FM Global has opened a US$16 million electrical hazards and gas detection laboratory at its 1,600-acre research campus in West Glocester, Rhode Island, following nearly two years of construction.
In a statement, FM Global explained that fireballs, explosions, combustible and toxic gas leaks, and short circuits – industrial property hazards that can derail a business – now are "daily occurrences inside of the specialized laboratory."
FM Global designed the new facility specifically for testing industrial grade electrical and gas detection equipment with greater precision and certifying those products that are explosion-proof, flameproof, and suitable for use in hazardous locations under extreme conditions.
To handle such extreme testing, the laboratory has such features as:
- Two fortified concrete explosion bunkers with up to two-foot thick walls complete with military-grade blast doors strong enough to withstand the equivalent of detonating four pounds of TNT;
- Labs that can replicate some of the most corrosive and damaging environments on the planet; and
- A test site that can handle the most toxic and combustible gases found in industry.
"As industries and operations evolve, so can their electrical hazards," said Brion Callori, senior vice president of engineering and research. "For those companies who operate in hazardous environments, explosions caused by electrical equipment can put a company out of business. There is no margin for error. This laboratory will help FM Global and its clients be well positioned to address such hazards."
Mr. Callori noted, "No other organization has built a laboratory quite like this before," adding that the capabilities will help expedite the certification of FM-approved electrical equipment that industries depend on so manufacturers can get them to market faster and to where those products will do the most good to protect property.
The electrical hazards and gas detection laboratory will be operated by FM Approvals, a testing organization. The facility expands the capabilities of the FM Global research campus where, for more than 50 years, scientists and engineers have been replicating warehouse-size fires, the effects of hurricane force windstorms, and dust explosions to help companies remain resilient by preventing losses before they occur.
Victoria Spears
Victoria Prussen Spears is senior vice president of Meyerowitz Communications Inc., a law firm marketing communications consulting company. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and Brooklyn Law School, Ms. Spears was an attorney at a leading New York City law firm before joining Meyerowitz Communications. She may be contacted at [email protected].