Spotlight on standards

Quality in construction will be the focus when the British Board of Agrément (BBA) exhibits at UK Construction Week (Birmingham NEC, October 9-11).

BBA chief executive Claire Curtis-Thomas will sit on a panel discussing Quality in Construction Post-Grenfell, and BBA technical excellence director Paul Valentine will deliver a CPD presentation on the consequences of poor installation practices with a focus on external wall insulation systems.

These two events will form a backdrop to the BBA’s ongoing discussion of procurement practices within the industry, issues facing building owners when cladding systems are removed and the need to establish a robust whistleblowing protocol.

In addition, the BBA will be discussing its new Product Excellence Programme (PEP), which aims to drive continuous improvement in the certification of construction products.

BBA’s head of marketing Wendy Ajuwon said: “Post Grenfell consumers are looking for a higher degree of reassurance and expect products to be tested regularly by a trustworthy and externally assessed independent body such as the BBA, which is UKAS accredited and has more than 50 years of experience in this field.

“The BBA has developed PEP to raise the certification bar and reinforce the importance of robust product and manufacturing process testing and expert evaluation.”

The British Board of Agrément was formed in 1966 and offers installer approval and certification and test services to manufacturers of construction products and systems.