Feb/March 2020

Trade Talks: Regulations
FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED:
PROTECTING AGAINST CHANGE
Jon Vanstone is a member of BRAC and Chair of Certass Trade Association. Below he looks
at the wider issues for products and construction with the impending regulation changes.
Products in construction are under scrutiny
like never before, and with our departure
from the EU we have entered a transition
period where our representation on the rules
and obligations enforceable on ourselves is
diminished.
British Standards Institute (BSI) remains within
CEN and CENELEC with a proposed membership
extension till the end of 2021. Yet standards
that are made at international levels and within
Europe through CEN, CENELEC and ETSI, BSI
is obliged to adopt withdrawing any British
Standards that conflict.
For many, the end of transition cannot come
soon enough as we need to know where we
are, especially with so many home-grown
amendments ahead. UK Construction will enter
a totally new phase with the introduction of the
much-anticipated Building Safety Regulator
(BSR) from the shadows of the Health and Safety
Executive (HSE).
Much is yet to be defined but we know that
BSR will oversee the design and management
of buildings with a specific focus on higherrisk
buildings delivering effective and robust
enforcement of standards. The headline being
that there will be power to apply criminal
sanctions to building owners who do not follow
the regime.
The exact definition of what is higher risk is
being consulted upon and will increase the
types of buildings included – currently seen by
many as high rise flats over 18 metres – as a
much-needed drive for change flows throughout
construction.
The regulator will advise government on which
buildings should be included in scope, driven
by an evidenced analysis of risk,
and is likely to include many
specialist buildings such as
hospitals and schools.
Government decisions in
construction are dictated by
Impact Analysis, yet these have
been called in to question recently
as rapid responses to outputs from Grenfell
analysis have led to widespread restrictions on
certain products.
Product regs – landscape is still unclear
We know that much more will come as regards
to product regulation in the UK this year, with the
imminent introduction of UKCA marking, but CE
marking will remain in place until 1st January
2021. The exact landscape is still unclear, and
the number of interest groups is rising.
Those who have had products restricted need to
start amassing third party evidence if they are
to reverse the decisions already made. The aim
is to ensure an appropriate risk profile for every
product with an aim to ensuring that restrictions
are proportionate to the safety risk they present.
We know that more than 300 high rise buildings
are still in urgent need of rectification work, and
whilst those owned by authorities can be driven
towards rectification rapidly, the majority in
private ownership are harder to move whilst the
BSR and its powers remain a theoretical body.
The automotive industry has been in the situation
we stand now due to road traffic deaths, and
items such as seat belts and air bags appeared
in rapid fashion. The only issue is that cars go to
the scrap heap much quicker than houses and
our industry programmes will be about repair and
upgrades as opposed to replacement.
01292 292 095
www.certass.co.uk
@CertassLtd
Construction is under a
significant safety spotlight
and as the focus moves from
products and design onto
the competency of the people,
there will be a considerable
number who will leave the industry.
A number of bodies talk about the absence
of workers in our construction sector – which
currently employs about 2.4 million people – but
it is better to have a deficit than a group of poor
installers which are currently prevalent in almost
every discipline including glazing.
So, with much change ahead, the pressure
to know more and be represented becomes
of paramount importance to fabricators and
manufacturers. It is for this reason that
Certass is expanding its award-winning trade
association membership to allow the formation
of manufacturer action groups to look at specific
issues and work on pathways forward.
Certass is in a unique position; far better
informed and connected than many others, it
is able to help drive positive industry agendas.
These need to be for the betterment of our
industry at large as opposed to a selected few,
and so balance will be important.
We know much will flow from the Grenfell enquiry
and we need to be ready to react fast, as if we
don’t affect change it will simply happen to us as
an industry.
Left: Jon Vanstone.
Contact Certass Trade Association
12 T F FEB/MAR 2020 CONNECTING THE WINDOW, DOOR & ROOF FABRICATION SUPPLY CHAIN