Construction Fixings

With the original deadline for the UKCA certification process having been pushed from 1^st January 2023 to 30^th June 2025, manufacturers of structural timber fasteners and fixings are being encouraged by Warringtonfire to start product testing now, due to a shortage of approved testing facilities in the UK. 

As a leading testing, inspection and certification company, Warringtonfire warns that manufacturers who opt to wait, run the risk of finding themselves with nowhere to test their products, as there are only a handful of UKAS accredited testing facilities in the UK. 

Achieving UKCA accreditation can only be done by an approved body listed on the UK Government’s database and the UK Construction Products Regulation states that, from 30^th June 2025, manufacturers of structural timber fasteners and fixings – within the scope of the UK designated BS EN 14592 standard – must successfully complete the testing process using a UK-based laboratory, if they want to sell their products on the UK market. 

Ben Sharples, commercial lead at BM TRADA, and sister company to Warringtonfire, explains: “UKCA Marking is very important for the construction industry, as it symbolises that the product being used conforms to the relevant standard.” He stressed the importance for fastener and fixing manufacturers not to be lulled into a false sense of security by the extended certification deadline, adding that only a few UKAS accredited bodies in the UK are able to test fasteners and fixings to UKCA certification, of which Warringtonfire is one. 

Any products on the UK market after June 2025 must have completed testing, including products undergoing a change in their specification, such as fasteners and fixings that have changed design or coatings, which will need to be re-tested.

In-line with the situation, Warringtonfire has launched its state of the art Fastener Testing Laboratory, located in High Wycombe, UK, which can undertake assessments of performance for structural timber fastener and fixing products, so products achieve their UKCA/BS EN 14592 approval. The facility includes a universal testing machine for compression and tensile testing, a series of bespoke testing rigs, and conditioning rooms for structural timber samples, and will offer a range of geometric and mechanical testing procedures for structural timber fixings, such as nails, screws, staples, dowels and bolts. The laboratory can also test steel fixings used to create joints between timber components or to attach other materials to timber. 

Ben concluded saying that while many manufacturers already have UKCA certification for their products, many have not, and that as lead times for testing are long, with laboratory availability in short supply, manufacturers should get in touch with an accredited testing facility as soon as possible, “to ensure a smooth transition and prevent any disappointment down the line”.