UL establishes Indian Fire Advisory Council

Advancing Fire Prevention and Safety in India

UL entered into a partnership with leading Indian fire protection bodies to establish the Indian Fire Advisory Council (FAC). With its focus on fire prevention, security and signaling and run as a neutral body, the FAC is constituted of professionals from organizations dedicated to fire safety and protection. The FAC is the first of its kind organization instituted by UL outside North America.

Commenting on the newly formed council, R. A Venkitachalam, Managing Director of UL India 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 fire-related safety issues. The FAC will play such a role, while raising the fire safety bar in the country.”

The council is represented by the top managements from regulatory agencies, the petroleum sector, fire brigades, the insurance industry and the academia.

The Council held its first meeting in New Delhi on April 23-24, 2007 and discussed topics covering five key areas:

In the meeting, the council members developed action plans regarding industry education on safety standards and compliance programs, fire preventative measures and effective insurance coverage for the industry.

Furthermore, UL will draw on the experience and expertise of the Council Members to establish fire safety guidelines for products, components and systems, the interpretation of standards, suitability of test methods and other regulatory requirements. Of special emphasis for India will be the development and implementation of standards, keeping in mind the availability and usage of local raw materials and finished goods that may not have inherent fire safety norms.

FAC members at the first meeting in New Delhi.