The Construction Products Association (CPA) has issued a call for evidence about how product information is made available to the wider supply chain.
The call comes following the publication of Dame Judith Hackitt’s independent review of Building Regulations and fire safety.
The CPA has already established a ‘marketing integrity group’ to address chapter 7 of the report, which challenges how product information is made available to the wider supply chain.
The group is led by Adam Turk, managing director, commercial, for Baxi Heating, with a team of 20 marketing, communications and technical professionals from across the supply chain.
Now the group has issued a call for evidence seeking responses from across the supply chain including architects, designers, specifiers, consultants, manufacturers, contractors, builders, merchants, maintainers and anyone else who uses product information through the life of the asset.
Among the areas covered by the survey are:
- Ease of finding information
- Product substitution
- Completeness and correctness of information
- Products as part of a system, or use in a variety of applications.
The survey will remain open until 5 April, before the marketing integrity group publishes its findings and recommendations in the autumn.
CPA deputy chief executive and policy director, Peter Caplehorn, said: “The evidence base we are seeking will be a vital contribution to our work on reform post-Grenfell Tower fire. The survey results will help us make recommendations to ensure that consistent, unambiguous and clear product information on construction materials is made available to the wider supply chain. We need no reminder of how important this information is and I encourage as many responses to the survey as possible.”
The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has been working on its own initiative to address similar challenges facing construction managers in delivering quality in the built environment. In their recently published Draft Code of Quality Management, there are references to construction products and questions posed about testing, labelling and marketing. There are also suggestions around a periodic review of test methods and the relevant standards to drive continuous improvement and higher performance.
David Barnes, the CIOB’s public affairs manager, said: “The Construction Products Association is undertaking a useful and timely survey which is, in many ways, aligned with the work we’re doing to tackle construction quality and improve the industry’s culture. It is important that CIOB members respond to the survey and help ensure the CPA is able to support manufacturers in presenting clear and consistent product information to the industry.”
The call for evidence can be accessed here.
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