The Independent Review of Construction Product Testing was led by quantity surveyor Paul Morrell and barrister Anneliese Day. It sets out the historic failings in the system by which construction products are tested, assured and made available for sale.
Essentially, the system as it stands does not actually care whether products are safe or not, simply that they meet the appropriate standard – which is not the same thing.
The 174-page review is part of the government’s building safety programme that followed the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire. Dame Judith Hackitt, who led the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, which spawned this latest work, said: “This report marks a major step forward in mapping the complexity and opacity of the current construction product testing regime (...) and identifies (...) significant improvements can and should be made. Paul Morell and Anneliese Day are to be commended. This is an opportunity which must be taken, and with some urgency.”
Peter Capelhorn, chief executive of the Construction Products Association, said: “This report should be required reading for policy-makers and industry leaders alike, coming at a critical time not only for the future of the UK product testing and certification sector, but for the wider culture and practices of UK construction as well. The recommendations cover a wide range of urgent issues, and the CPA and its members will be focusing on developing the necessary responses and actions in consultation with department officials.”
In a written statement to the House of Commons, Michael Gove, secretary of state at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities, said: “This government is transforming the built environment through a culture of safety and high standards. The Building Safety Act 2022 brought into law far-reaching reforms that give residents and homeowners more rights, powers and protections across the country.
“We recognise the historic failings in the system by which construction products were tested, assured and made available for sale. We have seen the tragic evidence of that all too clearly. To consider those failings in more detail, we commissioned an Independent Review of Construction Product Testing from Paul Morrell OBE and Anneliese Day KC, which has been published today.
“I would like to thank the reviewers for the comprehensive and thorough assessment of the current system and for their report and recommendations. We recognise that more needs to be done and are carefully considering the recommendations put forward by the independent reviewers.
“The government is committed to ensuring the testing regime for construction products is effective and inspires public and market confidence. It must be based on high standards and complete transparency. People must be assured that products used on their homes and other buildings are safe, and have been proved to be so; that they are used correctly and appropriately at every stage from design, installation, use, and even to disposal; and that those who manufacture and work with them are competent professionals. Those who try to misrepresent or misuse their products or mislead their customers must be sure that they will be found out and held to account.
“I will also consider how our regulatory regime can ensure that only responsible businesses can make and sell construction products. It is unacceptable that cladding and insulation manufacturers have neither acknowledged their part in the legacy of unsafe buildings in the United Kingdom, nor contributed to the cost of remediating buildings.
“To deliver the change we need, I will set out our proposals for reform of the UK’s construction product regime in due course, building on the work of this review. Nothing is off the table as we consider this new regime, and I welcome contributions from all who share our goal of a safer built environment.”
The Independent Review of Construction Product Testing is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-review-of-the-construction-product-testing-regime
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