UL, the world’s leading safety science company, has completed its first remote-testing test programme in the MENA region, which certifies vertical turbine fire pumps in Saudi Arabia
UL awarded the Saudi Mechanical Industries Co (SMI) Pump Manufacturing Company Certification following a remote test of the SMI fire pump series, making SMI the first company in the Middle East to receive UL 448, the Standard for Centrifugal Stationary Pumps for fire-protection service, within the fire and safety sector remotely.
Since 2016, UL has been working alongside SMI to provide certification services using the SMI test facility, enabling SMI to obtain approval and certification for its range of fire pumps. Due to restrictions on travel to Saudi Arabia, UL’s team was unable to attend SMI’s facilities for physical testing. In response to limited travel, physical distance measures and urgent SMI requirements, UL used DAP provision for remote-tested testing after assessing the capabilities of the laboratory.
Rami Qaradeh, UL’s project engineer, explained, “The most significant obstacles for our project were time and COVID-19 safety measures, which prevented us from travelling and physically witnessing tests. Therefore, our aim was to deliver a service that assists our customers to meet their business continuity needs despite the lockdown. To complete the remote witnessing of tests, we needed to provide a solution that would effectively allow us to have eyes in the testing facility, making this testing as comprehensive as previous ones.
“To achieve this, we assessed SMI’s testing facility prior to witnessing tests, which included the review of SMI’s laboratory environment, equipment, calibration and safety requirements. For remote witnessing of the tests, we used fixed and roaming live cameras, giving us access to the entire facility. Over the course of two days, we connected with the SMI team via an online meeting platform, which allowed us to remotely witness test and collect the data required to complete the project.”
While completing the remote witnessed testing resulted in time saved by removing the requirement for travel, UL spent additional time on reviewing test protocols, assessing SMI’s laboratory and creating a framework for online testing.
UL offers its customers a range of remote witnessed testing solutions to support innovative market solutions with reliable, science-based repeatable testing and certification offerings.
