BEAL CODEMARK UPDATE - 21 February 2019

Dear Building Control Managers,

Further to the BC Update 245, MBIE wishes to inform BCAs and Accredited Organisations that on 21 February 2019, JAS-ANZ issued a notice of revocation of accreditation to BEAL Certification Services Ltd (BEAL/BCS).

BEAL/BCS is no longer a Product Certification Body (PCB) for CodeMark New Zealand. BEAL/BCS cannot, in any capacity:

• Accept applications from product manufacturers or suppliers seeking the CodeMark certification of a product
• Process any on-hand applications for the CodeMark certification of a product
• Manage any complaints about a CodeMark product certificate that it has issued, or a CodeMarked product
• Undertake the required surveillance audits of a CodeMark product certificate or CodeMarked product
• Revise, reissue or suspend any existing CodeMark product certificates.

All CodeMark product certificates that BEAL/BCS has issued remain valid and can be accepted as evidence of a product's New Zealand Building Code-compliance as long as they are on the MBIE product certificate register (and are not listed as "suspended"). The register can be accessed here.

The MBIE product certificate register is the only legally-recognised product certificate register. The JAS-ANZ and BEAL/BCS registers should not be relied upon.

If you have a query about the validity of any CodeMark product certificates that BEAL/BCS has issued, please contact products@mbie.govt.nz. MBIE is solely responsible for providing advice on the validity of the CodeMark product certificates that BEAL/BCS has issued. We have initiated a review of the CodeMark product certificates that BEAL/BCS has issued and until such time as a certificate is suspended or withdrawn, the Building Act 2004 provides that a BCA can rely on them.

MBIE has received queries regarding whether the revocation of the BCS' accreditation effects the validity of BEAL Appraisals. To clarify, BEAL/BCS may continue to issue product "appraisals".

It is however important to note that:

• Product appraisals have no legal status under the Building Act that require a Building Consent Authority to accept them
• Product appraisals are not registered on the MBIE product certification register (because they are not issued under the Act)

All BCAs should ensure they are satisfied on reasonable grounds that the provisions of the Building Code would be met if a consent application relies on a BEAL appraisal.

Any complaints or queries about a CodeMark product certificate that BEAL/BCS has issued, or a BEAL/BCS CodeMarked product should be sent to products@mbie.govt.nz.

21 February 2019