General safety requirement (GSR) for construction products

A General Safety Requirement (GSR) for construction products was proposed in the Government Consultation on the General Safety Requirement for Construction Products published on 24 February 2026. In the paper it argues that the current product safety regime only applies to products covered by designated standards or voluntary technical assessments. Research undertaken for government by the Adroit Consortium suggests around 29% to 61% of products have a designated standard, with a mid-point of around 37% of the UK market being regulated under the Construction Product Regulations. This creates a regulatory gap that contributed to the systemic safety failures identified by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and the General safety requirement is intend to help to fill this gap.

"The GSR will address this gap by operating alongside existing UK construction products regulations, bringing all products into the regulatory regime. Key proposals include:

• Mandatory risk assessment: Manufacturers must identify and assess safety risks in relation to a product’s intended and reasonably foreseeable conditions of use and implement proportionate mitigation measures.
• Product information: Clear, accurate, and complete information must be provided, including detailing the intended use, technical specifications, installation guidance, safety warnings and restrictions of use. Marketing claims about safety must be evidence-based.
• Labelling and traceability: Products must carry unique identifiers and manufacturer and (where applicable) importer details, supported by digital solutions, such as QR codes, barcodes, or similar, to enable traceability to facilitate recalls.
• Record keeping: Manufacturers and importers must retain risk assessments, product documentation, and safety incident records for 10 years to support accountability and enforcement.
• Storage and transportation: Economic operators10 must ensure that construction products are stored and transported in ways that maintain their safety and integrity.
• Obligations for importers and distributors (including merchants): These importers and distributors must verify compliance, maintain records, and implement controls to prevent unsafe products from entering the market.
• Monitoring safety issues: Economic operators must monitor products to identify and address safety risks, investigate and record complaints, and take corrective actions such as amending information or enabling the withdrawal of unsafe products from the market."

"Enforcement will be strengthened through enhanced powers for the national regulator for construction products, including market surveillance, investigatory powers, and proportionate intervention measures such as suspension, recall, and prohibition. Local authority trading standards (LATS) will also be equipped with these powers to complement the role of the national regulator. Sanctions will include civil monetary penalties, cost recovery provisions, and criminal offences for serious breaches of the overarching safety duty, supported by a clear appeals process to ensure fairness and proportionality."

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• Building Safety Act.
• CIOB reviews the Building Safety Bill.
• Construction Products Reform Green Paper and Consultation.
• Construction Products Reform White Paper, February 2026.
• Construction Products Regulation CPR.
• Digital Product Passports DPP.
• Ecodesign compliant products.
• Government response to the Building a Safer Future consultation.
• Grenfell Tower fire.
• Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
• Hackitt Review.
• Hackitt review of the building regulations and fire safety, final report.
• National construction products regulator established.
• The Building Safety Bill and product testing.