Third-party certification, what it means when you specify it

1 Why the need for third-party certification?
2 What is third-party certification?
3 CE marking
4 BBA certificates
5 Environmental product declarations (EPDs)
6 BES 6001 responsible sourcing certification
7 ISO standards for different management systems
8 The Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI)
9 Related articles on Designing Buildings

[edit] Why the need for third-party certification?

Designers and specifiers, as well as contractors, installers, and building owners/ managers, all rely on the claims put forward by manufacturers to do their jobs to the best of their ability. Safe, comfortable, healthy buildings that comply with regulations depend on manufacturers making statements that are accurate and verifiable.

[edit] What is third-party certification?

Independent, third-party certification for construction products is intended to give confidence that claims made about them are justified. External assessment provides reassurance that a manufacturer’s products ‘do what they say on the tin’. Different certification types cover different aspects of a manufacturer’s operations, from product performance and environmental impact, to management processes and responsible sourcing.

This article looks at a variety of certifications and accreditations, explaining what they are and what they demonstrate. As will become clear throughout, it is important to engage with manufacturers to understand the scope of the certification they hold and how it can be applied to the specific requirements of individual projects. For example, just because a product is BBA certified does not mean its certificate covers the intended design of a particular building.

[edit] CE marking

Many accreditations and approvals are voluntary. They exist to give manufacturers a route by which they can back up claims about their products, and set themselves apart from manufacturers who choose not to achieve the same certification.

The CE mark is not voluntary. For manufacturers to be able to sell their products in certain regions, the products must have the CE mark affixed. The mark acts as an indication that, no matter where they are manufactured, the products have been produced to a common technical standard.

The manufacture of extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation, for instance, is covered by the harmonised standard EN 13164. The procedures outlined in the standard allow manufacturers to conform to the Construction Products Regulations and affix the CE mark.

Like similar standards for other insulation types, EN 13164 covers core product characteristics. It is compulsory to declare test results for certain characteristics of the product. The declaration of others is at the manufacturer’s discretion, depending on the product’s intended end use. Products are not expected to meet a particular level of performance for any characteristic.

Declarations of Performance (DoPs) are a compulsory element of harmonised standards and CE marking, and must be available on manufacturers’ websites. A product’s DoP shows the declared results for the characteristics covered by the standard.

A consequence of the UK leaving the European Union was the intention that the CE mark would no longer be recognised for construction products in the UK. That is currently scheduled to come into force from the beginning of 2025 – though it must be doubted whether the change will happen at all. UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) marking started at the beginning of 2021, and carries no weight
in Europe.

[edit] BBA certificates

A CE or UKCA Mark does not establish whether a product is fit for purpose. While they tell you it has been manufactured to an agreed standard, it does not provide information as to whether the product is suitable for a particular application. That is where Agrément certification comes in.

To be issued with an Agrément certificate, a product is tested and assessed in relation to its intended use. In the UK, the majority of Agrément certificates are issued by the British Board of Agrément (BBA). Indeed, the generic term ‘Agrément certificate’ is often used interchangeably with ‘BBA certificate’.

A BBA certificate can be particularly important for new products that have no track record, or for products that have no harmonised standard. In both cases, an Agrément certificate may be the only way to be accepted by specifiers and installers, as it offers reassurance that the product is suitable for the use for which it is offered.

For more established products, a BBA certificate effectively acts as a ‘stamp of approval’. It gives confidence and reassurance that the product is designed for its intended use. Sometimes a product is part of a system. In such cases, the BBA certificate also demonstrates that products work together to meet the agreed assessment criteria for a complete system.

[edit] Environmental product declarations (EPDs)

An environmental product declaration communicates environmental impact. EPDs are internationally recognised, and should be independently verified to ensure they meet applicable standards. For construction products, life cycle assessment (LCA) is carried out, and assumptions are made about the environmental impact at different stages of that life cycle.

There is increasing demand for construction products to have EPDs. However, there can be a misconception that simply specifying a product that has an environmental product declaration means it is a sustainable choice. An EPD does not describe whether a product is ‘sustainable’ or not.

You can read more about EPDs in our in-depth article published in issue 142 (Summer 2022) of AT Journal.

[edit] BES 6001 responsible sourcing certification

Transparency is core to ethical business practices, and responsible organisations are actively seeking to measure themselves against available benchmarks. Responsible sourcing certification shows that a manufacturer understands their supply chain and knows the origin of the materials they’re using, thereby supporting a more sustainable approach to material use.

Assessment and certification under BES 6001 are carried out by an independent third party, and the standard’s requirements span three different areas.

Organisational management deals with how the company operates. It starts with having a responsible sourcing policy, and demonstrating legal compliance (locally, nationally and internationally). Management systems must be in place for quality and managing suppliers.
Management of sustainable development covers a variety of social, economic and environmental factors. Manufacturers have to demonstrate they have policies and targets in place for each, report results accordingly, and that third parties assess the manufacturer’s performance.
Supply chain management looks at material traceability, environmental management systems, and health and safety management systems.

BES 6001 also looks at social impact on the local scale. Requirements for managing sustainable development cover employment and skills and local community engagement – a much wider range of positive impacts than might be first expected.

[edit] ISO standards for different management systems

Having management systems in place means organisations follow documented policies to help them operate in a consistent way. Using defined processes creates an auditable trail of information that can be used to help ensure the organisation is meeting its obligations, or to identify areas for improvement.

Accreditation to recognised ISO management system standards demonstrates that an organisation’s processes meet a widely-accepted, independent benchmark. It is possible to operate management systems and not be certified. However, specifications for some construction projects state that manufacturers should have certification in place.

[edit] ISO 9001

Sets out requirements for quality management systems (QMS). The standard emphasises leadership within organisations and puts a focus on managing risk, so that the QMS can be used as a basis for making sustainable business improvements.

[edit] ISO 14001

Sets out requirements for environmental management systems (EMS), which support a more efficient use of resources. Among a range of potential advantages, a certified EMS can help organisations to serve customer needs, lower overall environmental impact, and improve business performance.

[edit] ISO 45001

Sets out requirements for occupational health and safety (OHS) management systems. An OHS system supports a safer working environment for anyone in and around the business. A system needs to be management-led, ensuring that OHS is part of the culture of an organisation.

[edit] ISO 50001 and energy management systems

ISO 50001:2018 sets out requirements for energy management systems. A certified system typically supports greater energy resilience within a business, which might be desirable to save money, improve sustainability, comply with legislation, or all three.

As part of creating an energy management system, a business has to choose what energy use it wants to cover. It is a requirement to address the ‘significant’ energy uses of the business. After that, an organisation can choose which areas of energy use to focus on.

Being related to energy and reduced energy use, there is overlap between ISO 50001 and ISO 14001, though energy use is just one component of sustainability and environmental impact.

[edit] The Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI)

The CCPI is aimed at manufacturers of construction products and sets out 11 clauses that need to be met.
The intention is for manufacturers to demonstrate their commitment to providing product information that is clear, accurate, up-to-date, accessible and unambiguous.

At the time of writing no organisation has yet been assessed under the CCPI, so no company or organisation can claim to be compliant.

According to the CCPI consultation report, the designers who responded seemed to be broadly in favour of the CCPI. Many of their responses centred on manufacturers offering specific types of information – especially around sustainability and environmental impact.

In other words, there is a demand for information on sustainability that is not currently being met. However, the objective of the CCPI was never to make manufacturers provide specific types of information, suggesting something of a disconnect.

This article appears in the AT Journal issue 146 as "Third-party certification: what it means when you specify it" written by Rob Firman, Technical and Specification Manager, Polyfoam XPS.

--CIAT