Today, the Spanish Association for Standardization, UNE, and the Spanish Association of Fire Protection Companies, TECNIFUEGO, presented the report Standardization in fire protection, with the aim of promoting safety and quality in the manufacture and use of products in various fields.
There are now over 600 UNE standards related to fire safety, of which 80% are cited in regulations such as the Technical Building Code (TBC) and the Regulation on Fire Protection Facilities (RIPCI). According to TECNIFUEGO, approximately 920 companies in the fire protection sector employ more than 20 workers, totalling 18,000 people.
"The relationship between standards and legislation is a successful public-private collaboration, which is key for the single European market. The development of UNE standards is based on the principles of transparency, consensus and collaboration, which are guarantees of the operation of the standardisation system", says Paloma García, UNE Director of Standardisation Programmes and Interest Groups.
According to Antonio Tortosa, Vice President of TECNIFUEGO, "the standardisation of fire protection management systems has proved to be an effective ally. It promotes competitiveness between companies and the development fire protection management systems based on standards that build trust among consumers. In addition, technical standards and legislation are closely connected, as the citation of standards in regulations contributes to guaranteeing appropriate levels of safety, functionality and durability."
The event was inaugurated by Paloma García, Director of Standardization Programmes and Stakeholder Engagement at UNE; Antonio Tortosa, Vice President of TECNIFUEGO; and José Rodríguez, chairman of the UNE Committee on Fire Protection Systems. Elena Gayo, Head of the UNE Fire Protection sector, outlined the structure and content of the report and introduced Jorge Jimeno, Service Manager at the General Sub-Directorate of Quality and Industrial Safety of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism; and Francisco Herranz, Technical Director at TECNIFUEGO.
A meeting was also held on the new fire protection regulations, with the participation of Carlos Pérez, from the engineering department at Johnson Controls; Daniel Alvear, Managing Director of the Department of Industry of the Community of Cantabria; Santos Bendicho, Head of the Smoke Control Projects Department at SODECA; and Manuel Martínez, Major Accounts Sales Director at Chubb Iberia. The event was closed by Raquel Martínez, Head of the Construction business area at UNE.
