23rd May 2022

The Lab’s fuel testing services secure UKAS accreditation

Client news

The Lab, the independent laboratory facility opened by leading multi-disciplinary technical and scientific consultancy Brookes Bell, has successfully achieved UKAS accreditation for its range of fuel testing services.

Launched last year, The Lab houses a state-of-the-art fuel-testing facility, including GCMS (Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry), ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) and FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy), as well as advanced investigative laboratory equipment, such as a digital microscope equipment, SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) and portable analysis equipment such as LIBS (Laser Induced Spectroscopy) and PMI (Positive Material Identification).

The UKAS accreditation certifies that The Lab’s procedures are being conducted at a high level, in line with internationally recognized standards.  It gives customers the clear assurance that their samples are handled with care as part of a robust quality system and that the results are reliable and can be trusted.  It also confirms that The Lab services are independent, the services and quality procedures are transparent and the team acts with impartiality and integrity. 

Matthew Calveley, Laboratory Manager said: “We have been accredited against the ISO 17025 standard which is specifically for testing and calibration laboratories, endorsing our technical competence as an independent laboratory service. 

“Since we opened last year, demand for our fuel testing services has continued to grow.  Our specialist fuel chemists are busy helping to investigate fuel specification issues and providing reliable and detailed data to assist in a range of fuel related claims - all of which is now officially certified to the industry standard of ISO 8217. 

“Thanks to the UKAS accreditations, our new clients can be assured that our services are independent and are fully compliant with the international regulatory standards.” 

Ken Kirby, Director of Metallurgy, Inspection and NDT adds: “Since its establishment The Lab has prioritized quality, innovation and dedication to exceptional customer service in all its investigations.  In just one year, The Lab has enabled us to develop many new and innovative forensic and investigative services and I congratulate the laboratory team for all their hard work in securing the UKAS accreditation.” 

Alongside fuel testing, The Lab is equipped with the latest analytical tools for forensic metallurgical investigations. The Lab’s metallurgists can determine how a component or structure should react in any given environment or under certain mechanical loads, using that expertise to examine corrosion or investigate a whole range of component failures.

Meanwhile, the Lab’s advanced NDT team specialise in electromagnetic testing and ultrasonic testing techniques for a variety of critical structures and components, revealing the condition of metal structures through composite decks, thick lagging and coatings and examining welding for harmful defects.

The Lab will continue to work to secure higher accreditations and further industry-leading standards to demonstrate its commitment to operational excellence.

Ends

Notes to editors:

• United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) is the sole National Accreditation Body for the United Kingdom. UKAS is recognised by Government, to assess against nationally and internationally agreed standards, organisations that provide conformity assessment services such as certification, testing, inspection, calibration and verification.
•  The UKAS accreditation covers chemical and physical tests for petroleum and petroleum products (fuel oil). The Lab has successfully achieved accreditation for the determination of ash - ISO 6245:2001, determination of density - ISO 12185:1996, for the determination of sulphur content - EN ISO 8754:2003, determination of carbon residue ISO 10370:2014 and determination of water ISO 3733:1999 as well as its use of energy-dispersive X-ray, oscillating U-tube method, micro method and distillation methods and fluorescence spectrometry.
• The Lab at Brookes Bell builds upon the Brookes Bell reputation as a leading multi-disciplinary technical and scientific consultancy. By developing state-of-the-art laboratory applications, we provide the marine, energy, industrial and manufacturing industries access to world-class forensic analysis and investigative services.
• In addition, The Lab is a centre of excellence for advanced Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) applications which enable us to work collaboratively with industrial partners and clients to deliver state-of-the-art NDT services and world-first applications.
• Brookes Bell is a leading multi-disciplinary technical and scientific consultancy serving the marine and energy sectors.
• Founded in Liverpool in 1903, Brookes Bell also operates in the UK, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore and enjoys a reputation for being the ‘go to’ firm for casualty investigation, forensic analysis, technical dispute resolution and expert witness work.