Are you specifying industrial doors and shutters? Then it is important you choose CE marked products from suppliers that are members of the Door & Hardware Federation. This gives peace of mind that the product has been checked to ensure it complies with all relevant regulations. You do not have to check compliance (but a check does need to be made to ensure it complies with Building Regulations). Nor will any risk assessments have to take place (except by the building owner or user). Choosing a CE marked product from a DHF Member Company will absolve you from any legal liability in the future arising from non compliance issues. It also helps protect your client against litigation in the event of an accident occurring.
You need to be aware that the legislative landscape surrounding CE marking is changing. Here we outline the benefits of understanding the implications of CE marking of industrial doors and shutters.
At its simplest, a CE mark on a product is a legal declaration by a manufacturer that the product meets the essential health and safety requirements specified in the relevant legislation. This means a CE mark can be accepted as evidence that the product will perform as stated in its declaration of performance.
In some cases, CE marking is compulsory and has been for a number of years. This is true in the case of powered industrial doors. All powered doors manufactured and supplied by DHF member companies are CE marked under the Machinery Directive.
Non-fire doors can be CE marked under the Construction Products Directive (CPD). Voluntary CE marking under this directive has been possible since 2004. Indeed, many DHF members already CE mark under this scheme to give health & safety and environmental assurance to their customers (amongst other product-specific assurances such as thermal performance and wind/water penetration).
Architects and specifiers need to be aware that from July 2013, it will become a legal requirement to place CE marks on all industrial doors except for fire shutters.
This means that by choosing a DHF company rather than a non member company, the specifier is assured that CE marking obligations have been met.
This means that by choosing a DHF company rather than a non member company, the specifier is assured that CE marking obligations have been met.
The new Construction Products Regulation (CPR) sweeps away the current voluntary CE marking under CPD and CE marking will start to become compulsory. No industrial door can be placed on the market without a CE mark.
The architect or specifier would need to spend some time acquiring the necessary understanding of the the legal obligations surrounding CE marking. However, by ensuring every CE marked industrial door or shutter is supplied by a DHF member, the specifier has peace of mind regarding compliance.
There are other benefits, too, in choosing a DHF member company. In particular, the specifier is assured that every DHF member company abides by the DHF’s stringent Quality Assured technical standard of capability, customer service and quality. These are further backed up by DHF members’ adherence to a Code of Conduct governing members’ standards of workmanship, quality assurance, training, safety and business integrity. And there is a guarantee that the product will meet the performance levels stated in the declaration of performance.
So the message to architects is clear: for peace of mind, always choose a CE marked product from a DHF member supplier.
For more information visit www.dhfonline.org.uk
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