In 2013, the UK Government adopted new European legislation that brought about key changes in bathroom regulations. The Construction Products Regulation (CPR) made it mandatory for companies to carry the new CE mark on relevant bathroom products.

The CE mark guarantees that the product has been assessed and that it is “fit for purpose” and demonstrates “European conformity to a harmonised standard”. It doesn’t guarantee that the product is of a high quality. 

The CPR requires that manufacturers and importers are responsible for CE marking and that their products have a type, batch or serial number and technical documentation.

A manufacturer is breaking the law if it doesn’t comply with the legal requirements of the CE mark criterion. However, did you know that if you, knowingly or otherwise, install illegal products in a bathroom, you’re also breaking the law?

Are you checking that the products you specify are legal and comply with the law?

If you’re uncertain about the legitimacy of any bathroom product, just ensure that the CE mark is present on the product packaging or on any supporting literature. If not, question your supplier.

All products should also be supplied with a Declaration of Performance (DoP) detailing the actual performance characteristics of the product that have been verified. If the DoP isn’t supplied directly with the product, then a web reference on the CE label must be stated and be available on the manufacturer’s website.

Bathroom products that fall into the CE mark category are:

• Baths for domestic use, including whirlpool baths
• Shower enclosures
• Bidets
• Urinals
• WC’s
• Shower trays
• Washbasins

It can be tempting to consider a ‘cheap’ service proposition for a bathroom design and build, but reducing costs by compromising on a product that doesn’t meet the CE mark of assurance can put your clients at risk. Make sure you play an active role in bathroom safety by ensuring you only commission CE marked products within your design and that you only purchase CE marked products for the build.