Construction Products Reform White Paper – What It Means for the Industry
The UK Government has published the Construction Products Reform White Paper (2026) in response to the findings of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
This is not minor regulatory adjustment. It is structural reform of how construction products are assessed, placed on the market and regulated.
The direction of travel is clear: performance claims must be evidenced, traceable and proportionate to the product’s intended use.
All Construction Products Will Be Regulated
The White Paper confirms that all products will be subject to regulatory requirements through one of two routes.
Those routes are:
Products covered by designated standards
All other products subject to a new General Safety Requirement (GSR)
This is not limited to high-rise buildings. It applies market-wide.
The GSR will require manufacturers to assess and document safety risks associated with intended use, applying a proportionate, risk-based approach.
Importers and distributors will also have defined legal obligations within the supply chain.
Implementation Timeline
The White Paper consultation runs until 20 May 2026.
The General Safety Requirement will be introduced through secondary legislation, with implementation targeted for late 2027, following a transition period.
This means:
• Reform is confirmed in policy direction
• Legislation will follow
• Enforcement will be phased
• Market behaviour will likely shift before full implementation
Transparency and Accountability
The White Paper emphasises:
• Clear and accessible product labelling
• Greater transparency of test evidence
• Powers for the regulator to mandate disclosure of information
• Defined accountability across the supply chain
• Responsibility on designers and contractors to select products appropriate to intended use
This represents a move away from ambiguous marketing and toward documented performance.
Reaction to Fire and Fire Resistance – Why the Distinction Matters
The reforms reinforce the importance of clarity in performance claims.
Reaction to Fire measures how a material contributes to fire growth and is classified under EN 13501-1. A1 represents non-combustible performance.
Fire Resistance measures how long a complete construction element maintains integrity and insulation when exposed to fire, typically tested under standards such as BS 476 Part 22 or EN 1364-1.
These are not interchangeable.
A product’s classification must relate clearly to the relevant test method and intended application. The White Paper’s emphasis on transparent evidence supports this distinction.
This Is Not Just a High-Rise Issue
While high-rise residential buildings have received significant regulatory focus since Grenfell, the proposed General Safety Requirement applies across the entire built environment.
This includes:
• Residential housing (all heights)
• Commercial developments
• Healthcare
• Education
• Hospitality
• Modular and off-site construction
• Refurbishment and retrofit
• Public sector and infrastructure
The reform is sector-wide.
Where Ramco Sits Within This Reform Environment
Ramco’s approach is system-led and evidence-based.
Ramco Hilux – Calcium Silicate Boards
Hilux is classified A1 under EN 13501-1, meaning it is non-combustible.
It has been tested within assemblies achieving fire resistance ratings up to 240 minutes under recognised fire test standards.
Importantly, those ratings apply to tested systems, not to the board in isolation.
Ramco Hicem – Fibre Cement Boards
Hicem fibre cement boards provide durable sheathing and carrier solutions for façade and render applications.
Performance data includes:
• Fire propagation testing under BS 476 Part 6
• Surface spread of flame under BS 476 Part 7
• Independently verified thermal conductivity
These data sets support compliance-led specification.
Integrated Mineral Systems
We work closely with partners including Terrix brick slip and mineral render systems, and Protherm Light cementitious spray fire protection for structural steel.
By combining:
• A1 or mineral-based board substrates
• Mineral render and façade finishes
• Independently tested fire protection solutions
We develop complete assemblies designed to meet documented performance requirements.
The White Paper reinforces the importance of this system-based approach.
Liability and Foreseeable Conditions of Use
One of the more significant elements of the proposed General Safety Requirement is the concept of foreseeable conditions of use.
This means manufacturers and specifiers must consider how a product is realistically likely to be used in practice, not only how it performs under controlled laboratory conditions.
Performance evidence must align clearly with intended application. If a product is used outside its tested or assessed scope, liability exposure increases.
This is closely linked to the Golden Thread principle, where product data, performance claims and specification decisions must remain traceable and consistent throughout the lifecycle of the building.
In practical terms, this raises the evidential bar. It moves responsibility upstream and reduces the space for ambiguity in product positioning.
The Direction of Travel
The reform does not ban materials.
It raises the standard of evidence.
Manufacturers must demonstrate:
• Appropriate assessment
• Transparent documentation
• Clear intended use
• Proportionate safety analysis
For specifiers, developers and contractors, compliance confidence will increasingly be a commercial differentiator.
Our position remains straightforward:
We do not conflate classification with resistance.
We do not promote ratings outside tested scope.
We prioritise documented, mineral-based systems.
The reform signals a shift toward technical integrity and accountability across the sector.
That is where we operate.