Above left: The potential to grow demand for treated wood is significant
Above right: Independent auditors provide a fresh perspective aimed at helping a business improve control of its treatment options PHOTO: PTG TREATMENTS
quality is especially important in supply chains where there are concerns about the performance of a product.
2. Offer an expert perspective: The specialised experience and knowledge of independent auditors offers a fresh perspective that can help to improve control over the effectiveness of modern wood preservative formulations and their applications to wood by pressure impregnation processes.
3. Efficient: Because of their expertise and deep understanding of industrial wood preservation, auditors can complete on-site assessments quickly and with minimum disruption to operations or duplication of the procedures associated with audits for environmental and management systems.
4. Confidence boosting: Independent evaluation offers tangible evidence to end-users that treated wood products are fit for purpose and compliant with industry standards. Third-party quality assurance schemes in North America and Scandinavia are already successfully demonstrating the benefits, including differentiating businesses with accreditation from those without.
5. Time, money, and (even) reputation saving: The fresh perspective provided by independent third-party evaluation of treatment processes and individual products can improve operating and marketing effectiveness. Experience shows that the WPA Benchmark scheme also minimises customer complaints relating to the performance of quality-assured products – saving time, costs and potential reputational damage.
6. ISO 9001 quality management systems enhancing: ISO 9001 certification shows operations are consistent but does not certify wood is being treated correctly for end use. Third-party accreditation demonstrates the ability to produce compliant treated wood products in line with ISO 9001 standards, assuring customers of an unequivocal commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.
7. Environmentally positive: Unlike man- made materials that consume finite raw materials and lots of energy to convert
them into building products, softwood species used to make treated wood products are sustainable. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the environment and lock it up as carbon in finished wood products.
8. Nationally relevant: Accredited wood treaters are part of a major UK industry- led initiative to differentiate and promote the producers of correctly treated wood from wood treaters where quality and customer satisfaction are not the priority.
9. Promotionally beneficial: Accredited wood treaters have access to a free marketing support package designed to help promote the benefits of using third-party quality- assured treated wood products. For example, the WPA Benchmark support package includes use of the logo and Use Class labels for product differentiation, guidance on marketing communications, and access to co-ordinated media relations campaigns.
10. Compliant with TDUK Code of Practice: Members of the TDUK supply over 80% of all the wood products sold in the UK. Its Code of Practice requires that members only sell treated wood that has been produced under a third-party quality assurance scheme for wood that has been factory-impregnated with a preservative. Third-party accreditation provides TDUK with clear evidence of compliance with this membership condition.
WHY OPT FOR WPA BENCHMARK ACCREDITATION? WPA Benchmark is a third-party quality scheme for treated wood developed in conjunction with wood treaters, preservative suppliers and BRE. Launched in 2011, it aims to provide wood treaters with a credible way to tackle concerns about treated wood performance and verify compliance with UK industrial wood preservation standards in BS 8417 and the WPA Code of Practice. BS 8417: Code of Practice for the Preservation of Wood defines the minimum levels of preservative treatment necessary to ensure the durability of wood in specific end-uses. However, BS 8417 does not provide
instruction on how these critical minimum requirements are to be achieved – it points to the WPA Code of Practice: Industrial Wood Preservation to provide the essential guidance in achieving this performance benchmark. The WPA Benchmark third-party quality scheme operates on the principle that wood consistently treated according to the WPA Code of Practice is a durable material exhibiting the minimum penetration and retention requirements for the relevant end- use and service life.
There are two elements to the WPA Benchmark scheme: 1. Approved treaters: Accreditation of a wood treater’s operations.
2. Approved products: Quality compliance of a specific treated wood product or range of products where performance expectations are a high priority for customers, for example, ground contact products.
Only WPA Benchmark-approved treaters can be certificated as producers of WPA Benchmark-approved products.
IN SUMMARY
Given the increasing appetite for sustainable materials like wood, the potential to grow demand for treated wood is significant. Yet, professional users increasingly put their trust in non-sustainable man-made materials for some outdoor applications that they perceive to be more reliable than wood. The WPA believes it is evident that moving to third- party quality accreditation is the only credible way to build end-user confidence and grow demand. Accreditation is a clear signpost of quality and performance in treated wood’s battle for market share. ■
FURTHER INFORMATION
Find out more about WPA Benchmark accreditation by contacting:
Neil Ryan, WPA Benchmark scheme administrator |
neil@thewpa.org.uk | 07756
434565 or Janet Sycamore, WPA operations office |
janet@thewpa.org.uk | 01977 558147
www.ttjonline.com | November/December 2024 | TTJ
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 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89
