A new survey of fire safety professionals has revealed extensive dissatisfaction with existing third-party certification schemes, with 60% of respondents reporting issues with their providers and 82% calling for far greater transparency.
The findings form the basis of a whitepaper published by United Kingdom Testing and Certification Ltd. (UKTC), setting out continued deficiencies in product assurance eight years after the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
The survey, carried out among fire safety event attendees in 2024, records concerns about “inconsistent positions”, “lack of transparency”, and “poor value for money service” among legacy certification schemes. Three quarters of respondents said they judge the credibility of certification bodies primarily on UKAS accreditation status and regulatory compliance.
Andrew Hutchison, Operations Director at UKTC and author of the whitepaper, said: “Despite the proliferation of third-party certification schemes, the sector still suffers from dangerous opacity. Field of Application reports, classification reports and test data are routinely withheld from the public, forcing specifiers and contractors to make critical safety decisions in the dark.”
In direct response to the issues highlighted, UKTC, acquired by the SOCOTEC Group earlier in 2025, has launched UKTC ensure. It is the first certification scheme built explicitly around the Golden Thread principles recommended by Dame Judith Hackitt’s Building a Safer Future report. The scheme is backed by UKAS accreditation under ISO 17065 and ensures that every performance claim is traceable and every certificate verifiable.
Key features include full publication of supporting documentation such as Field of Application and classification reports, real-time updates with version control, a secure digital vault providing a single source of truth, and clear product marking with QR code access to performance data. The scheme accepts both British and European test evidence, along with Extended Field of Application reports, creating a more accessible and transparent route to certification.
The whitepaper stresses the urgency of reform. As the Paul Morrell OBE and Anneliese Day KC report states: “It is for product manufacturers to develop products that do the job expected of them, and to market them honestly, making no false claims; it is for Conformity Assessment Bodies to test and assess those products against defined specifications, impartially and independently.”
Hutchison added: “The lessons of Grenfell and subsequent inquiries cannot be ignored. Too often, critical voices and concerns were missed or dismissed, which cannot continue. Real change is long overdue, and change starts with transparent certification.”
The scheme aligns with the digital, auditable approach set out in government guidance and British Standards, including BS 8644-1:2022. Matthew Marriott, CEO of SOCOTEC UK and Ireland, added: “The release of this whitepaper highlights several concerning shortcomings in the third-party certification market at present. There’s a clear requirement for radical change, and we look forward to seeing UKTC ensure have a real positive change on the sector.”
Further information and the full whitepaper are available at www.uktc-ensure.com.
