Office for Product Safety and Standards OPSS

Contents 1 Introduction 2 Responsibilities of the OPSS 3 Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) 4 Responsibilities of the DLUHC 5 The levelling up taskforce 6 National Regulator for Construction Products (NRCP) 7 Responsibilities of the NRCP 8 Related articles on Designing Buildings

[edit] Introduction

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) was created in January 2018 from the regulatory delivery directorate of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Its role is to deliver consumer protection and to support business confidence, productivity and growth. It regulates a wide range of products with a focus on their safety and integrity, many of which are used in the construction sector. It is also the regulator for legal metrology, ensuring weighing and measuring instruments are accurate and reliable. The office does not cover vehicles which are regulated by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, or medicines which are covered by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency or food which is covered by the Food Standards Agency.

[edit] Responsibilities of the OPSS

Responsibilities of the OPSS for consumers include:

• Providing information to protect them from unsafe products.
• Reporting the latest product safety updates, actions and recalls.
• Improving the legal framework that defines product safety and standards for weighing and measuring equipment.
• Overseeing the independent testing of gas and electricity meters.

For businesses:

• Helping them comply with regulations.
• Leading and co-ordinating product safety, legal measuring standards and hallmarking of regulatory systems.
• Enforcing technical, environmental and product legislation.
• Providing certification and testing services for weighing and measurement equipment.

For regulators:

• Promoting best practice.
• Leading and co-ordinating the local regulation of product safety.
• Legal measuring standards.

For further information visit the office for products and safety standards government website

[edit] Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC)

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), formerly the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) was the successor to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) which had been formed in July 2001. In May 2002 the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister became a separate department after absorbing the local government and regions portfolios from the defunct Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions and named the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). In January 2018, the department was renamed the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). In September 2021, it was again renamed to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), with greater policy powers across the entire United Kingdom, however with a focus on England.

[edit] Responsibilities of the DLUHC

The department is responsible for UK Government policy in the following areas, mainly in England:

• Building regulations.
• Community cohesion.
• Community resilience (i.e. flood, natural disaster or severe weather preparedness and recovery).
• Housing.
• Local government.
• Planning.
• Race equality.
• Urban regeneration (including The Thames Gateway).

[edit] The levelling up taskforce

The levelling up taskforce was formed in September 2021 headed by a former Bank of England chief economist. The levelling up policy was not initially defined in detail, but covers:

• Investing in towns, cities, and rural and coastal areas.
• Giving those areas more control over how investment is made.
• Levelling up skills using apprenticeships and a £3 billion National Skills Fund.
• Helping the farming and fishing industries.
• Creating up to 10 freeports to help deprived communities.

The Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities is also to be the lead department responsible for construction products.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) in its role as the National Regulator for Construction Products (NRCP), will act on behalf of and be funded by the DLUHC. The Office for Product Safety and Standards will continue to act as the National Regulator for Consumer Products within the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

For further information visit the department-for-levelling-up-housing-and-communities website

[edit] National Regulator for Construction Products (NRCP)

In April 2021 the Office for Product Safety and Standards began to lead and coordinate work to set up a new regulatory approach for construction products. The intention is that the National Regulator for Construction Products becomes fully operational once the Building Safety Bill and subsequent secondary legislation have been approved by Parliament. This new legislation will give the Office for Product Safety and Standards all the necessary legal powers to carry out its duties as the National Regulator for Construction Products. It will act on behalf of, and be funded by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

[edit] Responsibilities of the NRCP

Evidence given during the Grenfell Tower Inquiry demonstrated a clear need to confront poor practices in the construction products industry and establish new norms to restore public confidence. The National Regulator for Construction Products will encourage good practice, enforce the law, and educate the industry, the system cannot be fixed by regulatory intervention alone. All industry stakeholders have a part to play in changing the operational culture and must jointly accept this responsibility, including:

• Manufacturers.
• Distributors.
• Product installers.
• Warranty providers.
• Standards makers.
• Test houses.

In the interim, the Office for Product Safety and Standards in its acting role as the National Regulator for Construction Products will:

• Establish its leadership within the sector.
• Develop an evidence base.
• Recruit staff with appropriate skills and knowledge.
• Engage with stakeholders to build its capacity and understanding.
• Review the regulatory system to highlight any gaps.
• Liaise with the sector to set expectations.
• It is also supporting local authorities in the enforcement of the current construction products regulations, drawing on existing legal powers and OPSS’ expertise in areas such as intelligence gathering, risk assessment and investigation.

For further information visit the national regulator for construction products website

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• Articles about products and services.
• Building activities definition.
• Building complex.
• Building component.
• Building element.
• Building entities.
• Building spaces definition.
• Building system.
• By-product.
• Co-product.
• Constituent construction product.
• Construction Products Regulation.
• Intermediate product.
• Manufacturer.
• Product manufacturers must regain confidence.
• Products v goods v materials.
• Sundry items.