What OPSS Told Us
2nd June 2026 - By danelle
What OPSS Told Us And What It Means for the Fenestration Sector
Certass recently met directly with the Office for Product Safety and Standards, accompanied by Richard Bate of Buccaneer Solutions, who is working with us on the development of product information infrastructure for the fenestration sector. This is what we heard, what we think it means, and what we believe the sector needs to do in response.
The Context Matters
This meeting did not happen in a vacuum.
In March 2026, OPSS published its first ever Sector Regulatory Report on a construction product category, and it chose heat soaked thermally toughened glass as its subject. Every single heat soaked insulated glass unit assessed during OPSS inspections failed compliance checks. Only half of the companies inspected were able to produce a Declaration of Performance at the point of inspection, which is a legal requirement on every manufacturing business.
What OPSS uncovered was not necessarily evidence of unsafe products, but a widespread inability among some businesses to produce the documentation, labelling and conformity marking required by law. In too many cases, businesses could not readily demonstrate that their products met the relevant standards or that the appropriate evidence was available when requested.
That distinction matters. OPSS did not conclude that the products supplied were unfit for purpose. However, without the evidence needed to demonstrate compliance, customers, specifiers and regulators cannot be confident that products will perform as claimed. This is not simply a product issue; it is a compliance and governance issue, and one that the sector has the opportunity to address.
The fact that OPSS approached its findings in that spirit, distinguishing between product safety concerns and systems failures, and engaging constructively with industry on the path forward, is something Certass genuinely welcomes.
What OPSS Told Us
What struck us most from our discussions was the collaborative tone OPSS brought to the conversation. Their intent is not to create difficulty for businesses that are trying to do the right thing. It is to create a level playing field for all manufacturers by holding every business to the same legal standards, so that compliance becomes the norm rather than the exception.
That is an ambition the fenestration sector should get behind. Businesses that already invest in doing things properly deserve a market where that effort is recognised.
What has changed significantly is the scope of their attention. OPSS is no longer focused solely on fire doors or safety-critical products. Their remit now extends explicitly to everyday fenestration products installed across the built environment, including windows, doors, insulated glass units, curtain walling and other products falling under designated standards and the Construction Products Regulation.
If your products are covered by a designated standard, OPSS expects you to demonstrate compliance with it, with supporting documentation readily available on request.
OPSS has also expanded its construction product testing framework to include mechanical testing of structural performance and thermal efficiency, with the potential to extend further into acoustic and chemical testing.
The scope of regulatory scrutiny in this sector is widening, but the message from OPSS is clear:
Businesses that can evidence their compliance have nothing to fear and much to gain.
Critically, OPSS has real enforcement powers and has already used them where necessary. Nine Prohibition Notices were issued to six manufacturers following the heat soaked glass investigation.
But the intent behind those powers is to protect the majority of businesses that compete fairly, not to create unnecessary burden for a sector that is willing to engage.
What This Means For You
If you are a manufacturer, the immediate question is whether your Declarations of Performance are current, accurate and accessible.
Not filed away.
Not carrying an outdated signature.
Not referencing superseded standards.
If you cannot answer that with confidence, that is where to begin, and OPSS has indicated a willingness to support businesses that are making a genuine effort to get there.
If you are an installer or fabricator, OPSS has been explicit that customers who demand proper documentation from their suppliers are part of the solution.
Asking for a Declaration of Performance is not bureaucracy.
It is due diligence.
Increasingly it is something that building control bodies, specifiers and insurers will expect you to have done.
What Certass and Buccaneer Solutions Are Doing
Having Buccaneer Solutions in the room was deliberate.
Richard brings direct expertise in product information systems and compliance infrastructure, and his involvement reflects the kind of cross-sector collaboration this challenge demands.
Our work together extends beyond any single initiative.
The conversation with OPSS has reinforced that the fenestration sector needs better systems for capturing, storing and evidencing product performance information across a range of areas, and that is the broader opportunity we are developing together.
The Thermal Rating Register is one part of that picture, creating a traceable record of declared thermal performance that specifiers, installers and building control bodies can refer to with confidence.
But the direction this work is heading encompasses the wider product information requirements that the regulatory environment is now making necessary across the sector.
Looking Ahead
We came away from our meeting with OPSS encouraged.
There is a genuine willingness on their part to work with industry bodies, scheme operators and product information specialists to build the infrastructure that makes compliance achievable and verifiable.
Certass intends to be an active part of that effort.
We will be developing further guidance for members on what compliance readiness looks like in practice, and we will continue our engagement with OPSS as their programme across the fenestration sector develops.
The direction of travel is clear, and for once the regulator and the industry are pointing in the same direction.
The businesses that engage now will be better placed, commercially and reputationally, than those that wait to be found wanting.