Safety critical products

In August 2025 CIOB, in collaboration with the CPA, CCPI, IStructE and RIBA, published the Guide to Products Critical to Safe Construction, providing designers, specifiers and installers with the information and tools they need to make the right decisions when selecting products and systems. Using examples and case studies to signpost industry best practice, such as the Code for Construction Product Information, it aims to ensure that the buildings and the products used are safe for those who use them. See article Guide to Products Critical to Safe Construction

In February 2025, the government published a Construction Product Reform Green Paper that set out its proposals to deliver a system that guarantees safe products, safely used. The paper outlined the current situation, the reforms taken, the remaining challenges, and the proposed changes to improve safety, promote economic growth, and support the construction of high-quality homes. Along with many specific details aligning UK regulations with EU standards to reduce trade friction and ensure a competitive marketplace, seeking responses to its proposals. See article Construction Products Reform Green Paper and Consultation.

In July 2023, CPI defined a safety critical construction product as a construction product that has a structural or fire protection function, where if it failed serious harm would result. These include, for example (list not exhaustive): structural steelwork, all external cladding systems/materials, roof systems and construction products with a fire suppression and retardation property (i.e. fire doors, but not internal doors without a fire rating), fire stops and intumescent materials Ref: https://www.cpicode.org.uk/faq/#safety-critical

In March 2023, jointly initiated by the CIOB and RIBA, A Guide to Managing Safety Critical Elements in Building Construction was produced with the intention of increasing awareness across all sections of the industry of the need to bring a rigorous and structured approach to the design, construction and inspection of elements identified as potentially safety-critical (elements that, if omitted or installed incorrectly, could cause a serious injury or loss of life, to those in and around the building). See A Guide to Managing Safety Critical Elements in Building Construction.

In 2022, the government published guidance 'Construction products regulatory framework: factsheet' (now withdrawn) suggesting that: "Some construction products would have a greater impact than others on the health and safety of people if they were to fail. Products will be identified as ‘safety critical’ where they could cause death or serious injury if they were to fail. We recognise that products which are not identified as safety critical could also have an impact on health and safety. That is why we will require products that are not safety critical to meet a general safety requirement."

The government at the time suggested that it would: "...require manufacturers to supply clear and accurate performance information when placing such products on the market. This will enable designers and installers to make good, informed choices about the products they use, to better enable them to design combinations of products that will meet the requirements set out in building regulations."

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