CERTIFIRE CERTIFICATION SCHEME

Transcription

1 Page 1 of 28 WARRINGTON CERTIFICATION LIMITED CERTIFIRE CERTIFICATION SCHEME GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTIFICATION OF FIRE PROTECTION PRODUCTS Technical Schedules are operating documents for CERTIFIRE certification of fire protection products and services

2 Page 2 of 28 CONTENTS 1 Issue Status and Amendment Page 3 2 Introduction Page 5 3 Definitions Page 8 4 Scheme Technical Requirements Page 9 5 Application for Certification Page 18 6 Scheme Regulations Page 19 Annex 1 Conditions for the use of the CERTIFIRE Certification Mark / Logo Page 24 Annex 2 Participating Organisations Page 27 Annex 3 CERTIFIRE Scheme Fee Structure Page 28

3 Page 3 of 28 1 Issue Status and Amendment 1.1 If this is a controlled copy of the CERTIFIRE requirements for certification of fire protection products, the organisation to which it has been issued will be provided with details of any changes in accordance with the amendment procedure below. The control status of the document is identified on page 1. Controlled copies are identified as such and are issued as working documents. Uncontrolled copies are issued for information only and will not be updated and should therefore not be treated as working documents. 1.2 Each page of the document is identified by a page number, issue number and date. Where an amendment is made, the revised page will bear a new issue number and date of amendment. Original, un-amended pages of the document will remain as Issue Where an amendment requires an extra page to be inserted, this is numbered with the number of the preceding page but with the addition of a letter suffix, e.g. 10A will be inserted between pages 10 and 11 and 10B will follow 10A. The new pages are dated in the normal way. 1.4 Any amendment to this document will be identified on the Amendment Page, which will be reissued to holders of controlled copies with the amended sections/pages. Revised pages shall be inserted in place of existing pages or between existing pages and superseded pages shall be discarded. Where a significant number of amendments are made to this document the entire document will be re-issued under a new issue number. In such cases holders of the document shall destroy the previous issue. From Issue 8 onwards, all sections which are affected by a change shall be identified by section number within the Amendment Page Table. 1.5 The Amendment Page and the relevant revised pages will be produced by Warrington Certification Limited (WCL), following agreement with the WCL Sector Liaison Group, and issued to the holders of each controlled copy of the document, together with an acknowledgment slip (document transmittal) which shall be signed and returned to WCL to confirm that the document has been amended. It shall be the responsibility of the nominated representative of the organisation holding a controlled copy of the document to ensure that the document is maintained in an up to date condition at all times. 1.6 To ensure that a permanent record is available of all amendments, WCL maintains a file of all superseded pages which are marked with the date of withdrawal. The record is held on file indefinitely in order to allow WCL to determine the past requirements of the scheme at any time.

4 Page 4 of 28 Amendment Page To ensure that each controlled copy of the CERTIFIRE Certification Scheme Requirements contains a complete record of amendments, the Amendment Page is updated and issued with each set of revised/new pages of the document. Details of the procedures for amending this document are given in section 1 of this document. Amendment Discard Insert No Date *Sections Changed Page(s) Issue no Page(s) Issue no All Issue 5 of Rules for Certification of Fire Protection Products and Issue 1 of TS 00 / Gen are both replaced by this Requirements document Sections 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 3.4, 3.7, 3.10, 3.11, 4.3.5, 4.3.6, 4.4.4, 4.4.6, 4.4.8, 4.5.3, 4.7, , 4.8.4, 4.8.5, , , , 4.13, Annex 1 items 5 & 6 either changed or added as new sections from previous issue. Detail of acceptability of non ISO 9001 QMS incorporated into section 4.7 /expanded section on appeals panel in Sections 6.13/6.14 Ref. to Complaints & Appeals Procedure added All 5 (Rules) & 1 (TS00/Gen) All 2 All 2 All fee schedule Updated logo s

5 Page 5 of Introduction 2.1 These requirements relate to the CERTIFIRE scheme for the independent certification of fire protection products and they form part of any and all agreements entered into with any party for the purposes of the scheme. 2.2 The CERTIFIRE Scheme is an independent third party certification scheme for fire protection products, principally but not exclusively related to the construction industry. The scheme is devised / operated by Warrington Certification Limited (WCL) and is also operated by Exova Certification & Inspection (ECI) in Dubai in accordance with the requirements of ISO / IEC Guide 65 for product certification bodies. 2.3 The CERTIFIRE Scheme is based on the System 5 requirements identified in PD ISO/IEC Guide 67:2004 Conformity assessment Fundamentals of product certification. 2.4 All bona fide companies who manufacture / modify / supply fire protection products which are within the scope of these requirements may apply for certification. 2.5 In order to achieve product certification in accordance with these requirements a company shall demonstrate that the product satisfies the specific technical requirements identified in the applicable Technical Schedule (TS) and the company can demonstrate compliance with general certification requirements set out in this document. 2.6 Technical Schedules (TS) are the technical specifications against which products are assessed / tested. They are based on British, European or other relevant national or international standards to meet the requirements of the jurisdiction in which the product will be used. 2.7 The main features of the scheme are: Any product submitted for certification shall be assessed / tested in accordance with the specific requirements detailed in the applicable TS. Testing shall be conducted at a laboratory recognised by WCL. Such recognition will generally be based on the laboratory holding accreditation, for the relevant tests, to ISO/IEC by a National Accreditation Body. European laboratories shall be accredited by a body that is a signatory to the European Co-operation for Accreditation (EA) Multilateral Agreement (MLA) for ISO/IEC Laboratories outside Europe shall be accredited for the relevant tests by a body that is a signatory to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) Multilateral Agreement (MLA) or similar. In addition, for classification against the European system, the test laboratory shall be Notified within the meaning of the Construction Products Directive. The above criteria shall apply to all ITT fire tests but by agreement with WCL some other, (audit test procedures, scope extention or non-critical) testing may be able to be conducted at other facilities including the manufacturer s premises subject to WCL having been satisfied that corroborative testing proves the capability of the manufacturer s test facilities. Not withstanding the above criteria, WCL reserves the right to refuse recognition of any laboratory. Manufacture of the product shall be controlled in accordance with factory production control (FPC) requirements as identified in the applicable TS. Periodic audit test / examination shall be conducted on typical production samples of the product for which certification is held. Such testing / examination shall be conducted in accordance with the specific requirements identified in the applicable TS and conducted in accordance with the stated frequency for such. The applicant company (to be named on the CERTIFIRE certificate) and manufacturer if different from the applicant, shall operate a quality management system based on the requirements of ISO 9001:2008 incorporating Factory Production Control procedures / routines

6 Page 6 of 28 to verify traceability and conformity of product manufacture, as detailed in section 4.6 of this document. The certificated product shall be marked / labelled / identified as specifically identified by the applicable TS to facilitate traceability. Initial audit of FPC procedures / controls and verification of implementation of the ISO 9001:2008 based quality management system will be followed by surveillance visits at an applicable frequency as detailed in section 4.6 of this document for all CERTIFIRE Certificated companies. 2.8 Having demonstrated compliance with the scheme requirements set out in this document, manufacturers will be awarded certification for the products and will be added to the CERTIFIRE Register. Please note that various industry sectors covered by the CERTIFIRE Scheme may require additional criteria to be satisfied, these are detailed in the various Annex s of this document. 2.9 Companies supplying products not manufactured by themselves may, with the manufacturers permission, apply for certification in their own name ( Own Brand ) provided the products meet the above criteria and provided that the applicant company and the manufacturer operates a quality management system based on the requirements of ISO 9001:2008 incorporating Factory Production Control procedures / routines to verify traceability and conformity of product manufacture for its activities relating to the products. The company supplying such products shall maintain adequate documentation governing the arrangements between the company and the manufacturer of the products A list of current product areas and their associated Technical Schedules and other CERTIFIRE related documents are published separately. Any revisions to these documents shall be notified to holders of controlled copies who shall be required to demonstrate continuing compliance within the timescale identified at the time of the document s issue Liaison between WCL and the industry will be effected through appropriate Sector Liaison Panels (UK / EU Requirement). The general terms of reference of these groups will be: To continually develop and update the scheme To co-ordinate the views of industry To promote the scheme and its benefits to industry 2.11 The fee structure for this scheme is available from WCL The version of these requirements used by the company holding CERTIFIRE Certification shall be the version current at the time. All certificated companies shall be advised by WCL in writing of any amendments and the applicable dates.

7 Page 7 of 28 Process to CERTIFIRE Certification Figure 1 Application made to WCL Submit existing fire test evidence + non-fire test data (as applicable) + Quality System / FPC documents to WCL Assessment carried out by WCL / ECI on test data provided (Fire and Non-fire) WCL / ECI discusses test data provided with Applicant FPC Audit undertaken by WCL at factory where product is manufactured Corrective action carried out by applicant if required Product Sampled by WCL Initial Type Testing conducted (Fire and Non-fire) as required by Technical Schedule (Tests repeated if necessary) Completion of scope of approval and draft certificate issued to applicant by WCL Applicant reviews draft certificate and identifies changes as applicable to WCL Final certificate issued by WCL with associated documentation to Applicant Ongoing Requirements Audit testing / inspection procedures as detailed in applicable Technical Schedule, 6 or 12 monthly Surveillance Audit of FPC (frequency as detailed in section 4.6) Review of Certification on 5 yearly basis

8 Page 8 of Definitions 3.1 The Scheme the CERTIFIRE Scheme covering the certification of fire protection products and systems as described in these requirements. 3.2 Applicant the organisation (company, partnership, sole trader etc) that is seeking certification within the scheme. 3.3 Manufacturer the organisation (company, partnership, sole trader etc) who is responsible for the actual manufacture of the product for which certification is sought. 3.4 Supplier the organisation (company, partnership, sole trader etc.) who places the certificated product on the market. The supplier may be the manufacturer or alternatively may be another organisation who has sought to certificate a proven product in their own name with the agreement and support of the actual manufacturer. In cases where the supplier is not the manufacturer, the supplier is totally responsible for the control of product conformity and traceability for those certificated products which are placed in the market under the supplier s name. 3.5 Fire Test Evidence fire test(s) conducted at an accredited laboratory (ITT tests) to establish the performance of the product or system. 3.6 Assessment the evaluation of the performance and other data against the requirements of this document and applicable specific Technical Schedules. 3.7 Independent Fire Performance Assessment an evaluation of a product or system specification provided in accordance with the Passive Fire Protection Federation (PFPF) (Guide to undertaking Assessments In Lieu of Fire Test) or other similar document for the relevant jurisdiction. Also the evaluation, in accordance with the PFPF Guide or similar and also the assessment principles laid out in any relevant CERTIFIRE Technical Schedule, of proposed changes to the tested specimen(s) which will establish that such modifications can, with a reasonable degree of certainty be considered to give a fire resistance performance equivalent to that required by the Technical Standard, when installed. 3.8 Converter / Modifier an organisation (company, partnership, sole trader etc.) who take a CERTIFIRE certificated product and modifies it within strict guidelines set out by the manufacturer (for example an aperture and frame company who take a certified door leaf and install a vision panel into the door leaf in strict accordance with the manufacturer s test evidence). Such an organisation can hold CERTIFIRE certification for modifying door leaves of specified manufacture with the agreement of the manufacturer. 3.9 Sector Liaison Panel (UK / EU Requirement) a group made up of industry representatives (certificated manufacturers / suppliers), trade association representatives (related to the particular business sector and territory) and WCL staff, (see section 2.9 for general terms of reference of such groups) Pre-Production Prototype a product offered for certification by a manufacturer / supplier which is not manufactured under normal production processes but has been manufactured as a sample of a product intended to be mass manufactured subject to satisfactory ITT test results and a perceived market need for the product ITT fire tests (and any other form of testing such as mechanical testing applicable to the particular product as identified in the specific technical schedule) performed on products or materials which have been independently sampled from production or stock and can be linked to an FPC Audit to confirm traceability and conformity of manufacture.

9 Page 9 of Scheme Technical Requirements 4.1 General In order for certification in accordance with this scheme to be considered, the applicant organisation seeking certification for their product(s) shall comply with the following requirements: The applicant shall liaise with WCL in order to generate suitable fire test evidence as is required by the relevant TS applicable to the product(s) for which certification is sought The applicant shall provide suitable non-fire test evidence which may be required by the TS, (such as mechanical / functional performance dependent upon the applicable product for which certification is sought ), unless already identified as part of ITT requirements for the product The applicant shall provide clear installation instructions as to how the product(s) should be used in service The applicant shall demonstrate the ability to provide a technical support to the product(s) for which certification is sought as appropriate to the product s purpose and method of use in service during FPC Audit of the applicant s company The applicant shall disclose the location of manufacture of the product(s) and declare whether the products are manufactured by the applicant or by a third party The applicant shall provide evidence of the ISO 9001:2008 based quality management system incorporating Factory Production Control procedures / routines as operated in the manufacturing facility where the products are manufactured / supplied from. If the applicant holds ISO 9001:2008 certification issued by a provider who holds UKAS (or other national) accreditation, this should be provided to WCL. The scope of any such ISO 9001:2008 certification must address control on manufacture of the product(s) for which CERTIFIRE certification is sought. An applicant s lack of independently awarded ISO 9001:2008 certification shall not in itself prevent an applicant from achieving CERTIFIRE Certification provided the applicant can comply with the requirements set out in section 4.6 of this document. 4.2 Classification (Fire Test Data) CERTIFIRE certification is based on BS 476: Part 20 series tests or EN or other relevant technical standard, resulting in different classifications. The individual product specific TS will differentiate between the two systems. It is important that manufacturers understand the differences between the two systems and generate the appropriate test data in support of the approval For certification to satisfy classifications based upon BS 476 series, tests shall normally be conducted in accordance with British Standards referenced in the appropriate TS Tests conducted in accordance with European Standards may also be used to support certification to satisfy UK classifications. This evidence will be used directly to provide a classification. The results will not be translated into times to failure under a British Standard test For a European classification all test data shall be conducted in accordance with the relevant harmonised European Standards. For products for which the product standards have not yet been published manufacturers may generate test data to the draft standards but the full requirements to satisfy all the Essential Requirements under the Construction Products Directive (CPD) may not yet be established. In such cases it may not be possible to provide a European classification.

10 Page 10 of Review of Submitted Documents / Sampling of Products for ITT testing Applications for certification will only be considered when formally requested by completion and submission of the application form PF020 with the application fee. The data provided by the applicant manufacturer shall be subject to assessment by a Certification Engineer in order to verify that the evidence provided complies with that required to satisfy the technical requirements of the applicable TS against which certification is sought Compliance with the applicable TS will be determined by an assessment of documentation submitted. The Certification Engineer will determine the limits of applicability of such data submitted. From this assessment the Certification Engineer will identify any additional testing required Depending upon the scope of certification sought (whether a single product or a range of products of differing sizes / configurations) the Certification Engineer may discuss additional testing requirements with the applicant in order for the product(s) test evidence to comply with the specific initial type testing requirements of the applicable TS WCL will be informed by the applicant in advance of any test being conducted which is to be used for certification purposes When Initial Type Tests are conducted, the products will be sampled directly from the production line or alternatively from either the manufacturer s / supplier s stock or from a stockist within the market. Products sampled from stock shall only be accepted where documented evidence provided by the applicant s FPC procedures can confirm the manufacturing details and traceability of the manufactured product in stock to the satisfaction of the WCL representative. Preferably the products will be sampled directly from the production line by WCL or its appointed independent agent (independent of the manufacturer) who shall witness the manufacture of the actual samples (where possible) and the manufacturer will provide the internal factory production control (FPC) data for the batch to be tested i.e. the tested product must be traceable back to its manufacture. Pre-production sample products may also be subject of this type of sampling where normal production processes are used for manufacturing. Sampling of pre-production prototypes Where the ITT samples are pre-production prototypes which are not produced using normal production processes (ie. R & D laboratory or toolroom produced), and supplied by the applicant these must be provided with full traceability as to material specification used in the manufacture of the pre-production items. Subject to satisfactory ITT test results, no CERTIFIRE Certification shall be issued until the product is in full production and is readily available in the market. Note: At this time the manufacturer / supplier shall be subject of an FPC visit by WCL. Provided the FPC visit proves satisfactory and WCL are able to verify compliance of production materials with those specified as used in pre-production items, CERTIFIRE certification shall be issued. At an agreed period of time after CERTIFIRE certification is granted, the certificated product shall be sampled from the market and shall be subject of a repeat of the original ITT test programme at the cost of the applicant to verify production processes have not affected the prototype product s performance. Unsatisfactory repeat ITT testing results or failure to comply with this requirement will result in the granted CERTIFIRE certificate for the product being suspended until compliance.

11 Page 11 of Where sampling is undertaken at the production line of a pre-production sample, unless the formal QMS / FPC system assessment audit (inspection) is actually conducted at the same time of the sampling process, the WCL representative shall undertake a rudimentary FPC inspection related only to the actual product samples in order to verify that the FPC procedures are effective and do address the critical elements of product s fire resistance and any other critical properties. 4.4 Test Evidence Requirements Sufficient fire test evidence shall be submitted to cover each application for certification in accordance with the applicable TS and as determined by the Certification Engineer There is normally no prescribed fire resistance test programme to be conducted in order to gain certification. For certification covering a wide field of application it will be necessary to test with each specific application required. Where it is possible to extrapolate from one application to another, this will be stated within the assessment principles given in the product specific TS Where separating elements are required to be fire resisting from both sides, normally two specimens shall be tested (one from each direction) unless the element is fully symmetrical Samples of production products for test shall be sampled by WCL or its appointed agent and an initial factory production control inspection shall be conducted by WCL or its appointed agent. Samples for test may be selected during the initial factory production control inspection (see sections and 4.6 of this document). Pre-production prototype items for test (see sections and 4.6 of this document) Tests shall be carried out at a laboratory recognised by WCL Historic test data (ie fire test data produced prior to the application for certification) may be accepted for certification purposes solely at the discretion of WCL. Acceptance by WCL of such historic data will, inter alia, take into account: How the product was initially sampled from production / stock or was it a preproduction item How the factory production control inspection was carried out The laboratory used The validity date of the test report In accepting historic data WCL may require confirmatory testing to be carried out The audit test regime shall be determined/dictated by the product specific TS, the Certification Engineer shall take account of product range variation covered by certification when confirming audit test programme with the certificate holder A claim of No Performance Determined (NPD) for fire resistance characteristics is not possible related to CERTIFIRE certification of a product with a fire resistant purpose.

12 Page 12 of Non-fire Performance Requirements In addition to requirements for fire testing, individual TSs prescribe testing of non-fire characteristics; not only those that affect fire performance but any that affect a product s fitness for purpose having regard to its end use. This may include some or all of the following: - Hygiene health and the environment - Safety in use - Protection against noise - Energy economy and heat retention - Serviceability, including durability Test evidence shall be sufficient to cover the required applications and exposure conditions. Acceptance of such evidence shall be solely at the discretion of WCL and it will take into account the criticality of each of the characteristics in relation to the fire performance of the product(s) The applicable TS will identify the Characteristics for which a claim of No Performance Determined (NPD) is permitted. 4.6 Assessment Principles a) Only personnel appointed by WCL as competent to conduct such work and as listed in the WCL Competency Matrix shall be able to conduct the assessment. b) Assessment of the products will be in accordance with the PFPF Guide or similar and also the assessment principles laid out in the relevant specific product CERTIFIRE Technical Schedule and will be based upon information derived from appropriate tests. c) The assessment report will determine the scope of acceptability of the product(s) in line with the specific technical requirements of the applicable TS based on available test evidence. d) Direct application of the test evidence, via assessment, to other products within the same family, is permitted within the scope of the applicable TS. 4.7 Factory Production Control Audit / ISO 9001:2000 Certification Verification In parallel with the assessment / testing activities related to CERTIFIRE Certification of an applicant s product(s) as detailed in sections 4.2 & 4.3, WCL will also conduct an FPC / Quality management system verification audit of the applicant supplier s / manufacturer s facilities in order to establish adequate control is exerted on the manufacture of the product(s) subject of the application in order to maintain traceability and conformity of manufacture. The detail of the manufacturing process shall be covered by independent audit and surveillance of the factory production control (FPC) operated by the manufacturer. Product certification under the requirements of the CERTIFIRE Scheme is conditional upon the applicant company operating a quality management system satisfying the requirements of ISO 9001:2008, which incorporates Factory Production Control processes / procedures which will assure product traceability and conformity or at least an effective Factory Production Control system which will assure product conformity prior to certification. See requirement details below.

13 Page 13 of Any company holding ISO 9001:2008 quality management system certification with a UKAS (or similar) accredited certification body will be accepted by WCL as meeting the CERTIFIRE quality system requirements and only the applicant s FPC shall be subject to assessment by WCL to verify it s effectiveness. Upon successful certification, the applicant company shall be subject to annual surveillance visits of their FPC Where an applicant operates a quality management system complying with ISO 9001:2008 (but not independently certificated by an accredited certification body), WCL shall undertake assessment of it s effectiveness as well as the company s FPC. Upon successful certification, the applicant company shall be subject to more frequent and more comprehensive surveillance visits, (typically each 6 months). Such a system must address the following requirements in addition to FPC requirements; Internal Audits, Formal Management Review, Customer Complaints, Customer Satisfaction, Corrective / Preventive Action, Continuous Improvement procedures Where relevant, the FPC shall comply with the requirements of Annex Z of the relevant harmonised European product standard or Chapter 8 of the relevant European Technical Approval Guideline where available. WCL have produced product family specific FPC checklists which are provided as appendices to the applicable TS and which focus on the control of manufacture of the actual product, concentrating on critical features / aspects of the product(s) and how the manufacturing controls ensure that these features are maintained by consistent manufacture. Typically an FPC system should address, but not be restricted to the following elements; - Control of Purchasing, including supplier assessment and purchase order details - Control of Raw Material and Component inspection, storage and identification and traceability through the production process (as may be applicable) - Control of documentation related to the production process, including formulation sheets, design drawings, production specifications, (as may be applicable) manufacturing / production work instructions / procedures, inspection criteria (including final inspection and labelling / packaging), assembly / installation instructions, etc. - Identification and traceability throughout the manufacturing process (batch numbering, product identification numbering as applicable) up to first point of sale - Inspection and testing of the product throughout the manufacturing process as appropriate to confirm critical features of the product with pre-determined criteria and to ensure product conformity, including the maintenance of records of such inspections up to and including product release - Calibration of monitoring, measuring and inspection equipment, including records of same - Maintenance of production equipment to ensure product conformity, including records of same - Training records for those staff involved in the development, manufacture, inspection and packaging of the product under certification The product specific Technical Schedules (TS) may also include specific requirements related to an applicant s FPC system which are known by WCL as being critical to the conformity and fire resistant properties of certain types of products. These should be taken into account in addition to the generic requirements set out in this document. These FPC audits shall be undertaken by WCL Quality Engineers or by agents of WCL who have been deemed competent by WCL to undertake such audits.

14 Page 14 of Where such requirements are not available the FPC regime shall be agreed between WCL and the manufacturer so as to ensure consistency of production and supply with traceability such that confidence in the continuing performance of the certificated product is maintained. The FPC shall be audited as detailed in section above For applicants complying with section above, during the FPC audit the Quality Engineer will verify the ISO 9001:2008 certification is valid, covers the scope of the products under assessment and is fully implemented and maintained by the provider. WCL will highlight in FPC audit reports any situation where the ISO 9001:2008 certification provider has suspended or withdrawn certification from the applicant / client as this may affect issue of / maintenance of CERTIFIRE Certification where the reasons for withdrawal relate to failings in FPC related aspects of the company s management system For applicants complying with section above, during the FPC audit the Quality Engineer will extend the scope of the audit beyond the FPC activities in order to assess the effectiveness of the company s quality management system (as by not holding ISO 9001:2008 certification of their QMS the company do not have an independent certification body to do this) The FPC procedures at each location manufacturing the product(s) shall be audited by WCL prior to any certification being awarded. Note that where an additional product or products are to be manufactured at a location manufacturing products already certificated and under the existing FPC arrangements, at the discretion of WCL, a separate inspection may not be required The FPC Audit will focus amongst other items on correct marking / labelling of product. Requirements for marking / labelling of CERTIFIRE Certificated product is detailed within the applicable TS, and the compliance with these specific requirements will be checked as will traceability of marked / labelled products through records Subsequent to initial audit, surveillance of the FPC shall be conducted in accordance with the frequency set out below Where the company operates an FPC system supported by a certificated ISO 9001:2008 quality management system complying with section above the company shall undergo FPC surveillance visits on a 12 monthly frequency by WCL Where a company operates a non certificated ISO 9001:2008 based QMS in addition to an FPC system, as WCL Quality Engineers are the only auditors who externally assess the applicant company s FPC and quality management system, the surveillance frequency will be on a 6 monthly basis from award of CERTIFIRE certification (unless otherwise specified by WCL) Where the company only operates an FPC system without the support of an ISO 9001:2008 quality management system, provided the FPC system is assessed by WCL Quality Engineers as effective and comprehensive enough to verify the conformity of product in accordance with those sampled for Initial Type Testing, the frequency for surveillance shall be on a 3 or 4 monthly basis WCL reserve the right to increase / decrease the duration of FPC audits depending upon expansion in scope of certification (CERTIFIRE Certification obtained for more products) or reduction in scope (clients withdrawing products from certificated range). For companies as described in and the actual ongoing frequency for QMS / FPC surveillance (6 months and 3 or 4 months respectively) may be reduced after a number of visits have confirmed satisfactory results, in such case WCL shall agree a revised frequency with the company and will confirm this in writing to the company. If unsatisfactory findings are recorded by WCL Quality Engineers in later surveillance visits, WCL reserve the right to increase the frequency of surveillance visits as a result.

15 Page 15 of In the case of product suppliers who hold CERTIFIRE certification for products they supply to the market which are manufactured by others, the extent and frequency of the FPC visits will be determined by WCL and the actual input of the supplier to the product. - A supplier who assembles the end product from components / materials manufactured by others and packages and marks the product in their own brand shall be treated as a manufacturer, - a supplier who repackages / re-labels products under an own branding agreement shall be treated as a manufacturer, - A supplier who merely stocks products but does not re label shall be treated as a stockist and the FPC inspection will purely focus on traceability and manufacturers storage and supply conditions being observed Non-Compliances raised during FPC Audits Any minor non-compliance raised during FPC audits shall be closed out via post or at the next surveillance Any major non-compliance identified during the FPC audit may, at the discretion of WCL, require a special follow-up visit. The need for such a visit will be discussed and agreed with the applicant / client. These revisit inspections to close out non-compliances shall be charged at the prevailing rate, (including travelling costs and time taken to address the follow-up). 4.8 Issue of CERTIFIRE Certification / CERTIFIRE Register Entry Upon completion of the assessment, WCL shall advise the company of the outcome of the application. Where this has been successful a certificate shall be issued stating clearly the scope and limitations of the certifications. The CERTIFIRE Certificate shall be issued to be valid for 5 years from the date of issue, (assuming CERTIFIRE Scheme Requirements are maintained by the applicant company). Where WCL deems the assessment to be such as to make certification inappropriate, WCL shall inform the applicant, giving the reasons for non-acceptance The scope of certification of the product(s) shall be contained in the CERTIFIRE Certificate of Approval and associated documents and shall be entered into the CERTIFIRE Register of Approved Products. The certificate shall indicate the acceptable application(s) of the product, the fire resistance period and the duty of use, as well as stating (as applicable) the maximum sizes of product for the different configurations by an appropriate description or code or by means of the matrix given in Annex B of the applicable TS The certificate shall identify any variations to the design of the product detailed, and it will also identify the field of application and the basis of the certification being granted together with any limitations on use of the product No single CERTIFIRE Certificate shall be issued with multiple products identified on it which are from different product families (one product family = one certificate) CERTIFIRE Certificates may be issued for products which are covered by different CERTIFIRE TS s provided that the products are all of the same product family (one product family = one certificate).

16 Page 16 of Labelling / Marking and Conformity The requirements for labelling / marking of the product and the conformity of its manufacture are contained within the product specific TS, these must be strictly adhered to in order for CERTIFIRE Certification to be granted / maintained Audit Procedures / Ongoing Surveillance It is a principle of the CERTIFIRE Scheme that audit procedures are in place to evaluate finished product in the market. The specific requirements for each product type is given in the applicable product specific TS which may include periodic testing of products sampled by WCL or our agents from the market or from the factory. Sampling procedures for on-going surveillance testing shall be in full accordance with those set out in section The factory(s) where the certificated product(s) is/are made shall be subjected to FPC audit as detailed in section and shall be conducted by WCL or its appointed agent. The FPC surveillance audit shall focus upon the controls which ensure conformity of manufacture of the product as presented to WCL for initial certification. Where a European Technical specification exists the surveillance shall include the requirements from that specification Surveillance (Audit) tests shall be conducted in accordance with the same standards as those undertaken as ITT tests during the product s initial certification. The precise design, size and configuration shall be as agreed by WCL but related to the original test programme. Fire resistance tests conducted for other purposes may be accepted in lieu of audit tests at WCL discretion. Failure to comply with the surveillance (audit) test requirements for the certificated product shall result in immediate suspension of certification until the testing has been successfully carried out The specific audit test / inspection requirements for the specific products are given in the individual TS Consequences of Surveillance (Audit) Test Failure Audit test failures shall be investigated immediately by the manufacturer and corrective action agreed with WCL. Dependent upon the scale of failure the certification may be suspended, product recalls or press announcements may be appropriate. The action necessary will be determined by WCL in consultation with the client company (certificate holder) and will be appropriate to the specific situation Non Compliance with CERTIFIRE Requirements The consequences of deficiencies discovered during FPC Audits shall normally result in the issue of non compliance reports as detailed in section Remedial / corrective actions shall be agreed appropriate to the severity of the non compliance Failure to address corrective action on a major non-compliance within the agreed timescales shall result in the certification being suspended until such corrective action has been taken and verified by WCL. Unless such corrective action is then addressed the suspended certificate shall be withdrawn Failure to facilitate WCL with access to conduct FPC Audits at the manufacturing facility at the required frequency shall result in suspension / withdrawal of certification.

17 Page 17 of Sanctions for Failing to Comply with CERTIFIRE Scheme Rules Failure to comply with marking and labelling requirements set out in Annex 1 will result in suspension of certification until such time as product labelling, literature, catalogue, web-site pages are corrected Persistent mis-use of the CERTIFIRE Mark / Logo will result in a suspension of certification for a period of time set by WCL who will take into account previous mis-uses in determining the period of suspension up to a maximum period of 12 months Certificated companies found sourcing products from a manufacturing location unknown to WCL whilst continuing to claim CERTIFIRE Certification without notifying WCL of the change in manufacturer shall result in the immediate suspension of all certification held by the company. This suspension may be applied for up to 36 months or the certification may be terminated. This suspension shall also affect any certificate holder who relies on the suspended certificated company for provision of their certificated product CERTIFIRE Certificated companies who are found to be marking products which have not been subject of the CERTIFIRE Certification process will be subject to immediate suspension of all certification held by the manufacturer / supplier. This suspension may be applied for up to 36 months Companies found to be marking products with CERTIFIRE markings who are not known to WCL and whose products have not been subject of CERTIFIRE Certification shall be subject of legal action implemented by WCL on the basis of Passing Off Declaration of Changes to Certificated Product(s) It is the responsibility of the company holding CERTIFIRE Certification to formally notify WCL of any changes made to certified products, so that WCL may review the changes and decide upon any re-evaluation / re-test requirements to establish if the changes have affected the product s performance. The company must notify WCL immediately any such changes are implemented.

18 Page 18 of 28 5 Application for Certification An application for certification shall be made on the Application Form PF020 together with the application fee. This Form is available from WCL up. The applicant shall specify (on the application form) the jurisdictions in which the products will be used and (if known) the relevant TS/technical standard against which certification is sought. If the applicant is not aware of the relevant TS/technical standard, WCL should be consulted. Companies shall be required to complete CERTIFIRE Certification for the requested product scope within 12 months of submission of the application. WCL reserve the rights to terminate the application of any company who does not progress the certification process to award of CERTIFIRE Certification within this timescale.

19 Page 19 of Scheme Regulations (CERTIFIRE Issued from UK only) 6.1 The technical requirements of the scheme are given in section 4 of this document. 6.2 Applicants and certificated companies shall nominate a representative and, if appropriate, one or more deputies, authorised to act in the main nominee s absence, who shall be responsible for all matters relating to their CERTIFIRE Certification and via whom all communications between Warrington Certification Limited (WCL) and the company shall be directed. 6.3 Applicants and certificated companies shall be responsible for allowing WCL free access to offices and factories during normal working hours for the purposes of conducting initial, surveillance and annual audits / inspections and for providing information and facilities as may reasonably be required by WCL. 6.4 The company shall be responsible for notifying WCL of any changes to the certified product as detailed in section Certificated companies shall be permitted to use the CERTIFIRE mark in accordance with the requirements given in Appendix 1 of this document. Any promotional material using the CERTIFIRE mark shall be first submitted to WCL for approval. If WCL considers the wording or illustration to be misleading in any way, the certificated company shall amend the material to the satisfaction of WCL. The certificated company s right to use the mark is not transferable. 6.6 A certificated company shall not make performance claims for their certificated products which cannot be substantiated by the product certification process. 6.7 A company with certificated products shall conduct its business in good faith in respect of manufacturing and marketing products for which CERTIFIRE certification is held and in accordance with the requirements of CERTIFIRE Scheme as described in this document and any future revisions of it. 6.8 A certificated company may terminate the certification of its product(s) upon written notification to WCL. A minimum of three months notice of termination shall be given. Upon termination by the certificated company or by WCL in accordance with these requirements, the company shall forthwith discontinue the use of both the CERTIFIRE mark and all claims of certification under the scheme. No further fees will be due from the date of termination except for unpaid fees accruing from before the date of termination. No fees already paid will be refunded. During the period of notice of termination the company shall continue to comply fully with the scheme requirements. 6.9 WCL may, at its discretion, revoke, amend, refuse to grant, renew or extend certification if a certificated company fails to comply with the provisions of these requirements or becomes subject to the bankruptcy laws or enters into liquidation or is convicted of any offence tending to discredit its bona fides. Such a decision and the grounds for it will be communicated to the certificated company in writing CERTIFIRE certification shall be re-assessed on an annual ongoing basis via the FPC Audit with certificates valid for 5 years from date of issue The CERTIFIRE scheme fee structure is outlined in Annex 3 of this document, specific quotations related to client certification requirements are available. Failure to pay fees as stated in this document within the specified time shall render a certificated company liable to certification being revoked WCL will investigate any complaint against a certificated company or its certificated products received from a third party concerning the certificated company s performance in respect of the scheme requirements. Exova Warringtonfire M.E. will, at its discretion, notify the certificated company of such complaints in order that corrective actions can be agreed and implemented.

20 Page 20 of Complaints Procedure (WCL) This clause covers the case of a company with certificated products complaining about the conduct of Warrington Certification Limited Staff / decisions taken by WCL related to the company s activities as covered by this document and complaints related to the operation of the CERTIFIRE Scheme All complaints should be in writing and addressed to: The WCL Manager, Warrington Certification Limited, Holmesfield Road, Warrington, Cheshire, WA 1 2DS, UK. All complaints received by Warrington Certification Limited are investigated and actions taken where appropriate Upon receipt of the complaint it will be logged on the date of receipt and will be reviewed by the WCL Manager at the earliest opportunity The WCL Manager shall conduct an investigation into the complaint which may involve discussion with the WCL Process Certification Manager, Certification Engineer, Product Schemes Manager or a third party to establish basis and background to complaint. If the complaint is not of a confidential nature (one which can be aired in the presence of others who may have similar concerns), the complaint may be discussed at a WCL sector liaison meeting. In such a case the complainant will be advised of the complaint s inclusion on the agenda of the next liaison meeting and the proposed date of the meeting The WCL Manager shall upon completion of all investigation related to the complaint be responsible for deciding whether or not the complaint is valid / justified Where the decision is taken that the complaint is valid the WCL Manager shall initiate corrective action to address the compliant and shall notify the complainant in writing of the action taken / to be implemented to address the complaint. The WCL Manager shall be responsible for reviewing the action taken to ensure it is working to prevent a recurrence of the instance which resulted in the complaint being made Where the decision is taken that the complaint is not justified, the WCL Manager shall notify the complainant in writing of their decision. The complainant shall be offered the facility to appeal against the decision in which case the Appeals Procedure shall be invoked should the complainant decide to appeal the decision. See WCL Complaints and Appeals Procedure WCL-QU-PD Appeals Procedure Applicants and certificated manufacturers have the right of appeal against any decision made by WCL against these requirements and in respect of their application for certification or termination of a manufacturer s product certification. In order to invoke this procedure the appellant shall accept the following procedure Notice of any appeal shall be made in writing and addressed to The WCL Manager, Warrington Certification Limited, Holmesfield Road, Warrington, Cheshire, WA 1 2DS, UK within 14 days of official notification of the decision. The appellant shall clearly set out the grounds for the appeal and shall enclose a cheque for 1,500 made payable to Warrington Certification Limited to cover the costs of the appeal (refundable only where the Appeals Panel finds in favour of the Appellant) The appeal shall be reviewed by the WCL Manager (who may consult the Chairman of the Warrington Certification Limited Management Council), who may contact the appellant to discuss the grounds for the appeal and may request further details if he believes there is insufficient information on which to make a judgement.