JUTA UK launches GP® Licensed Gas Membrane Installer Scheme
A ground-breaking initiative that certifies installers of gas membranes has been launched by JUTA UK and the British Board of Agrément working closely with specialist installer DMI and other industry partners.
The new Gas Membrane Approved Installer Scheme is the culmination of three years’ work and is the first of its kind in the UK, delivering supply chain reassurance of high-quality products installed by competent, certified professionals to ensure safe outcomes.
It is ‘absolutely right that competent and trained professionals should install these critical barrier applications, which play a key role in the built environment and are designed to last for the lifetime of structures into which they are installed. We talk as an industry about sustainable and resilient solutions for the built environment, and that means using the best possible products, independently certified, installed to the highest possible standards, designed to last for the lifetime of the structure.
The first approved installer scheme of its kind
This is the first approved installer scheme of its kind in our sector, bringing together manufacturer/suppliers of BBA-certified products with specialist installers with a license and audit system, giving access to insurance-backed guarantees in partnership with Qualitymark protection.
Government is calling on the construction industry to level up and clearly demonstrate competency. While many will spend time talking about such issues, we have decided to act by bringing to market, through the BBA, a scheme that is transparent and fully demonstrates product and installation competencies in the supply chain. Not only for JUTA UK’s preferred installation partners, but for anyone installing certified gas membranes willing to demonstrate competency.
Both JUTA UK and the BBA are leaders in their fields; JUTA UK is a highly respected global manufacturer of sustainable geosynthetic materials for gas protection, waterproofing, containment engineering, roofing membranes and technical textiles and the BBA is a world-class expert in certificating construction products/systems and providing product testing services/approved installer schemes.
Providing peace-of-mind with quality products and certified installation methods
The scheme, has been designed to benchmark quality levels of installation workmanship, providing peace-of-mind to industry of the high standard of product quality and certified installation methods. Professionals applying for the BBA Gas Membrane Approved Installer Scheme commit to rigorous independent auditing and inspection.
Developed with support from industry professionals
Key to the scheme’s successful development was utilising the experience of industry professionals. As a key contributor, Gordon Cave from DMI Ltd helped develop the quality benchmarks for installation company competency, and the expectations around key installer staff competency. Gordon has been in industry for nearly 50 years, starting work as a bricklayer, he has worked as a site foreman on Housing, Commercial, Education, Industrial and Mining projects including shaft sinking and tunnelling, and has worked across the globe at all levels of the supply chain from procurement to installation. His passion for protective measures for ground gas comes from an early career incident when he was caught up in an underground fire from the ignition of methane gas.
Gordon has been instrumental in improving installation quality of the gas membrane and contaminated land sector over the years, and has worked with CITB, Cskills, all the manufacturers of gas membranes and other installation companies to develop the NVQ2 gas membrane installer scheme, which is readily accepted across industry. Gordon was one of the first assessors of the scheme and developed further upskilling courses for CITB and CSkills, and has delivered training across industry for over 20 years on the best practice techniques for installing gas membranes; including training to verifiers of gas membranes as part of CL:AIRE training schemes. He is an active member of industry guidance groups and participated in the development of Ciria C735, which is a key document for our industry in verification of gas membrane installs.
Gordon has provided the training for the BBA audit teams to assist in their awareness of best-practice, and the level of detail expected from a competent and professional gas membrane installation company.
JUTA UK and honored to have worked with an installer as experienced, knowledgeable and competent as Gordon to set the benchmark for the scheme, we are eternally grateful for the knowledge he has freely shared in order for industry to benefit. We are confident that any gas membrane installation company who signs up to the scheme and passes the competency checks will be delivering the best possible quality installers of our GP® gas membrane systems.
Gordon Cave, Managing Director at DMI said, ‘Quality Scheme, Quality Products, Quality Training, Quality Staff = Quality Installation. To set ourselves apart and to demonstrate our competency, we use only BBA Certified Products for our Installations therefore the Licensed Installer Scheme using only JUTA UK Products, which are all BBA Certified coupled with unrivalled service fits our remit.’
James Ridsdale, Head of Audit & Inspection, at the BBA, said: “The launch of the scheme is a great opportunity for installers to show their competence in the supply chain. We are thankful to industry partners, and JUTA UK in particular, for providing their feedback and expertise to shape and develop the launch of the scheme.”
Find out more about the GP® Licensed Gas Membrane Installer Scheme
For more information on the GP® Licensed Gas Membrane Installer scheme, and to apply, visit JUTA UK’s website page.
For more information on the Gas Membrane Installer scheme, and to apply as a BBA approved installer, click here.
