New guidance seeks to ‘de-risk’ offsite manufacturing

The Construction Innovation Hub (CIH) will today launch a new quality assurance framework setting out best practices for manufacturing platform systems and offsite products.

The Construction Product Quality Planning (CPQP) framework aims to improve quality and safety standards by setting out a five-phase process from product definition to product launch.

Studies have shown that modular construction methods could cut carbon emissions by as much as 45%, but firms using the approach have struggled financially, with a number of modular firms sinking this year.

The Hub claims the framework provides more effective change control measures, helping mitigate risk, as well as ensuring accurate product data is managed and maintained throughout as per the golden thread recommendations.

The framework will be launched today at an event with Dame Judith Hackitt, who helped enshrine the golden thread in regulation.

Speaking ahead of the launch Hackitt said: “I am delighted to see this very positive response to the new regulatory requirements for quality assurance.

“Learning good practice from manufacturing sectors is a smart way to accelerate the pace of change in construction.”

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The framework will ensure that products are manufactured in line with BSI 99001 and the Building Safety Act, with a live control document providing a digital audit trail that forms the basis of a building safety case.

A set of guideline documents will be made available as part of the launch, including the CPQP Guide, the Construction Product Approval Process (CPAP) Handbook and nine supporting guidelines which help users complete crucial aspects of the quality assurance process.

Keith Waller, programme director at the CIH, said the framework provided tools that would “enable the accelerated adoption of platform approaches” by ensuring quality and consistency.