FM Global, one of the world’s largest commercial and industrial property insurers, is constructing a new loss prevention training and operations centre in Singapore. Called FM Global Asia SimZone, it is the company’s first hands-on training facility in Asia.
The FM Global Asia SimZone will offer hands-on loss prevention education to clients, partners, industry and government officials in Asia and will be an extension of their current services in Singapore. The centre will house interactive laboratories and learning areas that will allow the safe simulation of property risks, such as natural hazards, fire, ignitable liquid, construction, electrical hazards and industrial equipment malfunction, in a protected environment to help visitors better understand how local hazards can be mitigated.
The unique concept of the SimZone will include hands-on training, virtual reality training and simulated experiences to help FM Global’s clients to fully understand the impact of certain disasters that may strike.
Mr Thomas Lawson, FM Global’s president and CEO said: “Over the course of FM Global’s 35 years of operating in Asia, we have seen that companies in the region are very interested in increasing their resilience to risk, thereby enhancing their ability to maintain positive business performance when disaster strikes.”
Facility will have emphasis on risks prevalent in Asia Pacific
Mr Stefano Tranquillo, senior vice president of FM Global’s Asia Pacific division added: “This will be an opportunity for people to understand better the causes of perils and how to manage them, and therefore minimise the disruptions that organisations may suffer.” He also noted that the Asian SimZone will be tailored to the particular risks that are prevalent in the Asia Pacific region, with an emphasis on natural catastrophes, fires and explosions, as well as specific construction types that exist in this region.
The upcoming facility will be the second of its kind that FM Global has launched, with the first located in Massachusetts, United States. “The concept of the SimZone was originally designed to train our own engineers. But we quickly figured out that our clients wanted the same service, so we began providing it to them, at no cost,” said Mr Lawson. “This facility will leverage our nearly two centuries of loss prevention engineering and client experience and expand our insurance and engineering operations in Singapore into full-fledged education.”
Educational, technical and governmental organisations in Asia will benefit
FM Global has also established partnerships with educational, technical and governmental organisations around the world, including the Institute of Catastrophe Risk Management, which serves as a trusted adviser to Singapore and other governments in the region. As a result, local businesses stand to benefit directly from FM Global’s physical presence in the region and from the opportunities the company’s working relationships in Asia provide, said Mr Lawson.
The facility is expected to be completed by the end of 2018 and fully operational by the first quarter of 2019.