Product certification scheme preparation enters final stages
With the passing of the Building Amendment Act earlier this year, the Department has been able to prepare for the final stages of the introduction of a voluntary building product certification scheme for New Zealand. The scheme is due to be launched later this year.
Product certification is a way for product proprietors such as manufacturers and importers to demonstrate that their products, systems or methods meet Building Code requirements. This is done by an assessment of the product, systems or methods that will include product testing results, evaluation, site inspections, manufacturing quality control inspections and a review of the manufacturer's technical literature. The next stage is drafting the regulations that cover the scheme and how it will run. Overall, it is expected that the scheme will provide an easily understood, robust and cost-effective way to demonstrate that a method, system or product meets the requirements of the New Zealand Building Code.The use of a certified product, system or method will give confidence to building consent authorities, designers, builders and consumers that a product, system or method:
- conforms with the New Zealand Building Code
- is capable of performing its intended function
- will speed up building consent and inspection processes.
Once certified, a product, system or method must be accepted nationally. This means that the proprietor of a certified product, system or method will not have to seek approval from individual building consent authorities for its use, thus helping to streamline the building consent and inspection process.
If the certificate is granted for compliance with the New Zealand Building Code, details of the product certificate and certificate holder are then held on a public register by the Department of Building and Housing.
The scheme has been developed in close conjunction with the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) and will be harmonised with Australia under the brand name 'Codemark'.
However, before the scheme can be launched, there will need to be work done on accrediting product certification bodies. These will be the bodies that actually carry out assessment of products.
The product certification bodies will be administered in New Zealand by Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand, (JAS-ANZ). It will be up to JAS-ANZ to oversee the scheme and appoint the bodies who actually test and certify products. JAS-ANZ and the product certification bodies will be fully funded from fees paid by companies applying for product certification.
Charging the users of the scheme will mean those who are the primary beneficiaries of accreditation and certification bear the direct costs.
Building product certification is not the only way to provide the appropriate level of information to demonstrate Building Code compliance, but it is likely to be the most effective for new and innovative products or those with high consequences of failure.
Other methods of demonstrating Building Code compliance include appraisals from independent organisations such as BRANZ. Such methods, however, are fundamentally different from Product Certificates in that they must be considered and approved by the building consent authority as part of the normal building consent process.
Over the coming months, the Department will be working to ensure the regulations are completed as well as working with potential product certification bodies to assist them in making use of the scheme.
The Department will be releasing more information on the scheme as the final stages are completed.