With the increased focus on sustainable developement, it has made clear commitments to lead the construction industry in improving standards and performance in the built environment. As a result, those involved in designing , supplying and building for the public sector are under greater scrutiny to find ways in which to prove that their buildings are constructed with sustainability in mind.
Public sector buildings such as schools, hospitals, leisure centers and law courts are now individually certified by BREEAM- the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method, , which is the most widely used environmental assessment methods for building. BREEAM sets the standard for best practice in sustainable and enable developers and designers to demonstrate and prove the environmental credentials of the buildings to planners and clients.
One element of the environmental assessment is the responsible sourcing of products used in their construction and the onus of proof is incrasingly being passed down to the manufacturers of those construction products. Responsibly sourcing materials provides a holistic approach to managing a product from the point at which material is sourced in its raw state through manufacture and processing , use, reuse and recycling until its final disposal as waste.
To enable construction product manufacturers to ensure and then prove that their have been made with constituent materials that has been responsibly sourced, BRE Global has published BES 601. The standard provides framework for the independent assessment and certification of construction products. To obtain certification of their products organization must demostrate that they satisfy compulsory elements including:
- They have responsible sourcing policy
- They have identified applicable legal requirements and understand how they apply.
- They have a quality management system in place that meets the principles of ISO 9001.
- They have a management system for the purchasing process and approval of suppliers.
- They can trace at least 60% of the constituent materials through supply chain.
- Materials are traceable to supply chain organizations with a documented environmental management system that follows the principles of ISO 14001
- Materials are traceable to supply chain organizations with a documented health and safety management system that follows the principles of OHSAS 18001
- They establish a policy and metrics for green house gas emissions, resource use, waste management , life cycle analysis, transport impacts, employment and skills and consultation with local communities.
Products are rated as pass, good, very good or excellent depending on the number of optional points achieved. Higher levels of compliance are available that can result in a higher performance rating being awarded.
Organization have the option to undertake third-party assessment t and certification that will assess whether the BES 6001 framework is implemented, evaluated and verified. Following a successful assessment, a certificate of registration will be awarded that demonstrates which products have been assessed and what level they have been awarded. Certificates are valid for 12 months and approved products are listed on BRE's Green Book Live website at www.greenbooklive.com. This free online database has been designed to help specifiers and end-users identify products and services that can help to reduce their impact on the environment.
The standard has been introduced to help the industry demonstrate the resposible sourcing of construction products and its responsibility to sustainable development. Third party assessment and certification is one option available to organizations to provide independent assurance that organizations and products do meet the requirements for responsible sourcing, thereby giving the specifiers confidence in the suppliers being used and the contributions they can make to the BREEAM rating for the building and sustainable development philosophy.
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