The Wood Protection Association(WPA) is calling for an urgent government review of the sale and use of low-viscosity site applied liquids that are marketed as flame retardant (FR) treatments for wood with Euroclass B levels of FR performance.
The WPA Flame Retardant Committee says it has identified that these liquids do not appear to be covered by existing regulatory oversight and are being relied upon in circumstances where their flame-retardant performance is variable or unproven.
In the WPA’s opinion, this creates a potentially significant fire safety risk that “warrants urgent Government attention”.
“We have highlighted our concerns to the Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Democracy (the Minister), Samantha Dixon MBE MP, and requested that she commission an urgent review of the regulatory status and use of low viscosity, site applied, FR treatments for wood,” the WPA said in a press statement.
Specifically, WPA has asked the Minister to:
• Clarify which body is responsible for regulatory oversight of the sale and use of these treatments in the UK
• Assess whether current FR performance evidence requirements and enforcement arrangements are sufficient
• Consider whether further UK market guidance or regulatory action is needed to ensure an on-site FR treatment of wood surfaces is not relied on when its fire performance is not adequately evidenced.
Communications have been provided to members of the WPA FR Committee to enable them to ask their local Members of Parliament to encourage the Minister to initiate a review of these products. WPA has also reached out to Timber Development UK to ask it to make members of the All-Party Parliamentary Committee on Timber aware of the concerns raised by WPA members.
