Following its success with its certification service, the UK-based IFC Group has recently set up a branch office in Dubai with plans under way to expand its workforce to cover new work on a range of projects, including towers and shopping malls in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

The IFC Group arrived in the Gulf in 2003 to offer its certification service through its subsidiary IFC Certification in response to Dubai Civil Defence’s (DCD) requirements to oversee the manufacturing process for timber fire doors that are used in large numbers across the region.
Elaborating about the company’s certification scheme, Carl Etholen, sales and marketing manager of International Fire Consultants (IFC), says: “The process involves not only the hands-on activity of inspecting the procedures and processes of the manufacturing units to ensure quality but also technical evaluation of the engineering data for door designs (including fire test data and analysis).
“This performance-based system gives confidence to building owners that, in the event of a fire in their buildings, the door will do exactly what it is supposed to do: save lives.
“Hitherto, the performance of these doors was determined by outdated test methods and it was only in January last year that a new test regime was instituted by the DCD Fire and Safety section, following research into the best methods of test and certification.
“With increasing demands placed on DCD officials due to the awesome numbers of buildings being built within their control, it is laudable that the Civil Defence has taken this stance in an attempt at getting both performance and assurance and reducing the level of inspection required from their overstretched resource,” he adds.

Quality
Already many companies have taken the lead by attaining IFC Certification through IFC’s internationally-recognised Timber Fire Door Scheme, giving them a competitive edge in the market.
The certification scheme demands that manufacturers maintain satisfactory quality as well as ensure that the testing complies with internationally recognised standards, such as BS 476: Part 22, Etholen points out.
Life safety
Etholen, however has a word of caution, pointing out that third party evaluation works only if these parties can perform their functions properly.
“With demands on contractors for meeting deadlines and to avoid the vast penalties applied for late delivery, corners could easily be cut by manufacturers to supply their products,” he stresses. “The authorities, architects, contractors and clients alike must all ensure that a standard of quality must always be achieved from all approved third parties”
“Overseeing by independent authorities is carried out by the accreditation bodies on directly employed personnel by way of initial and maintenance audits, however the control of subcontractors has, for a long time, been an issue left to the companies themselves. This has created problems for the third-party certificators. 
“New standards, which have been in long-time development, are now being implemented which will enable authorities to have control within Gulf to assist in their objectives.”
In response to market demand, the group has extended its activities in the region by involving its sister company, International Fire Consultants Limited to assist in projects which require anything from providing means-of-escape strategies to maximise the volume of foot traffic access to exit points when a fire starts, to assisting in building designs to minimise both structural damage and the threat to life from the risk of a fire.
The IFC Group’s branch office in Dubai is headed by Ian Alston, who is fluent in Arabic and has worked in the Gulf for almost 40 years. IFC’s knowledge has been increased not only by his employ but also from the help provided both in the UK and from the various commercial sections within the British Embassies dotted around the Gulf.
“With the massive expansion programme of the IFC Group within the GCC, we look forward to ensuring that there shall be ongoing standards being set for the construction of safe buildings with quality accredited products throughout the region,” Etholen concludes.