Nexans Preparing for Incoming Construction Products Regulation

The Construction Product Regulations (CPR) regarding fire reaction will come into force for cables on 1 December 2015. Nexans is fully prepared for the implementation of the standard, EN50575:2014, and will support specifiers, installers and wholesalers with compliance over the one year transition period.

Standard EN 50575:2014, Power, control and communication cables – cables for general applications in construction works subject to reaction to fire requirements, published today in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU), is the umbrella standard for cables. It details the fire requirements for cables used in construction works, allowing a Declaration of Performance (DoP) to be made so the CE mark can be fixed to cables.

The related standards and test methods were also published:

- EN 13501-6: Classification using data from reaction to fire tests on electric cables
- CLC/TS 50576: Electric cables – extended application of test results
- Test methods EN 50399, EN 60332-1-2, EN 61034-2 and EN ISO 1716

Publication of the standard EN 50575:2014 will allow local legislative bodies to define the performance classes required for cables in different situations. Product certification bodies and testing laboratories can also begin certification. From 1 December 2015, product certification bodies can issue certificates for the cables allowing Nexans to ship CE marked cables which are classified according to the CPR and their DoP.

Nexans is preparing guidance documents and technical training to help specifiers, installers and wholesalers comply with the new regulations as soon as they come into force. During the year long transition period, both CPR and existing regulations will co-exist. After this period, DoPs according to the new regulations will be mandatory.

Dario Giordani, European Product Manager Fire Safety at Nexans said, “Nexans has been actively keeping up to date with the Construction Product Regulations to ensure our products will be compliant with the regulations and to help specifiers, installers and wholesalers keep up to date. Having spoken to stakeholders about CPR during Nexans conference in Brussels, A clear view of fire safety cables, in 2014, we addressed their concerns and are confident that we are able to help them through the regulation transition period.”