The Changing Face of Construction Product Certification & Regulation

Is the UK’s construction product testing and certification framework fit for purpose, given the more stringent regulatory framework now being introduced to address the industry’s new building safety regime and sustainability goals? We are bringing construction professionals and suppliers together to share ideas on the way forward. The round table we have convened takes place as the industry awaits the government’s response to the recent consultation to the far-reaching Morrell/Day Report which was published in 2023, and within which Dame Judith Hackitt asserted that “up to two-thirds of products were unregulated.”

• An update on the consultation and next steps – eg MHCLG’s response and ‘behaviours’ to be issued to Construction Products Regulator.
• One of the recommendations is that MHCLG will be responsible for conformity – but can’t do the work of all of the current notified bodies – how will this work?
• What are other key changes for specifiers likely within the Construction Products Regulation, (overseen by the Construction Products Regulator)? How are they likely to reduced the opaque and complex nature of the current certification system (Paul Morrell).
• Are there to be any changes and improvements in the product testing regime from safety and product performance angles from the Regulator to address the new framework?
• Controversies and challenges around the UKCA Mark, Assessment and Verification of Performance, and potential Divergence from EU standards – are these in the scope of the Government response to consultation and what are the issues if not addressed?
• Do we need for a central body collating testing and certifications, and what should it look like?
• How can the Conformity Assessment Bodies system be simplified eg a national scheme, and how can potential conflicts of interest be avoided?
• How should product information sources such as libraries vet certification and testing, and should third-party certification be mandatory?
• The potential for testing ‘systems’ of products in ‘buildups,’ rather than individual products, and the issues around UKCA Mark and composite products.
• Views on the CCPI, a voluntary but increasingly popular (CPA). Designed for the Golden Thread but widely applicable means to make specifications more robust – can it prevent value engineering? How should it be ‘weaponised’ by industry?
• We will also be using the recent Industry Viewfinder audience research on the changes to product certification as a springboard for discussion around sustainability verification of products. These included the more stringent requirements around Environmental Product Declarations, the preferred methods of sustainability certification, the raised requirements for third-party certification on performance and sustainability. How can data transparency (on aspects like life cycle/cradle to cradle assessment) be improved? What are the impacts for specifiers and manufacturers, in terms of the requirements for product testing and certification?

The ultimate aim of the round table is to disseminate knowledge on the current changes, to address widely expressed concerns is increasing clarity of product regulation – and discuss what needs to happen to remove further levels of ‘opacity.’

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