Since the National Panel Products Division’s Code of Practice was introduced in 2003 marine plywood supplied by Timber Trade Federation (TTF) members has had to meet the production requirements of BS 1088, while independent quality assurance schemes were highlighted as useful but not compulsory. Now that has changed.

From June 1 this year all marine plywood traded by TTF members must carry third-party QA and any existing stock without third-party assurance had to be downgraded. “The issue centered on what could be proved to meet the requirements of marine plywood standard BS 1088. Some product imported under that name wasn’t meeting the requirement; it was failing in application and delaminating very quickly,” said TTF managing director David Hopkins.

This threatened not just plywood’s image, but the reputation of the timber industry as a whole.

There was also a worry that a two-tier market would develop for TTF members, separating those that adhered to the spirit and letter of the standard, and those that didn’t.

Now, more than three months on, the TTF is pleased with the result.

“On the whole, most people are not having a problem. There are still complaints that some people are selling marine without third-party QA but I think it’s product flushing through the system,” said Mr Hopkins.

Of course traders that aren’t TTF members will still be able to supply marine ply without independent verification.

“We can’t just clamp down on our members and expect that to solve the problem because they’ll be undercut by others in the market, so we’ve developed very good relations with the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) and they’re keen to be involved,” said Mr Hopkins.

The new marine plywood guidance is the first step in a wider initiative to ensure the quality and correct use of all panel products.

“We’ve launched a panel products review which has an independent chair to look at all these quality control issues, across all panel product classes, to look at what we’re selling, what we’re selling it for and how to communicate more easily with merchants, builders and buyers,” said Mr Hopkins.

Charlie Law, former head of environmental management at BAM Construct UK, has been appointed as the chair of the review panel.

The TTF is also developing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Chinese Wood Products Association to help improve production quality.

The new requirement has squeezed supply slightly but the TTF expects this to ease as more mills implement third-party QA.

The latest TTF statistics show that Indonesia increased its share of the UK market and Mr Hopkins believes this is down to mills having accreditation processes.

“Word’s got around and everybody’s buying from Indonesia,” he said.

Third-party QA was also paying off for mills in Paraguay.

Although Brazil does not produce marine ply its plywood does carry other accreditations, such as BBA, and it too has grabbed market share in the UK, reflecting the market’s appetite for product assurances. Mr Hopkins would like eventually to develop a TTF system so plywood can carry something like “This is TTF assured”.

The TTF is starting with plywood but, depending on the outcome of the independent review, the requirement for third-party accreditation could be extended to other panel products.

“A lot of European and UK panel products producers already have certification and third-party QA on all their processes, feedstocks, input and outputs so they are at a disadvantage if other people don’t have to do that,” said Mr Hopkins.

“Our stance on marine plywood is a good example of ‘we mean what we say’ and we can apply the same principles and logic to the wider market.”

Physical testing of the species and glue bond is also a possibility.

The third-party QA requirement for marine ply has been welcomed by traders.

“It should help with customer confidence in the product,” said Robbins Timber managing director Richard Bagnall.

“There’s some Far Eastern and Chinese marine ply that doesn’t meet the spec. It gives the industry a bad name.”

He hoped the new rule would bring everyone up to a higher standard.