Warringtonfire Australia launches Certifire certification scheme

Warringtonfire Australia has launched a new independent third-party certification scheme, Certifire, that will give manufacturers of fire protection products and systems the opportunity to differentiate themselves from non-certified equivalents and promote long-term confidence.

Certifire accreditation is recognised worldwide and has already been offered by Warringtonfire across the UK and Europe for almost 20 years.
The Australian launch will complement Warringtonfire Australia’s current offerings in testing, assessment and consultancy. 

Certifire is an independent passive certification scheme that assures performance, quality, reliability and traceability of passive fire protection products in the marketplace. The fundamental benefit of certification is that is gives the regulator, specifier, customer and end-user long-term confidence in the stated performance of the product, and provides an informed choice when purchasing or selecting the product for end use. 

Manufacturers in Australia are legally allowed to use their original fire resistance testing data, and have done so for decades, but Certifire will provide the added assurance of factory audits every 12 months, product reviews and re-testing every five years to ensure quality, compliance and traceability is maintained.

What is passive fire product certification

Passive fire product certification is the process of certifying that a product has passed fire performance tests and quality assurance tests and meets further qualification criteria stipulated in the certification scheme or relevant product specific technical schedule. The requirement for testing is in accordance with AS1530.4, or a product assessed in accordance with AS1530.4 based on fire resistance testing. An important part of the certification scheme is the ongoing auditing to ensure the product retains the same composition as the original product that was tested.

Product certification bodies are accredited to or aligned with ‘ISO/IEC 17065 Conformity assessment - Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes and services’, which is an international standard for ensuring competence in those organisations performing product, process and service certifications. 
Certification schemes are typically written to include both the performance test methods that the product must be tested to, as well as the criteria that the product must meet to become and retain certification.

The need for passive fire certification in Australia