvals technician. Of course, we also find out if the sample has passed or failed."
Johns Manville looks forward to return to in-person tests
Denver, Colorado, USA-based Johns Manville is a leading manufacturer of premium quality products for building insulation, mechanical insulation, commercial roofing, roof insulation and fibers and nonwovens for commercial, industrial and residential applications.
FM Approved Johns Manville roofing products are listed in FM Approvals' RoofNav.com online roofing tool. The tool provides step-by-step guidance on how to identify, specify, configure and install various roofing assemblies and components that comply with FM Approvals roofing standards. It provides users with the most up-to-date details on FM Approved roofing products and assemblies.
Tim McQuillen, Johns Manville's code manager for roofing systems, while appreciative of the availability of remote testing from FM Approvals, looks forward to a return to live test witnessing. "Remote test viewing has been critical for us to keep projects moving forward. We've done so much over the years with FM Approvals, there was almost no learning curve on the installation of materials by the FM personnel."
He continues, "There's a lot of value in being there in person to actually build the test samples and watch the tests and observe the results. Even the sound of something during a test can provide information. We take all that recorded and observed information back to our chemists, engineers and management team. Why and when did the sample fail, did it meet the objective/goal and what is the recommendation going forward."
Victaulic values FM Approvals certification
Headquartered in Easton, Pennsylvania, USA, Victaulic is a global developer and manufacturer of mechanical pipe joining systems and fire protection products, including sprinklers, valves and fittings. The Approval Guide lists hundreds of FM Approved fire protection products from Victaulic.
Len Swantek, Victaulic's director of global regulatory compliance, is a 33-year company veteran. He notes that his firm's relationship with FM Approvals dates back at least 50 years.
"We work with 87 testing authorities worldwide," Mr. Swantek says "These organizations represent the markets we serve, including fire protection, drinking water systems, maritime and offshore applications as well as mining, energy and infrastructure. Part of the demand for FM Approved products is driven by the requirements and recommendations of FM Global insurance, along with regional building codes and project specifications that require FM Approvals certification."
When the pandemic struck, Victaulic was one of the first to provide FM Approvals engineers with remote access to live video streaming of certain performance tests conducted on fire protection products at their Easton, PA laboratories.
"We ran a series of short demonstration tests to make sure everything was working properly, and then we linked our lab to the FM project engineer through MS Teams. The video quality was excellent along with equipment and gauge readings from multiple video feeds. The FM Approvals engineer watched the testing from a computer either at FM Approvals or from their home as we conducted the work in Pennsylvania."
He continues, "While the test programs moved along quite well, the flow of certifications for the firm's products slowed a bit when the FM Approvals labs closed in the spring of 2020. However, when FM reopened in June with two operating shifts, they were able to meet our requirements for testing and certification without major delays."
Swantek adds, "We focus on our partnerships with FM Approvals and other testing agencies. Testing and certifications are a costly investment and in return we want the best quality of service and on-time delivery to meet our customer's requirements. FM Approvals is, without a doubt, globally important to our business and we appreciate the efforts and support of everyone in the FM organization."