Product category:
Compliance Engineering
News Release from: RFI Global Services
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 25 July 2005
Fire fails to stop compliance testing
RFI Global Services suffered a building fire early on the morning of Thursday 21st July at its Ewhurst Park headquarters near, Basingstoke, UK.
RFI Global Services suffered a building fire early on the morning of Thursday 21st July at its Ewhurst Park headquarters near, Basingstoke, UK Prompt action by RFI's staff, later commended by the Fire Inspector, avoided major damage to the company's testing and compliance facilities
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 4 Jan 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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The fire at its peak was attended by eight fire crews, and is thought to have started in a stationery store.
It has had a minimal impact on the laboratory facilities and customer services.
To overcome both this and the loss of intersite communications, within only 36 hours RFI relocated staff to its nearby Ashwood Park facility.
Any affected customer testing services will also be re-established there within a few days.
With the precision one would expect from a testing and compliance company, RFI's recovery plans have proved extremely successful, ensuring the minimum of interruption to services.
Ewhurst Park is home to many of RFI's test facilities, including Bluetooth, SAR, radio and EMC test facilities.
There are more than a dozen test laboratories and around half of RFI's 100 staff are based there.
Stephen Kirk, RFI's Managing Director commended the speed and efficiency of both staff and fire crews.
Commenting on the fire he said: "The good news is that no-one was hurt and the damage to property could have been a lot worse".
"Both the fire brigade and one of our customers commented on the professional way in which we handled the evacuation".
"With regard to customer service, everyone involved is working hard to minimise the disruption".
"Although we have lost some test sites, we should have them all operating again within a few days and we will be running extra shifts to make up the lost capacity".
"We shall ensure the minimum of disruption to customers".
"It is very rewarding to demonstrate that planned, efficient staff procedures when carried out, result in negligible impact upon our customers".
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