Global Fastener News

Manufacturers of structural timber fasteners manufacturers are being encouraged by testing, inspection and certification firm Warringtonfire to start product testing now due to a shortage of approved testing facilities in the UK, Fastener + Fixing Magazine reports.

Manufacturers who opt to wait risk finding themselves with nowhere to test their products, Warringtonfire warned.

UKCA accreditation requires completing the testing process at a UK-based laboratory if a company wants to sell in the UK.

“UKCA Marking is very important for the construction industry, as it symbolizes that the product being used conforms to the relevant standard,” stated Ben Sharples, commercial lead at BM TRADA.

He stressed that only a few UKAS accredited bodies in the UK are able to test fasteners and fixings to UKCA certification.

Any products on the UK market after June 2025 must have completed testing, including products undergoing a change in their specification, such as fasteners and fixings that have changed design or coatings, which will need to be re-tested, according to Fastener + Fixing.

Warringtonfire operates a fastener testing laboratory in High Wycombe, UK, which includes a universal testing machine for compression and tensile testing, a series of bespoke testing rigs, and conditioning rooms for structural timber samples. The lab offers geometric and mechanical testing procedures for structural timber fixings, such as nails, screws, staples, dowels and bolts.

Sharples urged manufacturers should get in touch with an accredited testing facility as soon as possible “to ensure a smooth transition and prevent any disappointment down the line.”