Technical collaboration in fire science, building standards and sustainability is to begin following an agreement MSB Valletta has signed with Building Research Establishment (BRE) Global.
BRE Global operates under the BRE Trust, a research and educational charity. The agreement will enable MSB Valletta to draw on BRE's 85 years of research-based advice to governments to make a contribution to supporting Maltese government institutions and the private sector.
To underpin best practice in fire safety, the agreement will focus on promoting the BRE's Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) independent third party product certification services.
Formed initially by the UK's Association of British Insurers, the LPCB has a history of risk reduction dating from the 1880s and is one of the world's leading approvals bodies specialising in fire and security systems and services.
MSB Valletta and BRE Global are committed to promote the LPCB's independent third party fire and security product certification to insurers, regulators, specifiers, property developers and fire and security products manufacturers and importers.
The two organisations are also expected to collaborate in education and research, and in delivering training and offering independent peer reviews of advanced fire engineered solutions for buildings.
Matthew E. Joslin, MSB Valletta's chief executive officer, said: "Combined with the company's risk management and fire engineering talent, the services that MSB Valletta will be able to offer through the technical collaboration of BRE Global will be beneficial to insurers, regulators, authorities, Government, investors, service providers and consultants."
Together with BRE Global, MSB Valletta will also be promoting Breeam International, the BRE Environment Assessment Method, the world's most widely used environment assessment method for buildings. Over 100,000 buildings have been assessed and over half a million have been registered.
BRE was formerly a UK Government research and test facility that, since the 1920s, was responsible for developing UK building regulations. In 1997 the facility was privatised and is now owned by the BRE Trust, a research and educational charitable foundation.
Among its services are 'green' housing, through the BRE Innovation Park, assessment of construction, including methods and materials, weather-tightness, and structural performance and integrity.