BFRC warns ‘the time is now’
In the wake of the final report on the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the British Fenestration Rating Council (BFRC) warns the outcomes of the report are just the beginning when it comes to placing the construction industry and those sectors that operate within it, under increasing scrutiny.
Richard Bate, technical director at BFRC, said: “The UK’s construction industry is now in a state of reflection following the publication of Phase 2 of the Grenfell Inquiry report. The report cited ‘systemic dishonesty from both building control professionals and manufacturers’ to be to blame, with failings identified at almost every stage of the process. If there ever was a time to show compliance evidence and work ethically, that time is now.
“The BFRC launched the Window Energy Rating (WER) Scheme in the early 2000’s which provided manufacturers with a route to a certified WER, which their customers could rely on and trust,” he continued.
“The process of obtaining a certified WER is a complex one, as there are a number of stages within the process that each need to be followed and fulfilled correctly in order for the rating to be approved. The initial step is the completion of a simulation report, but this report means nothing if the rest of the process is not completed. Simulation reports are not a means of proving compliance for SAP assessors for new build or Document L.
“Any customer purchasing a product with a WER can easily check if that company has completed the certification process correctly, as they will be registered on the BFRC website. Put simply, if a company is not listed then they do not have a certified Window Energy Rating.
“At BFRC, we are fully committed to driving up the standards across the industry and if that means we need to put pressure on companies operating outside of the legal parameters to do the right thing, then so be it.
“It’s not a witch hunt, but there’s never been a more important time to be accountable. If companies are lying to consumers about their certification, something needs to be done. There needs to be a real cultural shift and at BFRC, we’re here to help anyone that wishes to be part of that shift.”