Test engineer Marcel Klooster: ‘It's wonderful to be able to test a product from A to Z’

After a career of over 25 years as a process and safety specialist in industrial automation, including work on drilling platforms and in nuclear power plants, Marcel Klooster joined Kiwa FSS Products two and a half years ago. Here, as a test engineer, he is involved in testing and certifying a wide range of products in the field of fire safety and security. Due to changing consumer needs and technological developments, this market is constantly evolving. Marcel shares more about it.

As a test engineer at Kiwa FSS Products, Marcel Klooster, along with his colleagues, is responsible for testing and certifying a diverse range of fire safety and alarm products, including CO detectors, sirens and passive infrared (PIR) motion detectors. ‘Our focus is on assessing the functionality of these products and ensuring compliance with strict EN standards. For sirens, for example, we investigate sound output and water resistance and for PIR detectors, we verify the accuracy of the detection range.’

Reliable Performance

In a dynamic market where the demand for reliable (fire) safety products is rapidly growing, the importance of certification according to international quality standards is increasing. ‘Customers must be able to rely on their fire safety and intrusion systems. More and more often, these are connected to the internet and operate on wireless technology, powered by batteries. Especially then, it is crucial that products perform reliably and have the lifespan promised by manufacturers. To check this, we conduct extensive functional tests and investigate whether products can withstand extreme temperatures, shocks and vibrations.’

End-to-end expertise

Recently, Marcel and his colleagues were able to fully utilize their end-to-end expertise in certifying a series of PIR ceiling units from a Japanese company. ‘One of the most appealing aspects of working at Kiwa FSS Products, in my opinion, is the breadth of the field. It's wonderful to be able to test a product from A to Z and not just one component of it. I love being physically active, working with my hands. It gives me great satisfaction to contribute to the safety and reliability of products that play a crucial role in security systems.’