INDUSTRYNEWS
APPROVED INSTALLERS CONTINUE TO DELIVER DESPITE INDUSTRY CHALLENGES
» RISA , THE GGF GROUP ’ S inspection and auditing company , reports that a high standard of work is being carried out by FENSA Approved Installers across the country , despite the challenges posed by skills and materials shortages .
RISA , which carries out more than 1,000 assessments every month , has continued with its on-site compliance inspections over the last year , while ensuring that customer and assessor safety was paramount throughout the Covid-19 pandemic .
Over the past four years , RISA inspectors have consistently rated more than 94 % of installations by FENSA Approved Installers as ‘ satisfactory or better ’. This figure reached 97.3 % in 2020 , and currently stands at 96.6 % in 2021 , meaning the vast majority of work carried out has been deemed by RISA ’ s assessors as ‘ satisfactory ’, ‘ above average ’ or ‘ excellent ’. Dave Mechem , operations director at RISA , said : “ Quality , in terms of product and installations , has seen a very slight deterioration ,
as fabricators try to keep up with demand and installers face increased workload pressures . But that decline comes from a hugely impressive starting point and as our satisfaction ratings evidence , the overall standard is still incredibly high . That said , a huge effort is being made within the industry to pick up the slack , and statistics show that the vast majority of FENSA Approved Installers continue to deliver a consistently high and compliant standard of work despite these challenges .”
The average homeowner satisfaction rating for paying customers , excluding tenants , in 2021 also currently stands at 4.1 out of 5 , which means most homeowners considered work carried out by FENSA Approved Installers , comprising factors including satisfaction , sales and product recommendation , to be of and ‘ above average ’ standard .
In addition RISA have carried out more than 650 MTC assessments between January and June this year alongside increasing numbers of installers using the FENSA Training Academy to gain new accreditations and qualifications .
Mechem continues : “ Companies understand that having fully trained , qualified staff equates to improved installation work and reduced costs on remedial work being carried out . The RISA team see excellent installations from accredited staff every single day without fuss and it is vital these standards are maintained under increased consumer demand .”
www . risaltd . co . uk
GGF launches product substitution guidance
» THE GLASS AND GLAZING Federation ( GGF ) has launched a new guidance document on product substitutions to help companies comply with regulations as the construction industry comes under greater scrutiny than ever before .
With changes imminent for compliance marking and building regulations , the industry needs to ensure that the products manufactured and used are “ fit for purpose ”, have been tested and are proven to meet the legal and health and safety requirements for the application . Recent history shows that failure to provide the right product can have devastating consequences including not just damage to property , injuries but also the loss of life .
David Borland , GGF Senior Technical Officer comments , “ As the industry ’ s leading trade body , the GGF insists that Members ’ have a duty of care to ensure that their products will perform to the standard or performance necessary for the situation . The substitution of vital components within a product ’ s composition can have distinct effect
on its performance whether it ’ s a window or door or any glazing product placed on the market .”
When it comes to placing products on the market , the choices for companies manufacturing , processing and fabricating need careful consideration . This new guidance from the GGF clearly and accurately informs window and doorset fabricators of their roles and responsibilities in ensuring that products which are placed on the market consistently meet the claimed performance standards as tested and / or certified by a 3rd Party such as BSI Kitemark™ .
David Borland added , “ This new Guide highlights possible issues and problems that can occur when substituting products in place of those of a System House component supplier or other manufacturer which are approved , tested and / or certified . Knowing these potential problems is particularly important when third party type testing is cascaded and used to support product safety and performance claims for certification and / or regulatory compliance . I ’ d urge all companies to read this document to ensure they are considering their choices when selecting components for their products .”
The new guide can be viewed on publications section of the GGF website www . ggf . org . uk
16 » SEP 2021 » CLEARVIEW-UK . COM