PROVEN SOLUTIONS: How Being FM Approved Sets Flood Products Apart

There are a lot of certifications out there, and depending on the industry you work in, some of them can be more meaningful than others. FM Approvals, on the other hand, is a name that demands respect no matter where you see it. It is one of the world’s most recognized leaders in objective, third-party testing and certification services.

Founded more than a century ago, FM Approvals primarily works with property loss prevention products that are used in commercial and industrial facilities. It has developed more than 200 standards, which identify the approval criteria of various types of products and services. When a company is serious about proving the integrity of its products, it seeks to get them FM Approved.

In short, FM Approvals provides a professional, trusted, unbiased ascertainment that a company’s product can do what it says it can do.

The certification process is performed by experienced researchers and is incredibly rigorous. If something says it can hold up to fire, then it is subjected to fire. Flood prevention products, on the other hand, are submerged and expected to hold up to everything from long-term exposure to powerful impacts that simulate objects being smashed into barriers by wind and waves. Not all products succeed in being certified, and those that do are subjected to ongoing surveillance audits over the years to maintain their FM Approved status. Gaining the FM Approved mark is a lengthy and grueling process, and it’s not for the faint of heart.

When a product is certified to be FM Approved, you can trust that it does its job.


Facts About FM Approvals:

  • FM Approvals was founded in 1886.
  • It has more than a dozen offices around the globe including China, Japan, India and the UK.
  • Its certifications are recognized by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the European Commission, The Standards Council Of Canada, The State Of California and many more.
  • It has developed more than 200 Approval Standards.
  • The FM Global Research Campus is located in West Glocester, Rhode Island. It covers 1,600 acres and houses the world’s premier loss prevention testing facility.
  • A fire technology laboratory, a hydraulics laboratory, a natural hazards laboratory, an electrical hazards laboratory and an explosion sites laboratory are all located within the FM Global Research Campus.
  • FM Approvals also performs on-site product evaluations when applicable (on a large flood door, for example).

PS Flood Barriers boasts a number of FM Approved products. They include:

  • HydroDefense® Flood Planks™
    HydroDefense Flood Planks provide flood protection in vertical increments of six inches and are stacked to build a watertight barrier in front of an opening.
  • Lift-Out Flood Barriers
    This reliable barrier provides flood protection at the time of need, installed in flooding conditions and stored away from the opening when not in use.
  • Original Flood Doors
    PS Flood Barriers’ original line of Pedestrian Flood Doors (PD-520), Fire Rated Flood Doors (PD-522) and Mechanical Room Flood Doors (PD-525) are designed and tested to meet FM standards. All models are 100% customizable and available in single and paired configurations.
  • Flex-Cover® Door
    This high-strength flood barrier provides watertight and impact-resistant protection by combining a structural frame, water barrier and impact-resistant layers with advanced compression gaskets. It can be stored near the point-of-use for deployment in minutes.
  • Flex-Gate® Side Deploy
    The Flex-Gate® Side Deploy is a high-strength fabric wall that can be deployed rapidly for flood protection around and between buildings, across doors of any size or across window walls. It is stored in a container at the point-of-use so that all materials and components are available when needed.

You can learn more about FM Approvals on their website: www.fmapprovals.com.