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CERTIFICATION, TESTING?
Clients are increasingly seeking improved value for money in their procurement and are beginning to recognise the importance of using approved products in this context. Unfortunately, at the same time we are seeing an increase in fraudulent use of our approval mark and some deliberate attempts to mislead specifiers and clients. All too frequently, we receive complaints from clients who have bought products thinking they have approval, which in fact haven’t! Unfortunately, confidentiality and legal issues prevent us giving specific examples.
It is also very important for clients to understand that until a product has approval, they are taking a risk in accepting these products. Contracts have been won on the basis that a product is undergoing approval but approximately 90% of products that come to us fail first time. Some products can take years to gain approval. To help you find your way through the maze, here are some guidance notes about approvals.
Test Report
This is a detailed report describing in full the element tested and the results achieved in accordance with the relevant standard. For example a security door test report would give the dimensions & composition of the door, but it would also look at the doorframe and door furniture.
However, a test report could be up to 15 years old and there is no mechanism to ensure that the product tested 15 years ago is exactly the same as the product on the market today. For instance, are the raw materials still purchased from the same supplier? Is the design the same? Is the production machinery calibrated? Is there adequate quality control? Is there adequate training of process personnel? If the answer to any of these questions is not a categorical "YES" then there is potential for the end product to fail.
Certification
Here at LPCB we are often asked, "Isn’t a test report the same as certification?” The simple answer is no!! Certification is independent third party confirmation that a product, system, service or installer meets and continues to meet the appropriate standard, be it a construction, fire or security product. A test report simply shows that a product passed the test on a given day. The design or quality of the sample tested may not be the same as the product being sold in the market place. Ask yourself, would you buy a used car on the basis that it had an MOT certificate?
Certification, through ongoing review, random inspections and product testing ensures that the product continues to comply with the standard and meet the specification.
How to gain LPCB Certification
In order to gain LPCB approval the manufacturer or service provider requests an application pack and this information is sent out free of charge and with no obligation. The pack will include an application form and product/contract questionnaires and a copy of the Loss Prevention Standard. Due to copyright laws we are unable to enclose copies of other approval standards. Once the forms are completed and all the relevant documentation i.e. drawings, maintenance requirements, etc. have been returned, then a detailed proposal is prepared. Following acceptance of our proposal, the work can begin.
Approval of products is usually based on testing undertaken by our world-renowned testing laboratories. However, it is not compulsory for all test work to be done at BRE - this is another common misconception. We can (and do) use other test laboratories as long as they are approved by UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) or ourselves.
Our approval also requires that the manufacturer demonstrates adequate control of his factory production processes. This is not the same as a manufacturer having an ISO 9000 Quality Management Certificate. Since most of our approvals are for life safety and personal safety products, it is imperative that we are completely satisfied that the appropriate quality systems are in place for the products and services being approved. We are not primarily ensuring that a management system standard is met; we are ensuring that the product is manufactured reliably. To do this, we have experts in these specific fields of operation and they draw on over 150 years experience in issuing worldwide approval for products and services. (Please see the approvals process diagram).
LPCB Listing
Once we are satisfied that a product, service or company meets the required standard, we issue a certificate and list them in the relevant 'Red Book', either the List of Approved Fire and Security Products and Services or List of Approved Companies and Construction Products. Listing in the Red Book is a very useful marketing tool for the approved companies as thousands of specifiers and insurers around the world use the Red Book to select their suppliers. The Red Books are published in January each year and on CD ROM in January and June of each year. These publications are mailed out to a database throughout the world including insurers, clients, architects, surveyors, engineers, etc., and many thousands of copies are handed out at exhibitions, seminars and presentations.
So, how do you check whether a product, system, service or installer is approved by LPCB or BRE Certification? Unfortunately, as already mentioned, there are many false claims of approval in the market place with claims of "tested by LPCB", "tested to" an LPS or "complies with". An easy way to ensure that the product, service or company is approved is to check our website at www.redbooklive.com. This website is a live copy of the Red Books and is updated fortnightly. If you are still unsure, give our helpdesk a call on 0. Each approved manufacturer or service provider will also hold a certificate. If you are looking at an installed product, the specimen should also show one of the following marks:-
 
For schemes, which are, UKAS accredited
The approval process
False claims present a security risk
The upsurge in the specification of security products to LPCB’s Loss Prevention Standards by government departments, the utilities, banks and retailers has led to an increase in the number of misleading claims of product conformity by manufacturers and suppliers. Claims that a product is “designed to meet”, “tested to” and even “complies with” an LPS are regularly being made by suppliers in a bid to sell their products although, in many cases, these claims mean very little.
For instance, LPS 1175: Issue 5, “Specification for testing and classifying the burglary resistance of building components, strongpoints, and security enclosures”, is not a design standard. It describes the method by which a product is subjected to attack tests in order to classify the security of the product on a scale of 1 (opportunist attack) to 6 (extremely professional). Although it does include certain design requirements where demanded by particular user groups, the standard is focused on performance. For this reason, claims of “designed to” are usually meaningless. Even claims that a product has been “tested to” LPS 1175 are largely meaningless; because such a claim, although strictly true, can be used to avoid advertising the fact the product failed the test. Further, the nature of 1175 testing is iterative and based on experience so unless the test has been carried out by a laboratory licensed by LPCB for 1175, the results may be meaningless.
LPCB issues certification on the basis of tests undertaken by a skilled team of testers and the results of strict checks of the suppliers’ quality system and manufacturing processes. Certification is maintained through regular audits of both the products and quality system. As a result, the LPCB is able to ensure that the products continue to offer the desired level of protection against attack and forced entry.
CE Marking
From the 1 April 2001 it has been possible for the first construction products to be placed on the UK and EEA market with CE marking based on a harmonised European Standard (Construction Products Directive 89/106/EEC). This directive provides for common methods of assessment of products across the EEA and these methods are described in the relevant EN standards that are being progressively published over the next few years.
CE marking has been possible for certain products since 1997, based on European Technical Approvals (ETAs), but the real increase in the CE marking started with the introduction of harmonised European Standards in 2001. Over 40 construction products will be able to be CE Marked by the end of 2001, with a further 600 products eligible within five years.
It is important to note that, in general, CE marking is not a quality mark and focuses on aspects affecting Health & Safety and energy economy. Factors such as durability, reliability, maintenance etc. are crucial to the performance and in general are not covered by CE marking.
If you are involved with the manufacture, specification, purchase and use of construction products, it is essential for you to know the impact of CE marking on your business. We can help you on all aspects of the certification and testing requirements arising from this important legislation, i.e.
For any further information regarding any of the above issues, please contact LPCB at 0, fax 0, email . Web www.redbooklive.com
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