Cement, aggregates, concrete products, glass and ceramic building products are construction products and must meet the conformity rules before you sell them; other goods must still meet the general product safety duty. This guide takes you through construction-products conformity — declaration of performance and marking — and the residual product-safety baseline.
EnglandScotlandWales
Many of the products this sector makes are construction products — cement,
aggregates, ready-mixed concrete and concrete products, bricks, blocks and
tiles, glass for construction, and similar building materials. If a product is
covered by a designated standard, you have conformity duties before you place
it on the market. Goods that fall outside a specific regime must still be safe
under the general product safety duty. This guide covers both.
A. Meet your construction-products conformity duties
Where your product is covered by a designated standard under the Construction
Products Regulation, you must draw up a declaration of performance, keep the
supporting technical documentation, and apply the conformity marking before
placing the product on the Great Britain market. For the GB market this is the
UKCA marking — but CE marking continues to be accepted on the GB market, so you
can use either; there is no UKCA-only cut-off for construction products. Where a
designated standard requires it, the assessment and verification of constancy of
performance must involve an approved body. If you place products on the Northern
Ireland market, check the position separately — different marking rules apply
there under the Windsor Framework.
B. Meet the general product safety duty for other goods
For products outside a specific product-safety regime — for example domestic
glassware, ceramics and decorative or abrasive goods sold to consumers — the
General Product Safety Regulations 2005 require you to place only safe products
on the market. The General Product Safety Regulations 2005 are a Great Britain
regime enforced by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) and
Trading Standards; if you supply the Northern Ireland market, check the position
there separately, as Northern Ireland follows EU product-safety rules under the
Windsor Framework.
1. Identify which of your products are construction products
Check whether each product is covered by a designated standard under the Construction Products Regulation — cement, aggregates, concrete products and construction glass typically are.
2. Draw up your declaration of performance and apply the marking
Prepare the declaration of performance and technical documentation, involve an approved body where the standard requires it, and apply the conformity marking (UKCA, or CE which is still accepted on the GB market) before sale.
3. Make sure other goods meet the general product safety duty
For consumer goods outside a specific regime, confirm they are safe under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005. Check the NI position separately if you supply there.