TALKING POINT
WHAT THE ‘GOLDEN THREAD’ WILL MEAN FOR POWDER COATING Richard Besant, Director of Powdertech (Corby), a specialist architectural powder coater, talks to PSBJ about how important it is that specifications are understood and adhered to throughout the entire supply chain, even more so now in light of the forthcoming Building Safety Bill.
Richard Besant is Director of Powdertech (Corby), a specialist architectural powder coater. Powdertech is a member of Council for Aluminium in Building (CAB) and Aluminium Federation (ALFED) and Richard is a member of the committee for EN 13438 – the European standard for powder coating on galvanised steel.
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t Powdertech, we have spoken frequently about the importance of building specifications being established for all components at the outset of the project and adhered to throughout the supply chain. Now, the latest Building Safety Bill, set to become law in 2022, has an objective to put in place enhanced regulatory regimes and accountability for building safety and construction products, and to ensure residents have a stronger voice in the system. At the heart of this more stringent regulatory regime lies the requirement to create and maintain a golden thread of information. The new bill recognises the importance of rigorous record keeping. The Building Regulations Advisory Committee (BRAC) has summarised as follows: “The golden thread is both the information that allows you to understand a building and the steps needed to keep both the building and people safe, now and in the future.” Construction specifications will form part of the information required at each stage of the project to demonstrate that the building is compliant with applicable Building Regulations, and to identify and mitigate any risks of fire spread or structural collapse. This is very good news, and particularly for powder coaters. Specifications for many building components are strictly defined and
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