In early 2018, the Building Ministers’ Forum (BMF) asked the nation’s peak non-government standards development organisation, Standards Australia, to develop a permanent labelling system of Aluminium Composite Panel (ACP) products.
Since then Standards Australia has worked with a range of technical experts to develop industry-backed guidance enabling to support the identification of these products throughout their life-cycle.
Published last week, the technical specification (SA TS 5344:2019, Permanent labelling for Aluminium Composite Panel (ACP) products) provides minimum requirements for the marking of ACPs to enable their identification throughout the life of the product.
Adam Stingemore, Standards Australia General Manager – Strategy and Engagement detailed that the fires at Lacrosse and Grenfell led to this publication, and it is a step towards addressing the challenge for the building sector.
“There are no doubt challenges for the building industry in regards to the use of this type of product, and the community rightly expects a comprehensive solution,” he said.
“We are pleased to have been able to respond to the BMF in helping to address this challenge.”
The group responsible for the publication covers the entire ACP product supply chain including manufacturers, suppliers, designers, installers, testing bodies, certification bodies, regulators and building surveyors.
Mr Stingemore maintained that the intent of the project was to improve the ability of consumers and building practitioners to identify ACP-type products, and as a result, to reduce the possibility of product substitution that can result in the wrong product being supplied and installed.
“Publication of this document is evidence that the experts and representatives involved believe this intention has been met, and community concerns have been heard and addressed,” he concluded.