COMPLIANCE | EDITORIAL
IMAGE Diliff
DODGY BUILDING PRODUCTS ARE
EVERYONE ’ S RESPONSIBILITY
RODGER HILLS
Executive Officer , Building Products Innovation Council
Over the last decade , there has been a shift in the building products supply chain to an increased use of offshore sources , along with a decreased level of local manufacturing of these products ( with the exception of site-specific local manufacture , like ready mixed concrete ). At the same time , the ease of purchasing online has brought into the market an abundance of products from both domestic and international sources . This has allowed buyers to source small quantities and new products , locate niche manufacturers and buy cheaper alternatives to what might have been specified or requested .
In the past , buyers relied on the advice of technical professionals , such as architects and engineers , to provide guidance about the best value-for-money and reliable products to use in particular building situations , and the most reliable supply channels . These days , such professional advice is often seen as an unnecessary burden or expense , particularly where many buildings are constructed as designand-construct .
But problems often begin because builders and contractors may have limited specific product performance experience and they may even be self-assessing their own imported products and equipment . Once products purchased this way enter the supply chain , the provenance is lost and seeking a remedy when a problem arises becomes extremely difficult .
Hand in hand with the increase in direct procurement of products by builders and contractors has been the rapid increase in fraudulent product certification documentation . Without experienced technical professionals overseeing the purchasing process , the whole supply chain has become vulnerable to gaming and fraud .
The intentional manipulation and / or counterfeiting of product certification documentation has become big business . It can also take many forms , including manufacturers submitting nonrepresentative products to a registered testing authority and using these ‘ golden ’ test results to market their products . Suppliers might use testing authorities that appear to be legitimate but aren ’ t , or might test products to a standard that appears to be equivalent to one referenced in the National Construction Code ( NCC ), but isn ’ t . Product labelling can be selective , incomplete , misleading or just plain wrong and there is no recourse to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission ( ACCC ) because the majority of building products are not covered under consumer law .
The problem doesn ’ t stop there . Once a lower grade of product than that specified is installed , it is almost impossible to detect . After the paint is dry , most products are permanently out of sight .
And , if you think the problem of poor quality products and conforming products used for the wrong application is not that big a deal , the Lacrosse building fire in Melbourne ( November 2014 ) and the recent Grenfell Towers fire in London should be ample evidence of the seriousness of the problem . The rapid and high-
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