Since the 1st of January 2021, new UK regulations meant that cables supplied into the country from this date, intended for use within the construction sector, require UKCA marking instead of the previous CE marking, as part of the UK’s Brexit transition.
In response to the legislation, Üntel has worked closely with BASEC Turkey to have its CPR AVCP System 3 cable range tested and readied for the post-Brexit UK market. Taking action to arrange transfer testing and access UKCA approval reduces the impact to trading and operations in the long term. This ensures the correct documentation to prove compliance is in place well in advance of the transition deadline of the 1st of January 2022.
Üntel’s response has assured its UK supply chain that its construction cables are available without disruption, providing end-users with confidence in its commitment to cable quality and safety.
As with its response to the UKCA marking requirements, in the European Union, and before the deadline of the 1st of July 2017, Üntel responded quickly to the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) legislation to ensure its products intended for construction projects within the EU were also compliant.
These regulations increase fire safety standards within buildings and facilities, and ensure that cables have the relevant information needed to determine suitability and traceability. Both UKCA and CPR CE marking approval schemes mirror one another, upholding the same level of safety, standards, and quality.
European Standard EN 50575 is a harmonised standard covering power, communication, and optical fibre cables used on construction projects within the EU. From the 1st of July 2017, cables had to comply with CPR and include CE Marking on the cable or labelling and include a Declaration of Performance. Cables are not CPR compliant until this standard is issued. As part of the mirroring of UKCA and CPR approval schemes, all EU standards, including BS EN 50575, also became UK designated standards.
Üntel’s CPR and UKCA compliant cables undergo testing for their resistance, properties, and fire reaction within permanently fixed installations, whether domestic, civil, commercial, or industrial.
Üntel’s cable range that conforms for use within the EU and UK markets includes:
• Industrial Rubber Cables
• Instrumentation Cables
• Signal and Control Cables
• Low Voltage Power Cables
• LSZH Power, Signal and Control Cables
• Railway Cables
• Airport Runway Lighting Cables
• Flat PVC Cables
These cables include CE marking, UKCA marking, and DoP documentation supplied from the point of manufacture, showing name, cable class and type.
The cable classes included with the DoP are called ‘Euroclasses’ A through to F. These classes are dependent on the cables’ fire characteristics, such as flame propagation and thermal release. Testing is also available for smoke produced, acidity and droplets produced by the flames.
Non-compliance with UKCA and CPR has severe implications for both manufacturers and suppliers. It should also be the responsibility of the specifiers and installers. Üntel encourages end-users to responsibly ensure that the cables they use for construction projects are safe, compliant and meet quality standards. Üntel has therefore assured its customers that its products intended for the EU and the UK construction sectors are all UKCA and CRP compliant.
Üntel cables intended for the construction sector are widely used and supplied via prestigious cable distributors in both the UK and EU.
*UKCA and CPR facts in this article took reference from BASEC’s articles and FAQs on the subjects.
