088: The most famous standards and certifications for fire protection and personal safety

As a consumer or buyer, one way to ensure that you choose the right product or get a suitable services is to check the certificates. Certifications confirm the technical compliance of the equipment or services in accordance with the standards and regulations.

For fire protection we have certification for below items:

• Designing
• Selection
• Installation
• Maintenance

First we must be familiar with below terms:

• Codes: Technical documents which states what we should consider in doing our projects.

1. ICC: International Code Council
2. IBC: International Building Code
3. IFC: Industry Foundation Classes
4. AHJ: Authorities Having Jurisdiction (Local Codes)

• Standards: Technical documents which states how we should implement a projects.

1. NFPA: National Fire Protection Association
2. ANSI: American National Standards Institute
3. UL: Underwriters Laboratories
4. ULc: UL with compliance to all Canadian standards
5. FM: Factory Mutual or FM Global Research
6. EN: European Standard
7. BS: British Standards
8. BS EN: British and European Standards
9. DIN: Deutsches Institut für Normung (German institute for standardisation)
10. ISO: International Organization for Standardization
11. ATEX: ATmospheres EXplosibles
12. NEC: National Electrical Code
13. IECEx: International Electrotechnical Commission
14. CEA: Consumer Electronics Association
15. HCS: Hazard Communication Standard
16. GOST: gosudarstvennyy standart
17. ISEA: International Safety Equipment Association
18. CSA: Canadian Standards Association
19. ASTM: American Society for Testing and Materials
20. NIOSH: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
21. OSHA: Occupational Safety & Health Administration
22. MSHA: Mine Safety and Health Administration
23. AS/NZ: Australian / New Zealand Standards

• Certifications or Approvals: Shows that manufacture have verified compliance according to standards and regulations. Here are some leading certification bodies in the field of fire protection:

1. VdS (Verband der Schadenversicherer): Approval based on DIN, EN, ISO and VdS guidelines.
2. LPCB (Loss Prevention Certification Board): Approval according to EN, ISO and LPCB guidelines.
3. UL (Underwriters Laboratories): Approval standard by offering inspection, advisory services and certification. Approval based on NFPA and UL guidelines.
4. FM(Factory Mutual): Approval standard
5. DNV GL (Maritime)