BMA members discuss CE mark with MP for Chesterfield Toby Perkins

The Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA) plans to lobby government over the lack of implementation and policing of the CE Mark, following a discussion between its members and the Shadow Minister for Business.

Ideal Standard, Altecnic, AKW and BMA joined Franke Washroom Systems at its HQ to talk about the issues with the Shadow Minister for Business and MP for Chesterfield Toby Perkins.

Bathroom manufacturers raised concerns over lack of implementation, stating Government procurement departments were not specifying CE compliant product. And it was suggested lack of policing of the CE mark could lead to unsafe counterfeits filtering into the market.

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Chief executive of the BMA, Yvonne Orgill stated: “If you just take the Government as a major buying power, their departments are not asking for this compliance. So, they are asking bone fide companies to go to the expense of complying with all the variety of legislation and regulation that is out there but then they go and buy product that is non-compliant at a [favourable] competitive rate because they are buying on unit price, not on the quality of the product.”

And managing director of Franke Washroom Systems Andy Dukelow offered just one example, when he was not asked for his CE DOP (Declaration of Performance), stating: “We’ve just refurbished all the washrooms at Twickenham Rugby Stadium and I was never once got asked for a certificate of compliance for any of our products. And that was worrying. It was a big project. I can’t remember the time anybody last asked me for a WRAS certificate and I’ve only been asked once for a CE DOP (Declaration of Performance).”

The lack of policing could also see an influx of counterfeit CE products, warned the BMA. Chief executive of the BMA, Yvonne Orgill said: “If we allow products to come in that are CE marked and have no DOP or traceability and policing, we can see an increase that will damage an already severely underfunded national health and at the same time put the consumer at risk.” MP for Chesterfield Toby Perkins asked the BMA to provide a document which could show how the CE mark could cause harm to the individual, harm to infrastructure as well as competitive disadvantages. And he agreed to hold a reception in parliament for a briefing.