CHAPTER VIIF1APPROVED BODIES
Article 43Requirements for F2approved bodies
1
F3An approved body shall meet the requirements set out in paragraphs 2 to 11.
F142
An approved body must have legal personality and must be established in—
a
the United Kingdom; or
b
the territory of a party to the CPTPP.
3
F4An approved body shall be a third-party body independent from the organisation or the construction product it assesses.
A body belonging to a business association or professional federation representing undertakings involved in the design, manufacturing, provision, assembly, use or maintenance of construction products which it assesses, can on condition that its independence and the absence of any conflict of interest are demonstrated, be considered to be such a body.
4
F4An approved body, its top-level management and the personnel responsible for carrying out the third party tasks in the process of assessment and verification of constancy of performance shall not be the designer, manufacturer, supplier, installer, purchaser, owner, user or maintainer of the construction products which it assesses, nor the authorised representative of any of those parties. This shall not preclude the use of assessed products that are necessary for the operations of the F5approved body or the use of products for personal purposes.
F4An approved body, its top-level management and the personnel responsible for carrying out the third party tasks in the process of assessment and verification of constancy of performance shall not become directly involved in the design, manufacture or construction, marketing, installation, use or maintenance of those construction products, nor represent the parties engaged in those activities. They shall not engage in any activity that may conflict with their independence of judgement and integrity related to the activities for which they have been F5approved. This shall, in particular, apply to consultancy services.
F4An approved body shall ensure that activities of its subsidiaries or subcontractors do not affect the confidentiality, objectivity and impartiality of its assessment and/or verification activities.
5
F4An approved body and its personnel shall carry out the third party tasks in the process of assessment and verification of constancy of performance with the highest degree of professional integrity and requisite technical competence in the specific field and must be free from all pressures and inducements, particularly financial, which might influence their judgement or the results of their assessment and/or verification activities, especially from persons or groups of persons with an interest in the results of those activities.
6
F4An approved body shall be capable of carrying out all the third party tasks in the process of assessment and verification of constancy of performance assigned to it in accordance with Annex V in relation to which it has been F5approved, whether those tasks are carried out by the F5approved body itself or on its behalf and under its responsibility.
At all times and for each system of assessment and verification of constancy of performance and for each kind or category of construction products, essential characteristics and tasks in relation to which it has been F5approved, the F5approved body shall have the following at its disposal:
a
the necessary personnel with technical knowledge and sufficient and appropriate experience to perform the third party tasks in the process of assessment and verification of constancy of performance;
b
the necessary description of procedures according to which the assessment of performance is carried out, ensuring the transparency and the ability of reproduction of these procedures; it shall have appropriate policies and procedures in place that distinguish between the tasks it carries out as F4an approved body and other activities;
c
the necessary procedures to perform its activities which take due account of the size of an undertaking, the sector in which it operates, its structure, the degree of complexity of the product technology in question and the mass or serial nature of the production process.
7
The personnel responsible for carrying out the activities in relation to which the body has been F6approved, shall have the following:
a
sound technical and vocational training covering all the third party tasks in the process of assessment and verification of constancy of performance within the relevant scope for which the body has been F6approved;
b
satisfactory knowledge of the requirements of the assessments and verifications they carry out and adequate authority to carry out such operations;
c
appropriate knowledge and understanding of the applicable F7designated standards and of the relevant provisions of the Regulation;
d
the ability required to draw up the certificates, records and reports to demonstrate that the assessments and the verifications have been carried out.
8
F99
An approved body must have adequate liability insurance in respect of its activities.
10
The personnel of the F10approved body shall be bound to observe professional secrecy with regard to all information gained in carrying out its tasks under Annex V, except in relation to F11a competent authority, the UK national accreditation body or any other body to which the Secretary of State delegates or otherwise entrusts the monitoring of the approved body. Proprietary rights shall be protected.
11
F12An approved body shall participate in, or ensure that its assessment personnel is informed of, the relevant standardisation activities and the activities of the F13approved body coordination group established under this Regulation and shall apply as general guidance the administrative decisions and documents produced as a work result of that group.
Ch. 7 heading substituted (31.12.2020) by The Construction Products (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/465), reg. 1, Sch. 1 para. 38 (with Sch. 1 para. 70) (as amended by S.I. 2020/1359, reg. 1, Sch. 1 para. 17); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)