In order to ensure that specified building products comply with codes and standards, building code officials should take into account the credentials of accrediting bodies, says Shahin Moinian, P.E., the president of ICC Evaluation Service.
First, code officials should make sure that the evaluation service provider is accredited with a scope of accreditation pertaining to the products they have evaluated. In addition, the evaluation service provider should be verified to be accredited and in good standing.
One important indicator is for the provider to be accredited to ISO/IEC 17065, the international standard for certification bodies. Code officials should also review the evaluation reports published by evaluation service providers to ensure that the report is published to a standard or criteria (not a collection of unspecified documents and opinions).
The report should also relate to the product and use of such products for the installation in question. “Code officials should look for the ICC-ES marking on building and plumbing products for peace of mind when approving products,” Moinian says.
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