Did you know?
Construction products must meet strict safety and performance standards. In the UK, OPSS ensures that performance requirements are met for construction products under its remit, promoting better buildings and stronger protections for people and communities.
What is OPSS?
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is the UK’s national product regulator. Its primary role is to protect consumers and businesses from product-related harm, ensuring that products, including construction products, are safe and reliable. OPSS was established in January 2018, partly in response to the Product Recalls and Safety Working Group Report, and also as part of new measures brought in under the Building Safety Act, which:
- Strengthens oversight of construction products
- Gives OPSS more power to remove unsafe productsfrom the market.
- Introduces stricter penalties for non-compliance.
OPSS is part of the Department for Business and Trade. It works alongside Trading Standards, businesses, and other regulators to enforce safety laws, ensuring that consumers and companies can buy and sell products with confidence.
More information about how OPSS regulates construction products is available on the National Regulation: Construction Products page.
Key responsibilities of OPSS include:
- Enforcing product regulations and ensuring construction materials meet performance standards under applicable legislation.
- Monitoring recallsof unsafe products.
- Providing guidanceto businesses and consumers on compliance.
- Investigating unsafe productsand taking enforcement action when needed.
OPSS regulates the Construction Products Regulations 2013, amended in 2022 to strengthen enforcement powers.
Construction Products Regulations 2013 – Legislation.gov.uk website
Construction Products (Amendment) Regulations 2022 – Legislation.gov.uk website
This legislation:
- Requires manufacturers to ensure their products are safe, fit for purpose, and properly labelled.
- Requires that products must have a Declaration of Performance (DoP)and carry CE, UKCA or UKNI markings in line with Designated Standards (DS) where applicable.
- Provides guidance on Technical Assessments and Verification of Performance
Certain construction materials, like cladding and insulation, must meet minimum fire safety standards under the Fire Safety Regulations. OPSS works with the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) – part of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – to enforce these rules
Manufacturers and importers must ensure their products comply with UK safety regulations by
- minimising the risks associated with the product.
- Maintaining technical documentation and records.
- Placing correct and appropriate labelling on the product.
- Providing instructions on how to use them safely.
Under the Consumer Protection Act, manufacturers can be held liable if an unsafe product causes injury, death, or property damage.
OPSS have a range of tools and powers available to it to ensure that non-compliant products can be removed from the UK market and to hold businesses to their responsibilities. These include:
- Investigation of national, complex, or high-risk cases of alleged non-compliance.
- Risk-based, proportionate approach enforcement from providing guidance, agreeing corrective actions, to serving enforcement notices and imposing sanctions, or prosecutions.
OPSS doesn’t just enforce regulations—it also supports businesses in understanding and complying with regulations. It also conducts scientific research to improve product safety policies.
It carries out proactive interventions, such as product testing, site inspections, and technical documentation reviews, while also considering allegations of non-compliance from a range of sources, including end-users, businesses, other government departments, and local authorities.
OPSS publishes safety alerts and enforcement summaries to keep the public informed.
What to do if you have Safety Concerns?
- Check for compliance marks (UKCA/CE)
- Verify product documentation (e.g. DoP, installation instructions, etc.)
- Consult the manufacturer or a construction professional.
If you suspect a construction product is unsafe:
- Stop using it
- Report it to OPSS or Trading Standards
Contact OPSS via phone on 0121 345 1201 or email OPSS.enquiries@businessandtrade.gov.uk.
Additional Resources
- OPSS Official Website https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/office-for-product-safety-and-standards
- List of Designated standards (DS) of construction products https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/designated-standards-construction-products
- NHIC Doorstep Digest: The Building Safety Act
https://nhic.org.uk/doorstep-digests/guide-to-the-building-safety-act-2022/
The NHIC would like to thank the WG2 Consumer Voice members for their contributions to this guide.
Please note that this guidance document, produced by the NHIC, was correct when published. However, information and regulations may have changed since the publication of this document. Therefore, it is always advisable to seek the most up-to-date information and expert advice before making any decisions related to insulating your home.
Copyright National Home Improvement Council 2025.
