Fire Safety Certificate (voluntary)

What is a voluntary fire safety certificate?

A fire safety certificate documents that a certain product meets the mandatory fire safety requirements according to the laws of the Russian Federation and has passed the necessary tests. Goods imported to Russia may be subject to mandatory fire certification, a declaration of conformity, or not subject to certification at all.

If the product is not subject to mandatory certification, the manufacturer can obtain a voluntary fire safety certificate to increase competitiveness of the product in the Russian market. For instance, a company can get a voluntary certificate for some building materials that are not subject to mandatory fire certification. This document will provide the company with an extra advantage when supplying goods to Russian state institutions or taking part in a tender.

The fire safety regulations are established in the Federal Law of the Russian Federation No. 123-FZ of July 22, 2008 “Technical regulation on fire safety requirements”. According to this regulation, the procedure of issuing a voluntary fire safety certificate is the same as for a mandatory certificate. The Manufacturer or their authorized Representative in Russia will need to provide the necessary documentation and product samples for testing. Compliance with these regulations are tested by specialized fire safety testing laboratories. The voluntary fire safety certificate has the same legal effect as the mandatory one.

Following documents build the legal basis of fire safety certification:

• Technical regulation on fire safety requirements No. 123-FZ from 22.07.2008
• Government decree of the Russian Federation No. 241 from 17.03.2009
• TR EAEU 043/2017 “On requirements for fire safety and fire-fighting”

The products subject to mandatory fire certification and their customs tariff code numbers are listed in the government decree of the Russian Federation No. 241 of March 17, 2009.

How to obtain a voluntary fire safety certificate?

Quality assessment process for a voluntary fire safety certificate is the same as in a mandatory certificate. These documents are needed from the producer:

• Company documents
• Product shipment contract
• Invoice and shipment contract specifications
• Test reports about the compliance with fire safety standards
• Product samples

Certification process consists of the following steps:

1. The producer or their authorized representative submits product documentation and applies to an accredited fire certification body. Sometimes manufacturers already have some test reports, in that case these could be used depending on the recognition.
2. Samples undergo laboratory testing for different qualities such as ignitability, flammability, smoke forming ability, toxicity.
3. Certification body conducts necessary production controls that are required by the quality certification scheme.
4. A test protocol is drawn up based on the expert assessment of the tests and documentation.
5. Certification body enters the data into the Fire Certificate Register of the Federal Accreditation Service website.

Depending on the certification scheme, yearly production control may be required.

Validity period of a voluntary fire safety certificate

There are not any validity time differences between a voluntary or a mandatory fire certificate. Both kinds are valid for 1 to 5 years, depending on the certification scheme. If the certificate is issued for a batch of goods, its validity period is equal to the product usage lifetime.