National regulation: construction products
Information for the construction industry and wider built environment.
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is the UK regulator for construction products and most consumer goods. We act on behalf of and are funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), which is responsible for construction products policy. We lead on the delivery of construction products regulation. Our purpose is to ensure the claimed performance requirements of construction products are met, to enable safer, better buildings across the UK.
OPSS took on this role in April 2021 and the primary aims are to:
- protect the public by actively enforcing construction products requirements
- educate and inform industry, to influence decision-making and support compliance with the regulations to enable responsible businesses to thrive
Find out more about construction products regulation in Great Britain – MHCLG
Find out more about construction products regulation in Northern Ireland – MHCLG
Grenfell Tower
The Grenfell Tower Inquiry published its final report on 4 September. The Government is carefully considering its recommendations in detail, to ensure that such a tragedy can never occur again. It has committed to responding in full to all the recommendations within six months.
Read the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report – Grenfell Tower Inquiry website
Regulatory framework
We currently regulate the Construction Products Regulations 2013, amended in 2022 to give us access to the required enforcement powers.
Construction Products Regulations 2013 – Legislation.gov.uk website
Construction Products (Amendment) Regulations 2022 – Legislation.gov.uk website
Approach – Enforcement Policy and actions
We have increased the level of market surveillance across the construction products sector, taking a risk-based and proportionate approach to enforcement action in line with our Enforcement Policy. We are engaging with stakeholders to inform our understanding and to educate and inform industry.
Read our Enforcement Policy – this links to our enforcement actions.
We support local authorities in enforcing the current regulations, drawing on our expertise in areas such as intelligence gathering, risk assessment and investigation. We work closely with the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), which is part of the Health and Safety Executive. BSR’s responsibilities include overseeing the safe design, construction and occupation of high-rise residential buildings.
Construction Product Safety Alerts, Reports and Product Recalls
Find details of construction product alerts, reports and recalls.
We focus on areas with higher risk or non-compliance. As part of our activities, we carry out product testing, site inspections, and technical documentation reviews.
As well as our proactive interventions, we consider many allegations of non-compliance, from a range of sources including end-users, businesses, other government departments and local authorities. We responded to over 100 such cases in 2023.
Our approach is guided by our programme of quantitative and qualitative research into products, techniques, supply chains and business perspectives. Going forward, some of our research will be jointly conducted with BSR.
Register of specialists
We are building a construction products register of specialists from whom we can commission ad hoc scientific work to help us protect the public. We are looking for people within the domains of civil and structural engineering, fire sciences, material science and associated areas of knowledge in relation to the natural analytical sciences and technical fields of expertise.
Read more about the register and apply to become a member – OPSS careers website
Supporting business awareness and understanding
OPSS progress in its regulatory role explained in industry webinars
Clear and helpful information on recent changes to the building safety landscape, including impacts on the construction products sector, has been made available via construction industry webinars that you can now watch online. The webinar sessions were jointly hosted from November 2023 to April 2024 by the Building Safety Regulator, OPSS in its role as the UK regulator for construction products, and the Construction Leadership Council (CLC). They aim to support businesses’ awareness, understanding and actions towards compliance with building safety regulations, but are relevant to all parts of the construction industry and wider built environment. The three webinars that focused on construction products and OPSS’ regulatory role are available via the following links:
Fundamentals of the new building safety regime
The role of construction products in building safety
The Building Safety Regime – ask your questions
OPSS sets out progress regulating construction products in the UK – watch now
OPSS delivered a seminar on its progress regulating construction products in the UK at the Building Safety Regulator Conference 2024 in May. The session – ‘The Importance of Construction Product Regulation & Information in Building Safety’– was chaired by Peter Caplehorn, Chief Executive of the Construction Products Association, and provided an opportunity for attendees to understand the actions OPSS has been taking in delivering in its regulatory role, including tackling non-compliant businesses and products.
The seminar also highlighted progress on compliance being led by industry and provided more information on the Construction Product Association (CPA)’s voluntary Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI). Perspectives on compliance and the challenges facing the sector came from an expert panel, who included:
- Amanda Long, Chief Executive, Construction Product Information Ltd
- Nigel Blacklock, Technical Director, Bauder Ltd
- Duncan Johnson, Deputy Director, Construction Products Regulation, OPSS
A lively discussion also saw attendees challenge the panel during a dedicated Q&A session. Watch the recording of this seminar on the link below:
Importance of Construction Product Regulation & Information in Building Safety
For more building safety resources from the 2024 BSR Conference, you can explore a wide range of online sessions:
Further resources
Read the Memorandum of Understanding between HSE and OPSS.
Read about the Building Safety Regulator – HSE website
Contact us
General queries: opss.enquiries@businessandtrade.gov.uk
Local authority technical and policy queries: lau.opss@businessandtrade.gov.uk
Office for Product Safety and Standards
Cannon House
18 The Priory Queensway
Birmingham
B4 6BS
0121 345 1201
Updates to this page
Last updated 22 October 2024 + show all updates
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Link added to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report.
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First published.