Construction Products Regulation
With the new Construction Products Regulation (CPR), the European Union wants to implement a form of international, standardised fire protection assessment. The aim is to better protect people in buildings from poisonous gases in an emergency and curb the fast spread of fire.
The CPR is equivalent to a law. It demands that cabling, regarded as a construction product, should be tested and labelled to indicate its fire behavior from July 1, 2017. Fixed products such as data and communication cables – both copper and FO – are particularly affected by the directive. Pre-assembled cabling links are also included if they are to remain in the building permanently due to their function.
R&M tailored the range to European and international standards at an early stage. This comprised extensive testing in test labs and, wherever necessary, the development of new cable types which were then included in the portfolio Since March 2017, R&M has been labelling installation cables with fire protection classification as defined in the CPR. From July 1, 2017, the pre-terminated cabling systems will also feature this labelling.
Safety First
Planners should note that safety requirements may vary. While the CPR does actually standardise the classification of construction products, local fire prevention authorities in the EU member states can freely choose classification for different areas of application. The table on the left shows R&M’s recommendations on how to sensibly use fire protection classification. Since March 2017 new R&M installation cables have been on the market which completely cover fire protection classes E, D, C and B2. R&M will monitor the market with reference to the requirements of fire protection classification and add further cables to the portfolio as necessary.
The CPR also demands what are referred to as performance declarations, which R&M provides on request. R&M data sheets provide planners, installers and customers with extensive information which can be referred to for the purposes of building safety.
Construction Products Regulation (CPR)