We are seeing more and more rejections of test data and approaches to certification bodies now, due to significant scrutiny of quality of data and also, age of data in test and engineering/design reports. This is being driven (amongst other drivers for change) by the publication of the ‘testing for a safer future’ report (Morrell, P, Day, A. & Hackett, J. 2023). Further measures and departments have also been established, such as the Department for Business and Trade’s ‘Office for Product Safety and Standards’ (OPSS), set up in Jan 2018, the initiation of the HSE as a Building Safety Regulator (BSR), under the Building Safety Act, 2022 and the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), created in Dec 2024. 

This focus on data quality and relevence, now puts significant pressure on manufacturers, designers and end clients, to be transparent, when providing evidence to support propositions in the market. Such evidence is also subject to 5 year reviews to ensure adequacy and suitability, in a dynamic built environment. Ottersbrook are extremely well placed and aligned to many test labs, certification and regulatory bodies, and also, warranty providers, to ensure MMC solutions and end use projects, are well-engineered, suitably tested and safeguarded against patent and latent defects.

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It is vitally important to understand the end use, relevant design criteria, approach to the right labs and certification bodies etc, to ensure that the final gatekeeper (building control and warranty providers) understand your propositions and are able to make informed decisions to either accept, or decline, as fit for purpose. Ottersbrook carry out detailed checks to ensure a smooth, low risk approach to this process of acceptance in the market, and are a trusted collaborator with influential regulators.