UL India sets up Indian Fire Advisory Council

Bangalore, Apr 18 (UNI) Underwriters Laboratories, an independent, not-for-profit product safety certification organisation, has entered into a pact with leading Indian bodies in the fire protection market to set up the Indian Fire Advisory Council (FAC), a forum that will focus on fire prevention, security and signaling.

The FAC, the first body of its kind to be instituted by UL outside North America, reiterated UL's commitment to safety standards across the globe. The FAC would function as a neutral body, according to a company release here.

Commenting on the newly formed Council, UL India Managing Director R A Venkitachalam said ''at UL, promoting safety is our priority. With the growing number of fire-related accidents in the country and the impact on lives and livelihoods, we believe it is important for industry leaders to come together to collectively address safety issues around fire. The FAC will play such a role, while raising the fire safety bar in the country.'' The Council comprised eminent personalities from the regulatory, academia, industry, insurance and Government. The Council, with 16 members, would hold its first meeting in New Delhi on April 24-25.

UL would draw on the experience and expertise of the Council members to frame fire safety guidelines for products, components and systems, interpretation of standards, suitability of test methods and other regulatory requirements. Development and implementation of standards, keeping in mind the availability and usage of local raw materials and finished goods that might not have inherent fire safety norms would be of special emphasis for India, the release said.

UNI