Building a Safer Future

Not only beneficial to forging links to crucial sector issues including the golden thread, fire safety, and improved building standards, manufacturers have much to gain by committing to digitally-based product traceability systems such as BSI Identify. Adopters of the technology will be aligning themselves to best building practice whilst embellishing their renown as a proactive, rather than reactive business.

The need for a golden thread of digitally-stored information to improve building design and maintenance featured in Dame Judith Hackitt’s ‘Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety’ report. She reiterated the importance of product traceability as a best building practice measure in her capacity as Chair of the International Building Quality Centre working group. Following consultations with a coterie of global building products’ specialists, the group devised the ‘Building Products Performance Good Practice Regulatory Framework’ (BPPGPR). Product traceability forms part of the framework’s assessment process, offering a means for countries worldwide to assess and identify where its products’ regulatory system could be improved.

It's anticipated the UK government will implement the BPPGPR’s recommendations. But best building practice does not require regulatory intervention to ensure its implementation. In built environment terms, manufacturers that abide by best building practice showcase an adherence to quality. It demonstrates a company’s compliance to technology and knowledge that is generally regarded as being essential to optimising structural performance and delivery.

Applicable throughout all phases of building delivery, from specification through to design and construction, best building practice is also an enabler to streamlining off-site operations to ensure smarter working practices prevail. Product marketing campaigns, for example, can prove extremely costly when brochures and digital adverts form part of a long-term strategy. With product ID services such as BSI Identify, information relevant to the product is contained within an allocated Universal Persistent ID Number (UPIN). This allows installers, specifiers and the like immediate access to details such as accreditations, data sheets or user guides via a mobile phone or laptop. Therefore, a UPIN acts as a promotional tool par excellence by outlining a product’s benefits and usage whether the product itself is in situ or in storage.

Thus, product ID Is the very definition of best building practice; it facilitates highly effective processes that raise standards in build quality, safety and workplace efficiencies.