Government legislation ministry rules composite materials need quality certificates

The government legislation ministry said that builders must submit quality control statements for composite materials used as interior finishes, even when the structure does not meet specific size or usage thresholds under the Building Act. The ruling came in response to a public inquiry regarding whether single-family homes not classified as multi-unit dwellings were exempt from the documentation requirement.

The ministry determined that the obligation applies to the type of material rather than the scale or purpose of the building. Officials noted that while one provision of the Building Act sets fire-resistance standards based on building use and size, another targets the inherent risks of the composite materials themselves. The ministry cited the legislative intent to systematically manage fire safety regardless of where the material is installed, rejecting the argument that the reference to the former provision in the newer clause limits its scope to specific building types.

Composite panels can release large amounts of toxic gas during fires and make suppression efforts difficult due to combustion within their core layers, a risk the ministry said does not vary by building scale. Officials emphasized that excluding these materials from oversight in smaller structures would contradict the goal of minimizing fire damage.

Under the regulation, manufacturers, distributors, construction supervisors and project managers must ensure quality control documents reach the relevant permitting authority. The supply chain requires manufacturers to submit statements to distributors, who verify them before passing them to constructors; constructors then submit the full set to project managers, who attach them to completion reports for final owner submission during permit approval.