VLS
10 years of upholding standards in the lubricants industry
Mike Bewsey, Chairman, VLS
In 2013, a clear issue arose in the UK lubricants industry. Reputable lubricant producers witnessed products being promoted in the marketplace with unrealistic claims. Either these companies didn’t understand the claims they were making, or they were intentionally attempting to gain market share by expanding the number of claims made beyond those that could reasonably be supported.
Market standards like the ACEA specifications did exist, but no one was policing them. This disadvantaged responsible manufacturers and put end users at risk of buying products that couldn’t deliver what was claimed. A few lubricant companies had tried approaching UK Trading Standards about the issues, but Trading Standards didn’t have the expertise, knowledge or resources to investigate or take action. It was also observed in some instances that obsolete, inaccurate or mutually exclusive OEM performance specifications were being claimed.
The United Kingdom Lubricants Association (UKLA) realised there was an issue and stepped in to take action by supporting the lubricants market. This wasn’t about naming and shaming companies but about encouraging compliance through better education – reaching out to them to see if they needed help understanding the complex lubricants market they were working in that would ensure a level playing field for all participants.
Ultimately, UKLA realised that those best qualified to challenge and educate these companies were the reputable lubricants manufacturers themselves. So a new organisation was created as a subsidiary of UKLA – the Verification of Lubricant Specifications (UK) Ltd, or simply VLS.
50 LUBE MAGAZINE NO.175 JUNE 2023
The first few years saw an influx of cases In the first few years, VLS dealt with a large number of cases that resolved long-standing performance claims as the market adjusted to becoming more open and more accountable. The very first case was a complaint about the low temperature properties of an automotive gear oil. It claimed to be viable in temperatures down as low as minus 40 degrees centigrade, but on testing, it turned solid at minus 15 °C. The company concerned argued that the UK’s temperature never reached minus 40°C, so the product was still suitable for use. That wasn’t the point; a specification cannot be claimed if a product cannot meet it, as this is misleading the end user.
Seeing how some companies have reacted to cases being brought against them has been eye-opening. Reputable manufacturers, whether VLS or UKLA members or not, have been grateful that any inaccurate claims have been highlighted, giving them a chance to take swift action and protect their company reputations and their end users.
By 2020, VLS had gone full circle on its beginnings and entered into a Primary Authority Partnership with Trading Standards Having worked on several cases together, Trading Standards could see that VLS was bringing value to the marketplace and could help raise standards for consumers and encourage greater compliance. Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards agreed to provide tailored advice and guidance for VLS and its members to help them remain compliant with relevant regulations and legislation and support VLS in escalating any cases to local Trading Standards authorities that proved problematic in resolving. The Primary Authority Partnership sets a precedent in how
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