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As a specifier, purchaser or contractor, you are likely to be specifying and procuring a wide range of products and services. In the case of complex products such as fire doors, or high performance windows and doorsets where performance is critical, how can you be confident that you have done everything you can to ensure the product will perform to the standards you require? By specifying that both the manufacturer and installer have independent third party certification.
What is independent third party certification?
It is the 3rd party process of certifying that a manufacturer/installer has undergone an appropriate appraisal to confirm their compliance with the performance aspects of a specification for a particular product or product range. It is being increasingly specified by architects, contractors, local authorities and facilities managers, is a mandatory requirement for Secured by Design and it is also a preferred route for demonstrating performance of fire doors under Approved Document B of the Building Regulations.
To attain third party certification, a manufacturer and their product will have to undergo a rigorous audit and testing process, ensuring that they have in place documented product specifications, installation instructions, and a factory production control system, all of which integrate with an approved Quality Management Scheme such as ISO 9001. The process includes the following steps:
The benefits of specifying third party certification:
Here’s why you should specify independent third party certification:
- It provides confidence in the manufacturer/installer of a performance critical product
- It provides confidence that the quality of both the product and its installation will be consistent at all times
- It reduces the risk of product failure
- It enables you to make a commercially sound investment in performance critical products
BM TRADA Q-Mark
BM TRADA Q-Mark is the brand name applied to the scheme operated by BM TRADA Certification, one of the UK’s foremost certification bodies with over 35 years experience and accredited by UKAS since 1991.
BM TRADA Q-Mark is a quality mark awarded to a manufacturer of a product or range of products, identifying the product(s) as having been assessed against specified performance levels through independent accredited tests. It also shows that every product manufactured will offer the same level of performance through integration with an approved Quality Management Scheme. Continuous performance and production are also checked through regular audit testing and inspections.
Why specifity BM TRADA Certification?
- One of the UK’s leading providers of independent third party certification
- A recognised and widely accepted quality standard
- Independently accredited by United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS
- Experts in the field of doors, windows, glass and fire resistant products
- Rigorous eligibility and on-going membership criteria
- Audits conducted by full-time customer specific auditors with a manufacturing background
- Consistency in auditing procedures across multiple manufacturing sites
- Regular factory audits conducted to ensure consistency in product manufacture
- Regular sample testing to ensure consistency in product quality
- Continuous review process to ensure scheme operates to highest standards
To be confident that the product you specify will perform as expected, make sure you include the following clause in your specification:
All (product type) must be fully manufactured and installed under the appropriate BM TRADA Q-Mark scheme.
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