New UK guide challenges how the construction industry chooses its products

by ConstructionFeatured NewsSafety

Industry bodies collaborate on new construction product safety guide

The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has released a new publication providing advice on the safe use of construction products in the UK.

According to CIOB, the Guide to Products Critical to Safe Construction has been developed with support from the Construction Products Association (CPA), the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI), the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

The guide is aimed at designers, specifiers and installers and sets out how to determine whether a product is critical to safe construction.

CIOB stated that the guide includes examples and case studies that reference existing industry standards, including the Code for Construction Product Information.

The publication is available free of charge in electronic format.

Background from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry

CIOB explained that the Grenfell Tower Inquiry identified failings in the UK’s construction product regulatory regime.

It said that the Inquiry found that the system did not ensure that products used in buildings were safe when used alone or as part of a wider system.

The organisation noted that the Inquiry’s findings were followed by further reports, including Building a Safer Future: Final Report and the Independent Review of Product Testing and Certification (the Morrell-Day Review).

According to CIOB, these reports recommended stronger regulation of manufacturing, testing and product supply.

It added that the UK Government published the Construction Product Reform Green Paper in February 2025, setting out proposals for a system that ensures safe products are safely used.

CIOB statement on the new guide

Paul Nash, Chair of CIOB’s Quality Implementation Group, said: “The outcomes of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry exposed a construction product regulatory regime that was failing to ensure that the products used in buildings, whether separately or part of a system, were safe.”

“In February 2025, the government published a Construction Product Reform Green Paper that sets out its proposals to deliver a system that guarantees safe products, safely used.

“It is against this backdrop that the CIOB, together with other professional bodies, has developed this Guide to Products Critical to Safe Construction to ensure the buildings we create, and the products we use in those buildings, are safe for those who use them, now and in the future.”

Guidance content and intended use

According to CIOB, the guide is intended to help industry professionals make informed product selection decisions.

It said the publication contains examples and case studies showing best practice in the assessment and selection of construction products.

The organisation explained that the guidance can be applied to products that are safety-critical whether they are used individually or as part of a system.

It added that the material is relevant across multiple building types and project scales.

CIOB stated that the guidance has been authored by Lorna Hagan, Civil Engineer and Chartered Quality Practitioner for Construct Tuition, and Chris Miles, Lead Assessor for the Code for Construction Product Information.

Comments from collaborating organisations

Chief Executive for CCPI, Amanda Long, said: “Whilst the guide has been developed against the backdrop of an emerging regulatory regime for construction products, its purpose is to support industry to act now to help to ensure that buildings are safe for those who use them, now and in the future.”

Duncan Johnson, Deputy Director, Construction Products Regulation, Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), added: “I welcome the collaborative efforts behind this guide, which brings together expertise from across the built environment sector to support safe and compliant construction, underpinned by clarity and consistency in product information.

“This guide contributes to raising standards and improving safety across the construction industry.”

Availability and access

CIOB confirmed that the guide is only available electronically.

It said that the digital format ensures accessibility for a wide range of users.

The organisation added that the free availability of the guide is intended to support adoption across the construction sector.

It stated that the resource can be accessed via CIOB and partner organisation websites.

Relevance for fire and safety professionals

The guidance addresses the safety of construction products, which directly impacts the fire safety performance of buildings.

It sets out methods for identifying products that are critical to safety, including those used in fire protection systems.

The publication aligns with wider regulatory changes following the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, which included fire safety considerations in its recommendations.

Fire safety professionals may use the guide to support compliance assessments, specification processes and procurement decisions.

CIOB publishes UK guide to products critical to safe construction: Summary

The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has released the Guide to Products Critical to Safe Construction.

The guide was developed in collaboration with the Construction Products Association (CPA), the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI), the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

The publication aims to help designers, specifiers and installers identify safety-critical construction products.

It includes examples and case studies showing industry best practice.

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry identified failings in the UK’s construction product regulatory regime.

Further reports, including the Morrell-Day Review, recommended stronger regulation.

The UK Government published the Construction Product Reform Green Paper in February 2025.

Paul Nash of CIOB said the guide supports the creation of safe buildings.

Amanda Long of CCPI and Duncan Johnson of OPSS welcomed the guide.

The resource is free and available electronically.

Chartered Institute of Buildings unveils five-year plan

by ConstructionFeatured News

The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has launched a five-year plan focusing on quality and safety, environmental sustainability and closing the construction industry’s skills gap. 

The plan aims to make modern professionalism in construction management widely aspired to and increasingly a reality across the industry. Trustees and CIOB members from across the globe were involved in shaping the plan, which centres on the key issues facing the users and creators of the built environment. 

Caroline Gumble, CEO at CIOB, said: “To me this is much more than a simple document. It is the roadmap for the journey CIOB will take over the next five years and beyond, in leading the way to make positive change for the creators of our built environment. 

“It is my ambition that this plan drives delivery on what we all want from this important industry: high standards of quality and safety, improvements in sustainability, and closing the skills gap. As the home for built environment professionals, CIOB must support our members in making that possible. It was incredibly important to me that members had input as, in many ways, it is our members who will bring this document to life.” 

Environmental Sustainability 

The Institute recognised that the construction industry needs to operate in a way that ensures environmental impact is minimal and contributes to a sustainable future.

For that reason it will:  

  • Equip CIOB members (individual and company) with the knowledge and skills to manage and deliver the construction process in environmentally sustainable ways. 
  • Embed environmental sustainability into relevant learning programmes across schools, colleges and universities.  
  • Support industry and stakeholders in building the case for change through environmentally sustainable activities and metrics. 

Quality and Safety 

The Institute noted that good quality buildings and infrastructure promote health, safety and wellbeing, as well as delivering social, cultural, environmental and economic benefits and that the safety of the built environment should be fundamental.

For that reason it aims to:  

  • Bring about a culture change in the industry that ensures quality and building safety are at the heart of everything we do and never sacrificed for profit.  
  • Become the leading provider of education, training and standards in quality and building safety in the built environment, globally. 

Skills Gap 

Finally, CIOB said that the industry must increase productivity to match other mainstream sectors, ensuring the built environment is fit for changing societal needs and a growing population as most worldwide construction markets are reporting a skilled labour shortage.

As a result, the CIOB said it will:  

  • Contribute tangibly to reducing the industry skills shortage across priority skills by 2028.  
  • Help the industry bring in people, from a diverse range of backgrounds, who would not have joined without CIOB’s actions.  
  • Improve the perception and reality of working in the construction industry, by championing diversity, inclusion and worker welfare.  
  • Facilitate smooth, motivating routes within the industry to continually develop the skills of modern professional construction management. 

The full CIOB plan can be found online here

CIOB updates Code of Practice to reflect construction industry changes

by ConstructionFeatured NewsIndustry Sectors

The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has updated the Code of Practice for Project Management for the Built Environment to reflect changes in the practices and processes of construction and the increasing pressures of the industry.

 The guidance from the world’s largest and most influential professional body for construction management and leadership aims to equip construction and project managers with insight into a whole life-cycle approach, where assets can be delivered not only to meet the expected quality, cost and time targets, but where other broader, but equally important, notions of value can be incorporated.

The updated Code of Practice ” acknowledges the many challenges in the construction industry and sets the scene in the new version with a set of strategic drivers, such as sustainability, quality, competence and skills, the golden thread of information, and some guiding principles including health and safety, EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion), ethics, sustainability, whole-life perspective, project management as a strategic enabler, building information, and leadership.

The eight themes included in each chapter are designed to ensure they are embedded throughout all decision-making processes at every stage of the project. These are: quality, sustainability, value, productivity, leadership, collaboration, knowledge and risk.

Dr Gina Al-Talal FCIOB, CIOB’s Head of Technical and Standards Development, said: “I am pleased to see this publication undergoing a total revamp at a time when it’s needed more than ever, given the extraordinary pressures on the industry around the world. I have no doubt that this edition will prove an invaluable reference to built environment professionals at all levels. It was not an easy task and my gratitude goes to the construction professionals and academics who contributed so much time and effort into helping us deliver this updated resource.”