UKCA Marking: Regulatory Change Pending

Published: August 4, 2022

Re-testing cost reductions. No re-testing of imported stocks. Acceptance of spare parts into the UK market. Labelling measure extensions. Historic testing recognition.

These are all the factors recently proposed by the Government to simplify the application process for the soon-to-be-mandatory UKCA Marking.

Still due to come into full effect from the 1st January 2023, the construction industry has been particularly vocal around the timings on this, as demonstrated by a letter to Government from the Construction Leadership Council. In this they stated;

“…for a significant range of construction products, there is limited or no capacity for these tests to be carried out in line with UK Construction Product Regulations.’ In a nutshell, there are not enough facilities or personnel to meet demand.”

Citing the UK’s already relatively small testing market, disruption caused by Covid-19, and the short window in which to have products ready, the CLC went on to say;

“With the realisation that the process of testing and certification for a single product can take up to a year (and in some cases longer), it becomes evident that unless the Government considers viable, practical alternatives, the clearing of the existing backlog and the management of future demand for testing and certification will not be possible before January 2023.”

If implemented, this proposal will likely be welcomed by the majority in our sector, particularly with many of the changes relating directly to testing requirements. Fundamentally, our interpretation of this announcement is that, products currently holding certification to the current CE regulations will be able to claim UKCA status within the market place from the 1st January 2023. UK testing would only need to be performed when the existing certification expires or by 2027 (whichever comes first) – essentially removing the urgency which has been generated, as well as ensuring high quality products are still available for sale.

As of the 20th June, there have been no further announcements made, however we expect an official update to be released soon.

How are Metpro prepared?
Ever since the new UKCA Marking was introduced on the 1st January 2021, we have made our conformity a top priority. Where applicable, all relevant products now feature the required marking. As no Metpro products require compulsory testing, self-certifications have also been generated against products which need only written confirmation.

For more information on UKCA Markings, contact our team on 0121 552 2100 or email [email protected].