Furniture technology centre FIRA International has welcomed a new member of staff. Gemma Buffham has joined FIRA’s Testing division as senior technician for flammability and physical upholstery testing.

Gemma is a graduate of the University of Manchester, with a First Class BSc (Hons) in Textile Science and Technology. She joins FIRA from West Yorkshire Materials Testing, where she gained experience of upholstery and personal protective equipment testing (PPE).

FIRA’s testing operations manager, Howard James, says: "We are really pleased to have Gemma join our team. Her technical knowledge will be great asset to both FIRA and our clients. We wish her every success in her career at FIRA."

As well as working for FIRA International, Gemma has also taken on the role of representing the Furniture Industry Research Association at a number of British Standards committees developing standards for textiles.