British manufacturer is first to achieve UKCA certification for gas appliances from BSI
Falcon Foodservice Equipment is the first British foodservice equipment manufacturer to achieve UKCA certification with BSI (British Standards Institution) for its gas appliances. The UKCA certification, which replaces CE marking in Great Britain post-Brexit, requires manufacturers to put their products through rigorous safety testing and production surveillance processes, overseen by an independent expert or “Approved Body”, a role carried out by BSI in this case.
The UKCA mark came into force on January 1 2021, and will be a legal requirement for most products sold in Great Britain as of January 1 2022. Falcon has previously obtained gas appliance approvals from BSI and so already has a good working partnership with the business improvement company.
The certification confirms that all Falcon gas products are fully compliant with the latest UK legislation and safety standards.
Graham McKay, Head of Gas and Electrical Products at BSI, says, “At BSI we are committed to helping organisations demonstrate their resilience in the face of the UK’s new regulatory landscape. Achieving the UKCA mark provides Falcon’s customers with assurance that their gas products have been rigorously tested and verified according to UK legislation.
“We are pleased to have worked alongside Falcon and to have helped them demonstrate best practice by being the first foodservice equipment manufacturer to achieve the UKCA mark.”
Whilst manufacturers are encouraged to gain UKCA certification as soon as possible, the CE Mark continues to be valid in Great Britain until January 2022. So why did Falcon move so quickly? “This is about supporting our customers,” says Peter McAllister, managing director of Falcon. “Equipment may be ordered months in advance of it actually being installed and commissioned. Dealers may hold stock for some time. What we don’t want is a situation where older stock is not compliant because it doesn’t carry the correct certification. Because we’ve sorted it now, our dealers and end users won’t have to worry.”
Following separate in-house testing, Falcon’s electrical appliances are also UKCA accredited.