Abu Dhabi: A world-renowned safety science group has opened its first industrial lab in the region to provide testing for the competency of those buildings.
The laboratory is located in Abu Dhabi’s Musaffah area spanning over 850 square metres and will carry out special testing on the electrical equipment and panels that are used in buildings. The tests will be conducted in four separate zones that will mimic the UAE’s climate and conditions including environmental, dust, aqua, and heat. The heat testing zone is also the region’s largest.
“In terms of safety testing for electrical switch gears and panels, this laboratory is the first of its kind in this region,” said Hamid Syed, UL vice-president and general manager.
Syed explained that having such a facility was crucial because of the UAE’s continued growth and with Expo 2020 and Abu Dhabi Vision 2020 to come in the future.
“The power sector in the Middle East has seen rapid growth in recent years driven by huge industrialisation and increased energy consumption. This has led to a huge increase in the supply chain with both locally manufactured products and imports comprising various electrical items found in most buildings.
“Many authorities have introduced strict pre-qualification requirements to ensure public safety and set a benchmark of quality. Therefore, these various vital products and components must undergo the right level of testing to ensure they reach these levels of quality and protect the public from risks such as fires,” he added.
Syed noted that the safety testing at the laboratory would help with reducing the fire risks in buildings.
“There have been some devastating fires in the Middle East in recent years and we will be working with key authorities to minimise this risk in the years to come,” he said.
