Well, the CE stands for “Conformité Européenne” or in other words “European Conformity”. It means that the manufacturer is declaring that his product meets the requirements of the applicable European Directive(s). Consumers look for the CE Mark when purchasing products.
CE Marking becomes compulsory in the UK from 1st July 2013 so we have put this blog post together to let you know about how this might affect you.
What do CE Markings mean for FENSA Installers?
If you are an installer and purchase a fully glazed product without any modification, you do not have to demonstrate compliance to the harmonised European standard, make a declaration or CE Mark the product. This has already been done by the manufacturer of the product.
This is not the case though if you purchase unglazed frames and IGU’s separately. You then become responsible for the CE Marking and make a declaration of performance.
What if your company is involved in the manufacturing process of glazing?
You have responsibility for CE Marking if:
• you manufacture glass
• you process glass (eg: toughen)
• you manufacture IGU’s
• you manufacture fully glazed windows
You will have to make a declaration of performance and CE Mark your products to show they comply with the relevant standards.
Your first port of call is the GGF’s European Harmonised Standards list which tells you which products do require CE Marking.
So having checked the list and deciding you have to CE Mark your products, the next question is how do you go about doing it?
The good news is the GGF has produced a series of flow charts for the different fenestration products that need to be CE Marked. If you follow these, you can see how the process works.
It should be remembered that these requirements are not designed to be a difficult process – it’s just a question of declaring a few characteristics to show your product’s performance conforms to the requirements.
If you are a member of the GGF you have full access to the “Route to CE Marking” micro-site which advises and guides Members on CE Marking.
How does CE Marking fit with FENSA inspections?
FENSA does not have to check the CE Marking, as this is for the manufacture of products and as such is the responsibility of the Government through the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG). It is policed and controlled via Trading Standards offices.
FENSA, as you are aware is checking for compliance with Building Regulations for the installation of windows and doors.
If you have any questions at all on CE Markings and how they apply to your company, please do ask them below….
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