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MANUFACTURERS OF claddings and panel and insulation products in the UK may have to review their reaction-to-fire test data if the European Commission goes ahead with moves to strengthen the Construction Products Directive (CPD).
Industry sources suggest that the Commission intends to make the CPD a Regulation – a draft Construction Products Regulation document is understood to be under review, with a potential enforcement date of 2011. If it goes ahead, the CE-marking of products to ensure compliance with the Regulation would become mandatory in all members countries of the European Union, including the UK.
In the UK at present, compliance with the CPD is required, but this does not have to be through CE-marking, although it is seen as the preferred method. As such, a new Regulation could have big implications for UK sectors, such as claddings and panel and insulation products.
Dawn Simpkins of Chiltern International Fire warns: ‘These industries still largely rely on British Standard test data to demonstrate reaction-to-fire performance. But if CE-marking becomes mandatory, manufacturers who are able to CE-mark to a product standard would need European test evidence to sell in the UK.’
European reaction-to-fire test methodology is different from British Standard tests. While many cladding and panel products can expect to achieve the equivalent classification, some may achieve a higher or lower classification.
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