Safety is measurable

As one of Germany’s leading independent testing institutions for fire safety and security, VdS enjoys the trust of all groups involved in the safety and security markets. Its customers include risk-conscious industrial and commercial companies, leading manufacturers, systems houses, specialized firms and specialist trades. On the operational side, VdS offers an innovative range of services in the fields of fire safety, security, training and publishing. VdS is a fully owned subsidiary of the German Insurance Association (GDV) and, through its owner, has more than 100 years of experience in its core area of business, namely fire protection.

Acknowledged expertise in fire safety

VdS can call on experts in all fields of fire safety and combines the various specialists for matters of constructional fire safety and fire safety installations. Its hundred years of expertise, its focus on fire safety testing and its close cooperation with its own laboratories are unique selling points of the VdS Inspection Services. It is an internationally recognized innovation and technology leader.

VdS certifications: Trust and confidence in the performance of products and services

Numerous accreditations not only document the outstanding competence and expertise of VdS, they also reflect its independence and objective assessments. A VdS certificate therefore gives commercial and private consumers an important orientation aid in distinguishing between high-quality and mediocre products and services. Manufacturers and service providers benefit from the consumers’ growing need for safety, as a result of which buying decisions are becoming increasingly dependent on safety aspects.

VdS laboratories: Putting products to the acid test

VdS operates a number of well-equipped laboratories in which type and system tests can be conducted on products for fire and intruder protection. A fundamental requirement for this – apart from using state-of-the-art technologies and innovative testing procedures – is that the staff have a sound knowledge base and long-time experience. The laboratories cover the entire value chain from prototype testing to the VdS-approved end product, which means that manufacturers enjoy considerable competitive advantages. To round off the range of services offered by the VdS laboratories, the engineers can also be called on in a consulting capacity, for example when selecting and applying the relevant standards and guidelines.

Bundling and communicating knowledge

One of the main aims of VdS is to gather, prepare and pass on the latest know-how on the subjects of fire safety and security, and thus set sustainable standards. For this reason, qualified training courses and conferences on these topics are an integral part of staff training in companies of all sizes and in all industries. With 200 or so events in Cologne and elsewhere, the VdS training program sets out to do just that. In addition, VdS produces a large number of publications, covering, for example,  all the VdS guidelines with around 600 titles – more than a hundred in English.