INDUSTRY VIEWFINDER 25
INDUSTRY VIEWFINDER
The changing face of product certification
T
he Hackitt Report threw light on some major issues within product specification, testing and certification in the construction industry, and, following the Building Safety Act, the landscape has changed dramatically. There is a new structure of testing oversight and compliance, and new professional roles underwriting the certification of products.
There is also a National Construction Products Regulator, dedicated to safer specification, but the future of testing and certification – including sustainability aspects like life-cycle analysis and embodied carbon – remains an area of heated debate. We looked at views on these issues as well as certification of durability, and health impacts of products, in a survey of architects, for a snapshot of the changing picture on certification when it comes to the products they specify on behalf of their clients. The survey we report on here was sponsored by Lamilux, Hambleside Danelaw Building Products, Soprema and Promat. It garnered 152 responses giving insights into the importance of robust certification for architects, and remaining issues in the sector. Architects and specifiers rely on information on products being rigorous, and credible, not only for tackling safety aspects but also for performance and sustainability, including the important area of durability. Paul Morrell’s 2023 review of the construction product testing regime contained serious criticisms of current practice, including that two-thirds of products being used in projects were ‘unregulated.’ Our research includes a look at the changes on safety, and the need for third-party testing, and how the new testing framework affects suppliers. Despite the complex testing ‘hierarchy’ including a wide range of approved bodies, we looked at how manufacturers and the wider industry are working with specifiers to improve credibility of certification, build trust, and develop best practice.
Do you find it difficult to identify greenwashing or false sustainability claims in building product certifications?
The independent Government-commissioned report by Paul Morrell and Annelise Day, in April 2023 (‘Testing for a Safer Future’) identified “serious weaknesses” around the regulation of construction products, which were exposed by the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire. He also attacked the current testing structure in the
ADF SEPTEMBER 2024
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
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