Product category:
Building Industry Health and Safety
News Release from: BM TRADA Certification
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 24 December 2007
BM TRADA joins forces with CLSAB
BM TRADA Certification has joined forces with a second major organisation in Canada, the Canadian Lumber Standards Accreditation Board (CLSAB).
This agreement will enable CLSAB-governed lumber mills to CE mark strength-graded lumber destined for Europe BM TRADA already has a similar working agreement for Canadian plywood with Certiwood, formerly CANPLY, the Canadian Plywood Association
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 23 Jun 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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Founded under Canada's 1960 National Housing Act and cited in the ISO-certified Canadian Standards Association (CSA), the CLSAB derives its authority, mandate and structure from CSA.
It has four main roles:.
* To control the identification and certification of lumber.
* To accredit and supervise lumber grading agencies.
* To review and approve grading rules and product standards related to grading.
agencies * To promote acceptance of the Canadian lumber grading system in foreign markets.
The Canadian Grading Standard has always been recognised in the UK and is accepted within the grading standard BS 4978.
However, it is not cited within the new European Standard EN 14081-1 Timber structures - strength grading structural timber with rectangular cross-section, which covers both visual and machine strength grading.
'Canadian mills want to be able to CE mark their lumber for the European market, so we have been working with CLSAB to identify the differences under the new standard and to ensure that mills will grade accordingly,' said BM TRADA Product Certification Manager Mark Wilkinson.
While CE marking is not compulsory in the UK, it is a mandatory requirement for most other EU members apart from Ireland and Sweden.
'There aren't huge differences between the two technical specifications, but mills will require a Factory Production Control (FPC) Certificate of Conformity from a Notified Body, such as BM TRADA, to be able to apply the CE mark'.
BM TRADA will work with CLSAB to enable CLSAB Grading Agencies to audit mills' grading procedures and verify that they have an FPC system in place which meets the requirements of EN 14081-1, Mr Wilkinson added.
'The venture is now under way and BM TRADA will issue the required certificates on the basis of continuous assessments of CLSAB and a programme of joint inspections with the grading agencies.'.
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