CSA Group Opens New State-of-the-Art Hazardous Locations Laboratory at Prestigious Hawarden Business Park in Flintshire, United Kingdom

DEESIDE, Wales, May 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

CSA Group, a global provider of testing and certification services and leading standards development organization, opened a new laboratory for testing and certification of equipment used in hazardous locations.  The new laboratory utilises the latest equipment and techniques and is one of the most comprehensive international standards compliance testing facilities in the world.

"CSA Group is a world leader in hazardous locations testing and certification and is continuing to grow and offer new services and expertise to meet the needs of our clients," said Magali Depras, CSA Group Chief Operating Officer. "In the past year we have opened new laboratories for hazardous locations in Europe, North America and Asia and have over 50 years of standards development experience for the oil and gas industry."

The new laboratory is 27,000 square feet and has over five times the capacity of the previous facility. It offers training space on the first floor with a state-of-the art laboratory on the ground floor. The laboratory supports compliance testing needs and offers Ingress Protection (IP) tests, temperature rise testing designed to simulate "real life" conditions, explosion and flameproof test cells, fuel dispenser testing and a "non-metal lab" specifically designed to reduce the risk of sparking.

"The new facility in Wales is one of the most comprehensive testing facilities for Hazardous Locations in Europe," said Ralf Schunk, CSA Group Regional Vice President, Europe. "We are dedicated to ensuring our clients receive excellent service delivery and this new laboratory will help our talented employees provide superior compliance testing now and well into the future."

The new facility in Wales offers the widest range of testing and compliance services under one roof and is the United Kingdom's leading Notified Body for Ex Product Certification. The new laboratory was designed to deliver a "very good" rating with building operations designed to control energy consumption (BREEAM) and a flexible laboratory area with electrical ducting allowing the facility to be tailored around the testing needs of clients.

CSA Group provides hazardous locations testing and certifications for the European Union, North America, ATEX and IECEx certification. CSA Group has a skilled team of experts in the United Kingdom and is a recognized leader in hazardous locations services worldwide. CSA Group also has hazardous locations testing facilities in Canada, the United States, India and China and hundreds of experienced hazardous locations experts around the world.

About CSA Group 
CSA Group is an independent, not-for-profit membership association dedicated to safety, social good and sustainability. Its knowledge and expertise encompass standards development; training and advisory solutions; global testing and certification services across key business areas including hazardous location and industrial, plumbing and construction, medical, safety and technology, appliances and gas, alternative energy, lighting and sustainability; as well as consumer product evaluation services. The CSA certification mark appears on billions of products worldwide. For more information about CSA Group visit http://www.csagroup.org

Allison Hawkins, Manager, Corporate Affairs, +1-416-747-2615, allison.hawkins@csagroup.org