R&M
ARE YOU READY FOR CPR?
Oli Barrington, managing director of R&M in the UK and Ireland, explains how electrical
contractors will be affected by changes to construction products regulation.
T
he construction products
regulation (CPR) is a
mandatory regulatory
system that makes it
possible to compare the
properties of various
products. All manufacturers and
distributors that supply building products
to the European Economic Area fall
under CPR and its requirements.
Now, changes to the CPR mean that
‘reaction to fire requirements’ also extend
to cabling. Each EU member state must
define the minimum fire class required
for different applications, which means
requirements can differ significantly
throughout Europe. Several organisations
have also published recommendations
of their own and in some cases, these
are significantly higher than the legal
minimum requirement.
To support the changes, there was a
one-year transition period, which ended
on July 1, 2017. From this date, cables
installed permanently in construction
works must meet European Standard
EN 50575:2014. All cabling products
must be tested and certified by an EC-
accredited notified body, and labelled to
indicate their fire behaviour. This includes
Oli Barrington,
managing director
United Kingdom and
Ireland, R&M
‘All cabling
products
must be
tested and
certified
by an EC-
accredited
notified
body.’
pre-assembled cabling links intended to
remain in the building permanently. is to be implemented for cabling and
specifies the new fire protection classes.
Mandatory compliance Declaration of performance
The aim of the changes is to unify
products’ fire protection levels to
better protect people from the effects
of fire. Only products which have been
awarded European Classification under
the new standard can be sold in the EU.
Contractors and installers, consultants,
architects, building owners, specifiers
and other parties need to include the
new regulations in their tender books
and specifications.
It’s therefore important to
understand the classifications for the
fire behaviour of cables. The main
criterion is flame propagation and heat
release as per EN 60332-1, EN 50399.
Additional criteria include smoke
production, under EN 50399, EN 61034-
2, corrosivity as per EN 50267-2-3, and
flaming droplets, which are covered by
EN 50399.
EN 13501-6 defines the combinations
in which the above test criteria may
occur. The harmonised standard EN
50575 ultimately defines how the CPR Once cables have been assessed and
approved according to these systems,
manufacturers may draw up a declaration
of performance (DoP) indicating CPR
compliance. This document must contain
a unique reference number and cable
type description, its Euroclass and s/a/d
classifications according to EN 50575, as
well as the ID number of the notified body
responsible for testing.
This information, and the CE mark,
need to be visible on the drum or box
containing the cable. It can also be
included on the cable sheath, although
this is not mandatory. Cables currently
in stock that were produced before these
regulations came into force may still be
sold and there is no change to products
with existing part numbers.
Be clear on compliance: Don’t hesitate
to ask suppliers whether their entire
range meets European and international
regulations for safety, fire and health.
For further information visit: www.rdm.com
Cable & Cable Management
August 2017 | 15