You can’t put a price on safety

Over the years, increased Health and Safety laws and ever more stringent Building Regulations have been the cause of frustration and even, on occasions, mockery. But those laws are there for very good reason; official requirements and necessary figures aren’t just plucked out of thin air.

Painstaking research and thorough testing should be undertaken on any product that is going to market, on each new design and variation, to assess that it’s fit for purpose – and, most importantly, safe.

Our industry is no exception to the rigours of certification and accreditation, providing official evidence of quality and security to give peace of mind to everyone in the supply chain.

But it’s one thing passing the requirements to earn an accreditation – it’s quite another to continue to maintain those high standards.

We’re all in business to make money, that’s the nature of the beast, but we have a responsibility to conduct that business in a fair and proper manner, without cutting corners or misleading people.

We’ve all seen the tragic consequences that can occur when profit is prioritised over people’s safety, where products unfit for purpose have been installed. For example, as recently as last week, it was found that the fire doors fitted at Grenfell Towers failed when tested, burning through in 15 minutes, rather than the 30 minutes specified by UK Building Regulations.
As the majority of the products we design and test are made for the construction industry, we have a duty of care to make sure everything is manufactured and supplied exactly as specified, so they are safe for the end user.

That’s why we’re making a noise across the industry right now, calling for standards to be raised in all areas. We want to help all of our customers be fully compliant with building regulations and accreditations and ensure that all the thermal simulations they use are correct.

Why would anyone risk taking on a liability by not sticking to the manufacturer’s recommended methods and materials?
Cutting corners to save a few coppers? We pride ourselves on offering technical support to cover all of our products; why not take advantage of this service and sleep at night?

I fully understand the pressures of keeping a careful eye on those profit margins, but I’m sure that nobody wants a potential tragedy on their conscience.

We hope you support us in doing everything we possibly can to raise standards within our industry and ensure that the Liniar brand remains protected and credible.

Roger Hartshorn

Group CEO