Approach
The certification process began with a thorough review of Tertu’s product testing to ensure that both the
results and the test procedures met the UK Conformity Assessment (UKCA) standards. Meanwhile, a product technical file was compiled and submitted for review by the manufacturer to document the design with data
sheets and drawings.
The next step was a series of factory audits to ensure that the production parts conformed to the specifications established by the initial testing. Much of this was carried out under Covid restrictions, so the certification team had to develop new methodologies, such as virtual site visits, to complete this activity. The biggest technical challenge came from the sustainable timber used in the barriers’ construction. Unlike traditional steel or concrete, timber is a heterogenous material with different grain structures and properties along its length.
The certification team had to research the relevant standards and tests that would ensure the material behaved adequately and consistently in all situations. This Ied a continual programme of material sampling and testing to capture the full range of variability presented by using natural materials.
Successes and benefits
The Tertu barriers were successfully certified for the UK market. Key points included:
- New material structure for UK market required research to ensure product safety needs for the UK were met
- Customer achieved market leading entry by meeting compliance requirements quickly
- Flexibility to work under Covid restrictions, including the implementation of virtual site visits, has created more efficient and cost-effective delivery methods
- Manufacturer benefited from an on-going certified test programme to ensure conformity of production was achieved
We’re known to be a particularly stringent certification body. It was essential for us that Tertu and its customers could rely on the thousandth kilometre of these barriers to perform just as well as the first.
James Hughes, Principal Certification Engineer
HORIBA MIRA Certification Limited
