The Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI) was finalised and published in September 2021. EPIC welcomes the Code, which will help to restore trust, making the construction process safer and more robust. It puts public safety and the safety of buildings front and centre. Together with the Building Safety Bill, it will also help to make buildings easier to manage and maintain over time. Achieving compliance with the Code has the potential to reduce the risk of changes to specification, bringing a greater level of assurance up and down the supply chain, and protecting the market for high quality, certified and proven products. Finally, it will provide a credible platform to demonstrate the good practices our members have already been engaging with, such as LPCB certification.
Background to the Code
Back in 2018, Dame Judith Hackitt published the ‘Building a Safer Future’ report, which detailed ways in which the construction industry needed to improve. Product information is one area she highlighted as a concern. The Construction Product Association’s (CPA) Marketing Integrity Group (MIG) surveyed over 500 individuals from the supply chain to gauge how manufacturers and their marketing material can be trusted. The principles revealed through two years of research and data gathering are what form the basis of the CCPI. The consultation report was published in January 2021 and after further input from the industry, which EPIC was a contributor to, the current version of the Code was announced.
What’s involved in the CCPI?
The new Code centres around five key points, the principles upon which all product information should be based, whether that information is being conveyed through marketing, product literature, websites, social media or verbally. These points are that it should be:
- Clear
- Accurate
- Up-to-date
- Accessible
- Unambiguous
Details of how to register for and comply with the Code can be found here, but below is a summary of the 11 clauses which are a requirement:
- A documented sign-off process.
- A formal version control process.
- Use of plain English to ensure accurate representation the product and performance.
- When claiming compliance, valid and demonstrable documentation is supplied.
- Product performance claims must be verifiable.
- Key descriptions and characteristics of a product must be made available on the website.
- There must be consistency between product information and what is supplied with a process for documenting any changes or revisions.
- Ensure information on handling, installation, operation, maintenance, and disposal of products is easy to access and on the website.
- Guarantees/warranties must state what is and isn’t covered. It should be transparent and in the correct format for the relevant sector.
- Technical helpline contact details (telephone and/or email) should be visible and easy to find on the website.
- Anyone supplying product information must have had robust training to ensure they have a competent level of knowledge required for their role.
Engaging with the Code
EPIC as a trade association and its members are fully supportive of the Code and will be working through existing documentation, website copy, and future guidance so that product information published for the industry aligns with the recommendations of the CCPI.