The Single Construction Regulator Prospectus: Consultation Document, was published in December by the Government, which without doubt will impact the fenestration industry. This is the latest move from the Government in the wake of the Grenfell Inquiry and one that the British Fenestration Ratings Council (BFRC) is in complete support of.
Richard Sellman, Managing Director at BFRC, explains: “The publication of this document is a fundamental first step from the Government towards making real changes to ensure construction products are fit for purpose. It details plans to move towards a Single Construction Regulator, which although will cover the wider construction industry in general, products from across the fenestration industry will play a significant part. It sets out the areas they propose the Regulator may govern, which include buildings safety and performance, sustainability, products being fit for purpose and the use of trusted systems, essentially oversight of all construction products.
Enforcement has been an issue
“As we’re all aware, the Grenfell Inquiry Report uncovered systemic institutional, enforcement and regulatory issues and some of the issues identified were systemic across the entire construction industry. Failings identified included the fact that enforcement has been an issue, and ‘….as almost non-existent’, and we believe this, along with the other points highlighted, will become a key point of focus as we move towards a better system in the future.
“Although doors, windows and glass make up just part of the wider construction industry, which is the main focus of the paper, initial review of the contents echo those messages the BFRC has been saying for a while – that much greater focus will be placed on performance claims of products across the sector, changes will need to be made for anyone not complying and the proposed regulatory body will be paying even closer attention. The publication of this paper is a fundamental first step towards making these changes and ensuring products that are delivered and installed are as specified.
Being accountable
“The point of this document is to start to shape how construction product regulation will look going forward. Safety products, such as fire doorsets and heat-soaked toughened glass, are mentioned and other products which fall within the categories mentioned previously, will also be included – but it is likely that the entire industry will be covered. The need for more stringent regulation of construction products is outlined as well as the need to maintain a publicly available library of test data, so it’s all about accountability and proving procedures and processes have been followed correctly and products perform to the required level.
“The first step if you’re wondering where to start, should be a gap analysis across what you do against what is legally required. If you’re doing everything as you should be, then great. If you feel there are some areas that fall short, then investigate and revise your process. It’s not always easy to stop and take the time to carry out these checks, but it’s a great and necessary first action towards getting an understanding that you are actually achieving the results you believe you are.
“At BFRC, we believe this to be seen as a positive step forward and one that as an industry, we should welcome. However this plays out, the intention is to improve standards in order to ensure products are fit for purpose in a safe and sustainable way, which can only be a good thing.”
Interested to find out more? Find the Prospectus, here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/single-construction-regulator-prospectus
For more information about the testing and certification services from BFRC call 0207 403 9200 or visit our website: www.bfrc.org