CE Marking & UKCA and what this Regulation Change Means

With businesses being given until 1st January 2022 to affix the new UKCA marking, we take a look at the end of the CE Mark recognition in GB and what this regulation change means.

The new product marking UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) for Great Britain came into force as of 1st January 2021, following the Brexit transition period, and replaces the CE mark. To allow a grace period to make the necessary adjustments, businesses have until the 1st of January 2022 to ensure compliance.

From a technical perspective, the requirements of CE Marking and UKCA remain the same including the conformity assessment processes and standards that can be used to demonstrate conformity, but the recertification process is time-critical, and businesses are urged to act fast to carve a path to rapid UKCA fulfilment.

What is UKCA Marking?

The United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Mark, or UKCA Mark for short, is a replacement for the CE Mark. The mark serves as a manufacturer’s declaration that their products conform with all relevant safety legislation in the market for which they are intended. The CE mark continues to apply to both the EU and Northern Ireland markets. The UKCA mark applies to products on the GB market certified by UK AB.

Reacting to the Change

Considering that obtaining certification is often a lengthy process, the industry was left with a minimal time frame to make the transition from the CE mark to UKCA mark. Industry body the FIA has been central to leading communications with the government and relevant approval bodies over the past year and this has involved voicing the concerns of the fire industry on the impact on implementing the new UKCA mark in terms of both investment, resource and timeframe.

Donna Webster, Compliance Manager, Sentry Doors explains;

“As an industry, we were put under a great amount of pressure in order to make the transition. Not only is there investment to consider here but also resources. However, due to our rigorous processes and internal procedures, we were able to react quickly to this change and, as a result, we are happy to report that in we were the first UK fire door manufacturer to have obtained the UKCA certification with UK-appointed approved body BM Trada.

When purchasing external fire doors, it is imperative that you check with the manufacturer that the product holds the correct accreditation. The new process also means that a Declaration of Performance will be issued in accordance with the harmonised standards.”

Where to look for the UKCA mark?

In most cases, you must apply the UKCA marking to the product itself or to the packaging. In some cases, it may be placed on the manuals or other supporting literature. This will vary depending on the specific regulations that apply to the product. Although it may become mandatory in future to label the products themselves, in terms of fire door manufacture there is no requirement for this, in which case, you will find the UKCA mark on the product packaging.

Traceability should also be found on the Declaration of Performance that is issued. When attaching a UKCA marking, the manufacturer takes full responsibility for the product’s conformity in line with the relevant legislation.

At Sentry Doors we aim to make compliance easy and as a part of this commitment, having received UKCA certification in Jan 2021, we are pleased to report that we were the first fire and security door set manufacturer to hold the new UKCA mark, as certified by UK-approved body BM Trada.

 

CE Marking & UKCA and what this Regulation Change Means