Evidence suggests that the market penetration of non-conforming products in several key construction product sectors in Australia may be up to 50 per cent, according to the Australian Construction Industry Forum (ACIF).
ACIF sounded the alarm at the statistic, in light of Australasian Procurement and Construction Council (APCC) recent work with more than 20 other organisations to produce a guide to construction products quality compliance.
The guide will be released online, addressing growing concern in the industry over product quality standards certification.
“The compliance and durability of construction products are major risk factors which need to be managed as they impact significantly on the service life and quality of building and construction projects,” ACIF states on its website.
“It is important to understand the responsibility to determine whether or not a construction product is fit for its intended purpose and the profound consequences in the event that the product is found to be defective.
“However, the procurement of construction products has become increasingly complex, and information and guidance to assist the procurement process is scarce. In particular, for many ‘safety critical’ products, there is often a lack of credible and accurate information available in Australia to assist stakeholders involved in construction projects to verify construction product compliance and conformance, in order to determine whether or not a product is fit-for-purpose.
“This Guide seeks to assist in the decision-making processes for the procurement of construction products in Australia, with a view to elevating levels of compliance and providing a level of confidence to all parties in the supply chain.
The Australasian Procurement and Construction Council (APCC) is the peak council whose members are responsible for procurement, construction and asset management policy for the Australian, State and Territory Governments and the New Zealand Government.
