Eac Fire Certification

The “EAC Fire Safety Certification” is one of the national regulations that was partly replaced in 2020 by the “Technical Regulation EAC 043“. This certification is issued when the requirements for fire safety and its specific equipment are met. It is therefore essential for bringing fire safety products into compliance with EAC and consequently their movement within the EEU (Eurasian Economic Union).

On the other hand, the fire certification of the Russian Federation, if the products are not among those accepted by the Technical Regulation EAC 043, relies completely on the regulations of Federal Law No. 123 FZ of 22 July 2008.

This is part of the “Gosstandart” (GOST) certifications, i.e. those certifications with a conformity markable to certify the conformity and suitability of the product to the relevant Russian standards. To obtain this type of certification, a series of technical checks must be carried out:

• Initially, laboratory and technical tests will be carried out to check the possibility of flame propagation on certain materials;
• There will be a detailed analysis of the manufacturer and its production quality over time.

When is the GOST mandatory?

The GOST is a compulsory certificate required for both domestic and imported products and is requested on the following occasions:

• When the goods arrive at customs. The Russian customs authority must ensure that the goods are accompanied by a copy of the certificate of conformity. Otherwise, it cannot be cleared through customs at all.
• It may be requested by market surveillance authorities during local checks;
• Consumers will have the right to request it according to certain personal and subjective needs

Fire protection certification and declaration in the Russian Federation

There are substantial differences between the fire protection certification and the fire protection declaration.

With regard to certification, this is issued especially for high-risk products. Mandatory spot checks are carried out, examining a number of requirements and criteria. In the final report, the degree of fire protection suitability and other specific product characteristics are indicated. The responsibility for issuing this certification is assumed by a specialized body in this field.

The declaration is made directly by the manufacturer. The manufacturer provides the product characteristics to an accredited Russian certification body and takes full responsibility. This body will then be free to accept or reject this information.

If the product is not deemed suitable and the certificate is negative, a second, but voluntary, certification can be used.

Documentation

In order to apply for a fire protection certificate or declaration, specific documentation must be submitted to the accredited body:

• First, the application for certification or declaration must be submitted;
• The main information about the manufacturer must then be given;
• A precise and detailed description of the products and their use is needed;
• Technical documentation is required in which the user manual, technical drawing, and also the technical passport will be attached;
• The customs tariff number must be provided;
• If there are any certificates already available, they should also be attached.

What does Russian Federal Law No. 123 provide for?

Technical Regulation 123-FZ belonging to Federal Law No. 123 of 22 July 2008 (formerly the Technical Regulation on Fire Safety Requirements), is the law that lays down all the safety requirements in the field of fire protection for protective products. Buildings, production plants, and various types of structures are also mentioned and included in this legislation. Paragraph three of this Russian Federal Law sets out all the safety requirements for materials and substances. Paragraph thirteen, on the other hand, focuses on all building materials, including textiles. It also manages to establish in detail a series of indicators aimed at drawing up a precise fire risk classification of materials. This classification is then based on the properties and the susceptibility or aversion to the spread of fire and flames of each individual material. The requirements for defining a material as more or less fire hazardous are as follows:

• Combustibility, i.e. the ability of the material to develop combustion;
• Fire propagation rate, i.e. the ability of the flame to spread to the surface;
• Flammability, i.e. the ability and speed of the material to ignite;
• Smoke, i.e. the ability to produce smoke during combustion;
• Toxicity, i.e. the ability to generate toxic substances during combustion.

These five fundamental aspects of the material are fully analyzed and supervised during laboratory testing of the product. The ranking will be based on these factors by means of a precise numerical value. A specific identification code is attached to each parameter. The specific regulations also necessarily indicate the size of the product samples that were tested in the laboratory. At the end of the entire material control process, a summary indicator will be obtained on the basis of the results obtained and the identification codes. This indicator is called “Material Class“.