How should the supplier relate to the developer regarding the properties of construction products: Hazardous substances, radon and gamma radiation?
The developer is strictly responsible for whether the construction product is suitable or not according to the Planning and Building Act (2010:900) (PBL). In all likelihood, the developer will pass on the requirement to the supplier in its tenders, so that the supplier is obliged to guarantee that the construction products supplied do not have properties that lead to current reference levels being exceeded.
From June 1, 2018, the new and stricter requirements of the Radiation Protection Act and the Radiation Protection Ordinance apply to health protection. These are significantly more far-reaching than the requirements of the Environmental Code and prescribe indoor reference levels for radon at 200 becquerels per cubic meter of air and for gamma radiation from building materials at 1 millisievert annual effective dose. This mainly concerns construction products and building materials that include concrete with aggregates.
According to Boverket, the properties of construction products can be assessed in different ways. The products can be:
- CE marked
- type-approved
- certified
- made by a certified factory
When it comes to hazardous substances (ionizing radiation, radon and gamma radiation), the characteristics of a construction product cannot be assessed by CE marking, type approval or manufactured by a certified factory. However, there is no harmonized standard for such assessment, which means that there is no basis for declarations of performance and that any such declarations are not valid. The only way to demonstrate the suitability of selected construction products and materials that include concrete with aggregates is to have them certified by an accredited body.
Mark- och Miljökontroll i Särö AB (MMK) is currently the country’s only accredited certification body for hazardous substances (ionizing radiation, radon and gamma radiation) in building products and for inspection of building products and building materials in finished buildings.
We are happy to provide further information on this issue. If interested, please contact us.
MMK is:
- Expert consultant for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- Expert consultant for the Swedish Standards Institute (SIS)
- Referral to the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM)
- Referral company to Boverket
