The Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI) is cautioning that, from 1 July 2013, with the CE Marking of construction products becoming mandatory in the UK under the Construction Products Regulations, there will be important new responsibilities which have mandatory, legal implications throughout the supply chain.
From this date it will become mandatory for manufacturers to apply CE marking to any of their products which are covered by a harmonised European standard or Technical Assessment to be used on a fire door. And the GAI is warning of another important implication. In addition to a valid CE Mark, manufacturers must now legally provide a Declaration of Performance (DoP) with every CE marked product. Without a DoP, the CE Mark is invalid.
The DoP must be made available right through the supply chain right up to the point the product is fitted on a door, and then for ten years afterwards, either in paper or electronic form. The DoP must be issued by company owning the brand of a CE marked product. In the case of badge-engineered products – a manufacturer’s goods sold under someone else’s label – the owner of the brand under which the product is sold must issue the DoP. They can use the test evidence owned by the original manufacturer, but they become responsible for the CE mark and the DoP.
Products which now must legally be CE marked are those which are vital to the fire resistance performance of the fire door or of emergency and panic exits: locks and latches; electro-mechanical locks and strikes; single axis hinges; door closers; emag hold open devices; panic bars for escape doors; push pads and or emergency escape lever/locksets.
“CE marking – which will now be mandatory for hardware under a harmonised standard – brings with it important responsibilities for the manufacturer, the distributor and right through the supply chain,” says Paul Duggan, Chairman of the GAI’s Technical Committee. “These have been clarified, and in some cases, strengthened by the mandatory introduction of the CPR. Each step along the supply chain – including the specifier – MUST comply with all requirements surrounding a CE marked product or find themselves legally responsible should anything go wrong.”
The consequences of getting it wrong can be substantial – ranging from the cost of supplying replacements, labour costs and making good, right through to legal action which could result in fines and/or imprisonment.
The Guild of Architectural Ironmongers represents the majority of architectural ironmongers in the UK as well as the leading manufacturers of architectural door and window hardware. The GAI also administers the benchmark qualifications for professional architectural ironmongers and is dedicated to raising specification standards and encouraging best practice in all aspects of this sector. For more information on the GAI visit gai.org.uk
