A Framework for Product Recall in the Construction Industry

The independent review into the UK Building Regulations and fire safety following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017 highlighted significant failings in traceability of construction products used in the UK, noting that the construction industry is “significantly lagging behind many other sectors” in this respect. One of the key drivers behind the need for traceability is to support product recall, such as might be required in the event of the discovery of issues in product manufacturing, testing or as a result of inappropriate product specification or substitution. This study investigates the need and benefits for a robust product recall system for the construction industry, develops a set of requirements for such a system, and proposes a framework for its implementation. The current state of the art for construction product recall is examined and compared to industries such as automotive and food where effective recall systems have been in place for a number of years. The particular requirements for traceability of products in the construction sector are defined and discussed. The framework for a construction product recall system was developed through a series of collaborative workshops with experts from industry and academia. This paper describes the framework and discusses the challenges facing its implementation. In particular, the paper discusses and compares in detail two approaches for product recall alerting; push and pull mechanisms. The paper concludes with the identification of areas for further investigation.