Third-party benefits

Simon Ince highlights the benefits of third-party certification when it comes to testing fire safety products.

Over the last few years in particular, the official response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy of 2017 has started to percolate into new regulations, guidance, and industry best practice.

The regulators and authorities with jurisdiction over the UK construction industry have made their views known on the changes they want to see – including new expectations and requirements from stakeholders such as main contractors, specialist contractors, building control, and other related construction professionals.

One area of focus for many has been the specification, procurement, and installation of fire safety products, and the need for fire testing and certification of construction products to support due dilligence. Authorities want to ensure that inappropriate or wrongly specified product choices do not lead to risks to life.

The value of well-conducted independent fire testing and certification is therefore key for all working in the built environment who want greater trust and confidence in product conformity. Manufacturers of fire-resisting products and systems are increasingly being expected to provide detailed test data for their projects as part of the ‘golden thread’ of information recommended by the Hackitt Review.

As part of the Fire Protection Association's continuing commitment to increase fire safety awareness across the built environment, a number of informative feature articles are available to read on our website.?You can read the full article here.