THIRD-PARTY QUALITY ASSURANCE BUILDS CONFIDENCE IN TREATED WOOD
Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door’ is the famous metaphor equating quality with success.
“But customers will only beat a path to your door if they are convinced a better product exists,” says Wood Protection Association (WPA) Quality Scheme Administrator Neil Ryan, who likens the “better mousetrap” metaphor to UK demand for preservative-treated wood produced under the WPA Benchmark third-party quality scheme.
“WPA Benchmark accredited wood is a quality-assured product, verified as compliant with industry standards and fit for purpose,” says Neil, who contrasts this with the non-standard, variably treated wood with undefined performance that still dominates the UK supply chain and market sectors like fencing, landscaping, and construction. “Take posts as an example: Buyers really can’t expect wood posts of vague treatment provenance to deliver the same in-service performance as third-party quality-verified posts—but they do. Informing these buyers where to source quality-verified products is now a key priority for the WPA.”
Basic Principles of Quality
The British Standard Code of Practice for the treatment of wood, BS 8417, sets the minimum levels of preservative penetration and loading to protect wood against the risk of failure in specific end-use applications known as Use Classes. Three Use Classes (UC) cover most applications—UC2 relates to internal construction timber, UC3 is for wood used externally, out of ground contact like deck boards and fence rails, and UC4 relates to components in direct contact with the ground and fresh water, such as fence posts and decking joists. The basic principle is that wood impregnated with the correct amount of preservative for its end-use will provide 15-, 30-, or 60-year service life as specified in the WPA Code of Practice: Industrial Wood Preservation and BS 8417.
Quality refers to how well a product satisfies customer expectations, complies with industry standards, and serves its purpose effectively within a given timescale. “The quality assurance of preservative-treated wood is only credible when it’s carried out under an independent, third-party industry scheme,” says Neil, who adds that businesses will often point to their ISO 9001 certification as evidence they are treating wood correctly. “This is not necessarily the case,” says Neil. “ISO 9001 confirms there is a quality management system in place aimed at producing treated wood consistently. It does not measure or specify the fitness for purpose of a treatment process or product—the WPA Benchmark does that.”
Third-Party Quality Schemes Work
The WPA is often asked: Do third-party QA schemes work? There is clear evidence that they do, is the answer! “Schemes have operated successfully for many years in Scandinavia, other parts of Europe, and North America and are widely acknowledged as a key factor in sustaining buyer trust and demand for treated wood in those markets,” says Neil, who contrasts the success in these markets with the UK, where producers of treated wood have historically put their faith in automated treatment plant processes and preservative supplier reassurance about the quality they are achieving.
For some UK producers, in-house checks of treatment quality are still considered to be sufficient, but in the marketplace, an erosion of trust in the quality of treated wood started some time ago. Performance complaints characterized the years following the replacement of CCA formulations with copper organic preservatives in the mid-2000s to comply with EU regulations. Regardless of the hard work by many WPA Members to change negative perceptions, concerns about the ability of treated wood to perform continue to impact demand today. In the fencing and landscaping sectors, for example, treated wood remains the subject of heated debate, adverse opinion, and low trust.
“For the manufacturers of man-made alternatives to wood—metal, concrete, and composites—this is manna from heaven,” adds Neil, who is emphatic that there is no quick-fix to rebuilding trust, saying: “When the reputation of any material has been called into question, it’s a long haul to change perceptions; the first step in rebuilding confidence is to acknowledge the issue and identify solutions.”
The Foundation for Growth
A key part of the rebuilding process started in 2017 when WPA and Timber Development UK (TDUK), the leading timber supply chain trade body, joined forces to identify opportunities to grow demand for treated wood. Market research established several priority actions essential to create the foundations for growth, such as:
•Improving buyer knowledge about how to specify and use treated wood correctly.
•Improving the way suppliers market treated wood to clearly identify the application Use Class of products and prevent misuse.
•Building confidence in the performance of treated wood through independent, third-party verification of treatment processes and individual treated wood products.
“This growth plan is a major commitment and investment for both WPA and TDUK members and, despite some skepticism about the move to third-party quality audits, most wood treaters in both organizations are now WPA Benchmark QAS accredited,” says Neil, who confirms that this means WPA and TDUK can now prioritize the promotion of Benchmark accredited wood treaters and communicate more robustly the benefits of selling, buying, and using third-party quality verified and fit-for-purpose treated wood.
The UK timber supply chain is moving inexorably to third-party verification of treated wood: “The benefits for wood treaters and the treated wood supply chain are enormous. Our industry recognizes the importance of regaining trust in the performance of treated wood, and third-party verification is the fastest way to achieve this,” says Neil.
Want to know how to become WPA Benchmark accredited? Contact Neil at Neil@thewpa.org.uk.
