Hurricane-strength windstorms, warehouse-sized fires, dust explosions and electrical hazards will be investigated at FM Global's new £49m Research Campus, said the company.
FM Global said it would use the Research Campus to conduct extensive tests to help companies understand how to prevent such threats from affecting their properties and business operations.
"We believe it is better to prevent a loss than try to recover from one," said Tom Lawson, senior vice president for engineering and research.
"Every day at the Research Campus we'll burn things down, blow things up and give things a good beating - to increase our understanding of the property risks that threaten our clients' operations."
The Research Campus includes the world's largest fire technology laboratory, capable of replicating warehouse fires up to 1,100 degrees Centigrade, and a natural hazards laboratory capable of generating category five hurricane winds.
Hosted by comedian and actor Tom Allen, 34 Gold, 23 Silver and 22 Bronze awards were handed out across an amazing 34 categories recognising brilliance and innovation right across the breadth of UK general insurance.
