FOCUS
Third party certification
broken or ‘value engineered’ and products are substituted for ones that don’t necessarily carry the same quality, certifi cation, performance and other assurances of compliance.
Information chain
Section 2 of Approved Document 7, which gives guidance on meeting the requirements of building regulation in terms of workmanship, mentions harmonised product standards, other British or international standards, management systems, past experience, tests and independent certifi cation schemes. The intention is to ensure that the installation/ construction is carried out in a workmanlike manner and is appropriate for the end use, and that the product has been appropriately prepared and installed, such that it is capable of providing the function and performance for which it is intended. Third party certifi cation schemes are given as one way of demonstrating compliance and competency in this area, but are not currently mandated.
Barriers to performance
Ultimately, it is about making sure that the products and systems installed in buildings are capable of providing the necessary performance. However, the different approaches listed above create a situation in which the process of testing, marketing and quality assurance is not always clear; something that was picked up in Dame Hackitt’s interim report. A situation is also created whereby it is
possible to select products based on meeting the minimum performance requirements, the primary driver being to achieve building sign off for minimum cost as opposed to consideration of value, quality and other performance characteristics, such as durability. In fact, it is not unusual for the specifi cation for construction products to start with requirements for third party certifi ed products and other attributes, but as the project moves from the design phase through to construction, the specifi cation is
40 MARCH 2018
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Within the interim report, Dame Hackitt talks of establishing a golden thread from the design phase of a building, through to construction, handover, occupancy and ongoing maintenance. The golden thread principle describes a fl ow of information throughout the life cycle of the building, helping to ensure that buildings are constructed correctly in the fi rst place and can continue to be safe for as long as people are living and working in them. Such a chain of information would not only assist with accountability and responsibility for the construction of the building and installed systems, but also assist with ongoing fire risk assessment activities and facilities management. Indeed, there is already a building regulation that requires a package of fi re safety information to be handed over to the responsible person (as defi ned in article 3 of the Regulatory Reform [Fire Safety] Order 2005) once the building has been completed – Regulation 38. However, at the moment it is widely ignored and/or misunderstood, and non compliance is rarely, if ever, enforced. Third party certification alone will not be enough to achieve the golden thread principle, but it is not hard to see how it can assist when looking at the requirements of third party certifi cation schemes. Not only is there independent assurance that products are being manufactured and installed correctly, but also all schemes operate a labelling and marking system which assists with asset management and records – essential for fi re risk assessment activities. It is up to the building owner, operator and building control bodies to verify compliance of a particular product or system, with the responsibility of demonstrating compliance resting with the person doing the work (whether this is manufacturing or the installation). Third party certifi cation assists all parties by reducing the burden on the approving authority and others, whilst independently supporting the claims being made by the installer or manufacturer.
Added benefi ts
Everyone in the construction industry needs to recognise the added benefi ts of third party certifi cation, which go beyond the minimum
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