Intertek opens the UK’s largest textile testing laboratory

Inspection, testing and certification company Intertek has opened the UK’s largest one-stop textile testing laboratory in its newly renovated and expanded site in Leigh, near Manchester.

The facility, which was opened by Shadow Home Secretary Andy Burnham, incorporates the UK’s largest textile flammability laboratory, a new chemical laboratory, as well as upgraded textile testing capabilities.

The new one-stop testing facility aims to support UK international manufacturers and retailers with quality and performance assurance, testing, inspection, and certification services including flammability, fire analysis and chemical testing on a broad range of textile products including fashion apparel, children’s clothing, shoes, sportswear, protective clothing, as well as curtains, duvets, pillows and sofa covers.

Intertek chief executive Rob van Dorp, said: “Intertek works closely with a huge range of manufacturers and retailers in the UK to provide high-quality assurance, testing, inspection and certification expertise to optimise the quality and safety of their products right along the supply chain.

“This new Centre of Excellence will support our UK customers’ design and quality processes, enabling them to meet their customers’ quality and safety expectations and to protect their global brands.”

The British Retail Consortium has emphasised the importance to UK retailers of having access to facilities which provide robust testing to ensure product quality and safety, stressing that both are of paramount importance to ensuring and maintaining a high level of consumer confidence.

Image: Intertek