The first Timber Industry Roofing Batten Training Day took place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Liverpool last week.
Over 40 delegates attended the event, instigated by SR Timber, but delivered by various industry experts, and it is now poised for a national rollout.
The event was the idea of Steve Sedgwick and Lydia Revill-Smith, both Business Development Managers for SR Timber and qualified batten graders.
They spend their working days visiting merchants and contractors and advising on the importance of stocking and installing correctly graded timber battens for the safety of the roofer and the longevity of a pitched roof. They felt a collaborative approach with the North West Timber Trade Association (NWTTA), Timber Development UK (TDUK), the Wood Protection Association (WPA), and TFT Woodexperts Ltd would help educate more people across the industry.
"The response from attendees was very positive, and we are already planning to roll out the event to other areas,” said Shaun Revill, co-founder of SR Timber.
Attendees came from across the industry, including timber Importers, merchants, agents, and sawmills and the training day was designed as an informative, fun, and interactive session. It began with an overview of construction products safety presented by Nick Boulton, Head of Technical & Trade at TDUK. Nick provided a concise summary of the Construction Products Regulation (CPR), its purpose and issues, and informed attendees about the General Safety Requirement (GSR), which is intended to regulate products outside the scope of CPR, such as timber battens. He also highlighted the increasing support for the Code of Construction Product Information (CCPI) and emphasised that batten is safety critical, underscoring the importance of using only graded BS 5534 compliant battens.
Neil Ryan, Director of the Wood Protection Association (WPA), ran through why different wood protection is required depending on ‘use class’, wood species, and required product life. Wood scientist Jim Coulson and Johnny Fleming from TFT Wood Experts Ltd then provided a detailed session on what makes a batten compliant with BS 5534 and why it is important. Johnny highlighted the false economy of buying substandard roofing batten, quoting examples where tiles and slates had been broken and had to be replaced as a result.
Following lunch, attendees put that knowledge into practice with a session on passing or failing a number of sample battens against the standards criteria. It was a useful exercise to help everyone in the supply chain understand what to look for and to identify ‘fake’ battens reported in the UK market.
The day ended with a Q&A for this panel of experts.
Nick Boulton, Head of Technical & Trade Policy at Timber Development UK, said: “Days like this are incredibly important because they bring the whole supply chain together to focus on what really matters, which is product performance and safety. Roofing battens may currently sit outside the construction product regulation, but that makes it even more critical that everyone involved understands their responsibilities. Getting the basics right, from correct grading through to proper documentation and traceability, is essential if we’re going to maintain standards and ensure that what ends up on site is always fit for purpose.”
Robert Povah, Account Manager from Price & Pierce, timber, plywood and panel products specialists, based in Woking added: “I attended the timber roofing batten training and found it to be a most informative day. The event was structured to provide a thorough overview of the importance of ensuring only correctly graded roofing battens are used and how to identify them. I will certainly be recommending that my colleagues attend further events."
