Winchester, UK, 28th May 2025.
Sigma-HSE can announce that after a recent successful visit by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to our Winchester based laboratory, Sigma-HSE UK has added two new tests to their accredited list.
The International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) states that the ISO/IEC 17025 certification ‘enables laboratories to demonstrate that they operate competently and generate valid results, thereby promoting confidence in their work both nationally and around the world.’
Alongside the current range of Industrial Explosion Hazard tests, Sigma-HSE can now offer the below tests accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:
Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)
ASTM E 537-24 – Standard Test Method for Thermal Stability of Chemicals by Differential Scanning Calorimetry
Accelerating Rate Calorimetry (ARC)
ASTM E 1981-22 – Standard Guide for Assessing Thermal Stability of Materials by Methods of Accelerating Rate Calorimetry
Dr Oliver Armstrong, Sigma-HSE’s CPE Laboratory Manager comments: “The addition of these two new test methods from our Chemical Process Evaluation portfolio strengthens our offering at Sigma-HSE for assisting our client’s needs in assessing their processes, ensuring safe scale-up of new syntheses and processes from R&D and ensuring old processes are operated on appropriate plant. This approval for ISO 17025 accreditation recognises the stringent calibration, documentation and quality practices at Sigma-HSE under which all testing is performed, and give clients further confidence in our testing results.”
Following continued global business growth over the past year, the addition to Sigma-HSE’s ISO/IEC 17025 certified tests will enable the business to continue offering high-quality process safety solutions at a cost-effective price.
Sigma-HSE offers a solution to the cost and time inefficiencies of traditional process safety testing. We are the only independent testing laboratory in the UK that can offer tests to ISO/IEC 17025 standards, so you can make faster and more informed process safety decisions using our high-quality data.
Sidenote: The recent visit from UKAS also confirmed that Sigma-HSE UK has retained its ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation for its core combustible dust and powder tests.
You can access our confirmed detail of accreditation by UKAS here.
ENDS
Sigma-HSE UK laboratories’ ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation has been maintained for testing using the following test methods:
Determination of minimum ignition energy of dust/air mixtures
BS EN ISO/IEC 80079-20-2:2016
Minimum Ignition Temperature (MIT)
Method B – Minimum ignition temperature and Dust cloud in a furnace at a constant temperature
BS EN 50281-2-1: 1999
BS EN ISO/IEC 80079-20-2:2016
Method A – Dust layer on a heated surface at a constant temperature
BS EN 50281-2-1: 1999
BS EN ISO/IEC 80079-20-2:2016
Minimum Explosive Concentration
BS EN 14034-3: 2006
Using Annex C 20-litre sphere
BS EN 14034-1: 2004
Using Annex C 20-litre sphere
BS EN 14034-2: 2006
Using Annex C 20-litre sphere
BS EN 14034-4: 2004
BS EN ISO/IEC 80079-20-2:2016: 7.2 using 20 litre sphere
Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)
ASTM E 537-24
Accelerating Rate Calorimetry (ARC)
ASTM E 1981-22
About Sigma-HSE
Sigma-HSE provides global process safety support and solutions through a single source of expert knowledge regarding process safety in the work environment. Sigma-HSE’s broad range of consultancy services includes ATEX/DSEAR Assessments, HAZID/HAZOP Studies and SIL/LOPA Assessments. Sigma-HSE’s laboratories work to ISO/IEC 17025 quality standards and provide quality, reproducible results at competitive rates.