Timber industry organisations release statements following roofing batten ‘chemical burns’ allegations

The news story by Roofing Today alluded to “thousands of cases” surfacing and shared photos of roofers with various kinds of marks and burns.

TDUK said it took all claims of substandard timber product entering the market very seriously and reminded members, their customers and the wider construction industry about the TDUK Trade Note ‘Tile Batten Quality Control’ and other critical information around timber battens it has previously circulated.

It said buyers should always request a treatment certificate with every delivery to ensure the tile batten has been correctly pressure treated to Use Class 2 and so that the preservative can be clearly identified.

“It is a regulatory requirement that preservative-treated wood must be touch dry before transportation from the treatment plant,” TDUK said.  

“Therefore, buyers should never accept delivery of tile batten packs that are saturated or appear to be dripping any form of liquid.”

?The WPA said the wood preservation industry took such allegations very seriously and the health and safety of those using wood preservatives or treated wood is the number one priority for the industry. 

It recommends that users of treated wood only buy wood that has been treated with a preservative authorised for use in the UK by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or containing active substances listed in the HSE BPR active substance lists for GB or N Ireland. 

“Do not buy any material of dubious origin not knowing what it has been treated with,” it said. 

The WPA intends to investigate the concerns whilst at the same time continue to promote the use of regulated, safe and effective wood preservatives.

 It said the statement in Roofing Today identified permethrin as being at the core of the issue. 

“Permethrin is a widely used insecticide that is approved for use for numerous applications including pet flea treatment, skin treatment for scabies and wood preservatives,” said the WPA.

“It is important that all biocidal products, including wood preservatives, are authorised for use and used as directed on the label. When handling treated wood, precautions are generally the same as untreated wood and include wearing gloves plus a dust mask and goggles if machining and creating dust. 

“Suppliers of treated wood will be able to provide product specific handling information and instructions and this is provided on the pack label.”