24 | Sector Focus: Preservatives and fire retardants


WPA BENCHMARK REVISION


The UK’s Benchmark Quality Approval Scheme covering preservative treatment of wood is undergoing a major revision in a bid to raise standards and aid the specification and purchase of treated wood for the correct end-uses, reports Stephen Powney


News of the changes coming to the Wood Protection Association’s (WPA) Benchmark Quality Approval Scheme was shared at the WPA annual conference in Leeds on May 7, with the WPA and members acknowledging a “need for change”.


Benchmark has covered preservative formulations, treatment processes and products – providing much needed valid independent assessment and verification. But understanding of correct treated wood specification is still perceived as low in the market. Delegates at the WPA Conference heard that the current scheme has 38 Approved Treaters. No reliable database currently exists to quantify the number of UK timber treatments plants operating, but estimates range from 150-200.


Some members urged that a bigger number of approved treaters was needed to make a bigger impact. Delegates also voiced the need for an easier-to-understand system than the current Hazard Use Classes, with lots of support for something closely mirroring the Nordic Wood Preservation Council’s NTR scheme which involves clear labelling on timber showing consumers whether timber is for above or in-ground use. Neil Ryan, WPA director for standards, quality and regulatory compliance, unveiled new details of the Benchmark update. He said the new Benchmark scheme would no longer feature Approved Treaters. Instead, treaters will be able to undergo Benchmark audits to produce Approved Treated Wood Products, with the WPA actively working


WPA AWARDS 2026


• WPA Benchmark Treater of the Year: Bond Timber


• Best Kept Treatment Plant: WJ Group WJ Treatments, Rochester


• Project of the Year: Accsys (Accoya) - Tinside Lido, Plymouth


• Treated Wood Champion: Ben Parton, CJT Timber Sourcing Ltd


• Treated Wood Champion, Highly Commended: Jon Stevenson


TTJ | Summer 2026 | www.ttjonline.com The BRE’s Ed Suttie looked at the opportunities and threats facing the preservative-treated wood sector


with Timber Development UK, the Builders Merchants Federation and the Association of Fencing Industries to promote these third- party accredited products.


Sixteen product groups will feature in the new scheme, covering both low and high pressure treated products. Evidence of wood preservative penetration into the wood and retention will be required for WPA Benchmark Approved status. The WPA has recently trialled a cost and time effective method of sampling treated wood on site which involves drilling to extract a plug of treated wood. This, he said, had achieved good results and was less invasive than crosscutting. Mr Ryan said Benchmark revision discussions took place earlier in 2026 and the next steps were as follows:


May – scheme refining and revision June – auditor training


July – Communications with treaters September – rollout of new scheme October – new Benchmark transition


The Benchmark visual identity will be updated, with recognition that the ultimate


desired objective could be to have product labelling on the wood itself.


Mr Ryan said it was imperative that wood product buyers source treated wood with third-party accreditation to help ensure it was fit-for-purpose. WPA director Steve Young said the WPA was listening to its members and would look to look to take on board member suggestions. Other speakers included a keynote presentation from the BRE’s Dr Ed Suttie who gave a challenging talk on ‘Pre-treated wood – do the opportunities outweigh the threats?’ He asked delegates to complete a survey exercise to identify the threats and opportunities facing the sector. Fredrik Westin, managing director of the Swedish Wood Preserving Association, outlined the advantages of third-party verification, such as the NTR scheme operating in Sweden.


‘The regulation of pre-treated wood in construction’ was covered by Nick Boulton of TDUK and Alex Torkington of WJ Group, while Bridewell Associates’ Willie Clason focused on ‘Making the most of wood for infrastructure and utility pole applications’.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69