Building Product Information: Good Practice

About this course.

Reliable building product information matters because the safety, compliance and durability of a building all depend on products actually performing as claimed — and the information is the only way, short of failure, to know whether they will. When information is accurate, complete and verifiable, designers can specify correctly, builders can install correctly, and certifiers can be satisfied that the building meets its requirements. When information is wrong, exaggerated or missing, products end up used outside their capability, and the consequences show up as safety risks, compliance breaches, disputes and early deterioration — often years later and at great cost. Good product information is, in short, the evidence base for trusting the building.

Take safety first. Many building products perform a safety-critical function: fire-resistant and fire-safe materials, cladding systems, structural components, waterproofing, balustrades, glazing, electrical and plumbing products, and slip-resistant surfaces all protect life and health. If a product is selected on the basis of a claim it cannot actually meet — that it resists fire to a certain level, that it carries a certain load, that it is suitable for external use — the safety function it was chosen for may simply not be there when it is needed. High-profile failures in Australia and elsewhere have shown how products used outside their genuine capability, or misrepresented by their information, can contribute to serious harm. Reliable information is the first line of defence: it lets the person choosing the product confirm that its real, evidenced performance matches the safety role it is being asked to play.