Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk 112 THE door industry journal spring 2025 Locks & Building Hardware Construction Hardware Products CE/UKCA/CE+NI Mirror Certification - Risks and Rewards Zoo Hardware is raising awareness for door manufacturers, the suppliers they procure own branded products from and the wider industry on the need for compliant mirror certification on construction hardware products, which fall within the scope of European harmonised and UK designated standards and should therefore be conformity marked as CE/UKCA CE+NI. Andy Hullock, DipAC, Product Support Manager at Zoo Hardware, tells us more. Confusion, misunderstanding and misguidance has developed around the requirements for mirror certification in recent years, at a time when accurate, current and transparent information has never been more important. Failure to correctly certify own-brand or rebranded products can leave customers in a very difficult situation as their product is not legally covered to be placed on the market, so a good understanding of the requirements and certification process is essential for mitigating compliance risk to their business. Mirror certification explained Mirror certification and new requirements for own branded construction products covered by a hEN (Harmonised European Standard) or UK designated standard were introduced as far back as 2019, as part of an important update within the amended European Construction Products Regulation (EU CPR). They stated that the same certification obligations apply to both a main certificate holder (also known as the manufacturer placing the product on the market) and a company which own-brands or rebrands that product and places it on the market under its own brand (also known as a branding manufacturer). The changes apply to any product regulated by a European harmonised or UK designated Standard for which CE, UKCA or CE+NI marking is a requirement when fitted to a fire-rated door. From 2019, the company placing the product on the market is now responsible for that product and therefore must supply its own CE/UKCA/CE+NI CoCoP (Certificate of Constancy of Performance) and supporting Declaration of Performance (DoP) relating to the CE/UKCA/CE+NI CoCoP certificate, before placing on the market. There are a number of products being placed on the market in the UK that are still not correctly mirror certificated and those companies selling them need to be aware of the risk they are carrying. The current compliance environment Simply put, the need for clear and unambiguous certification is now part of the ever-changing environment of compliance, risk and certification that is being more stringently regulated around the UK and Europe. The CPR’s updated mirror certification requirements in 2019 go a long way to making it easier for product, branding and main manufacturers of that product to be identified from the certificate information that should be present with the product, fitting instructions and packaging. This is also a crucial part of the ‘golden thread’ for reliable, up-to-date and accurate building information, now becoming a requirement as part of a post-Grenfell industry and society. Requirements for door manufacturers supplying own-brand products For those companies already supplying own branded construction hardware products covered by a CE/UKCA/CE+NI marking certificate which do not carry their own certificate in their own name, they should speak with their supplier and arrange an application for mirror certification as soon as possible.
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