IGU manufacturers are being warned to review gas-fill levels, Factory Production Controls (FPCs), and compliance records, after the Office for Product Safety and Standards confirmed plans to test units coming off UK production lines.
OPSS has confirmed that it had already purchased testing equipment and had plans to carry out spot checks on sealed unit manufacturers.
GGF has warned that gas testing could also bring wider FPCs, Declarations of Performance and conformity documentation under scrutiny.
“The OPSS has confirmed that it will be visiting IGU manufacturers and checking the gas content of units coming off production lines,” GGF technical director Kevin Jones said. “For most manufacturers, that means argon, which in most cases will fill 90% of the unit volume with a 5% tolerance either way.
“We support the principle of what OPSS is doing. Manufacturers, their customers and ultimately end-users, need confidence that products deliver their declared performance. The question is how OPSS will respond when a product falls outside those requirements.”
The GGF is seeking urgent clarification from OPSS on its sampling methodology, what will constitute a failure, and the enforcement action manufacturers could face.
In March this year, OPSS reported that all 28 manufacturers inspected during its heat-soaked thermally toughened glass programme initially failed to provide a compliant Declaration of Performance. It subsequently issued nine Prohibition Notices to six manufacturers.
The GGF is also warning manufacturers to examine their wider compliance procedures.