#TheCodeExplained: Blog 1 - Information Creation
#TheCodeExplained: Blog 1 - Information Creation
The new proposed Code for Construction Products Information (CCPI) is made up of 11 Clauses, and split across four sections:
- Information creation (Clauses 1-3)
- Core information (Clauses 4-7)
- Associated information (Clauses 8-9)
- Support and competence (Clauses 10-11)
From the 1st of March we are running a series of weekly blogs, explaining each section.
Adam Turk - CEO of Siderise and Chair of the Construction Products Association’s Marketing Integrity Group - kickstarts with Information Creation, and why this is so crucial to building safely.
We have all watched and listened aghast at some of the recent findings to have come out of the Grenfell enquiry and have been particularly shocked that manufacturers should knowingly be putting out blatantly misleading information. To combat this, clear responsibility must be given to a senior, technically competent, person. This is covered in the first clause of the Code which ensures that manufacturers must have in place a documented and formal sign-off process for their product information with the final sign-off coming from said technically competent person. With responsibility clearly resting on that individual’s shoulders, we should ensure that nothing is concealed or hidden again.
The second clause deals with version control, to ensure that it is clear that the latest information is being used. One of the things that came out of the Marketing Integrity Group’s Call For Evidence from users of product information is that they need to know that the information they are using is up-to-date, and this means good version control, dated literature and a way to check it has not be superseded, all available online. It’s such an important detail that it has become one of the five acid tests, alongside the requirement for all Product Information to be clear, accurate, accessible and unambiguous.
All literature, whether in print or online or digital should have some kind of clear numbering to show the version, with changes noted to determine minor or major changes, ie moving from version 1.0 to 1.1 if it’s a minor change or to 2.0 if it’s a major one. While clearly manufacturers will have to go over a lot of existing material, this should be very straightforward to implement going forwards.
The final clause in this section deals with the language used, in so much that it must not create ambiguity or be misleading around the product’s performance. For example, marketing literature that talks of “fire-proof” will be no more, instead it would need to talk about the product’s fire classification for example, such as Class A1. The emphasis in the Code is to use industry terminology, ie that which a competent person in the industry would be expected to understand. This is important as often the marketing language used can exaggerate a product’s performance or capability. This clause also deals with imagery in the same way, again that it should not mislead the user to think of the product inappropriately.
The majority of manufacturers in the construction products industry generally try to do the right thing and provide information as they best deem appropriate. The Code for Construction Product Information will re-engender trust in our industry, such that users of product information will know that code-compliant manufacturers’ information can be relied upon for them to use. Code compliance will be demonstrated by use of a numbered CCPI logo which can then be checked back to a master website to confirm that the manufacturer is still a part of the scheme.