What is CPR Certification

What is CPR?

CPR is an acronym for Construction Products Regulation. It is a combination of standards and common technical language that offers a uniform performance and safety assessment system of construction products that are made by or imported to the European Union market.

When where the CPR principles first applied?

The initial parts of the Construction Products Regulation were first applied on 24th April 2011. However, the CPR was first fully applied in the EU on 1st July 2013; since that time, all construction products placed on the European market were covered by harmonized product performance and safety standards. That meant that each product should pass a European Technical Assessment system, be accompanied by a Declaration of Performance (DoP) document and be CE marked and approved in order to be sold in the EU market.

How do CPR principles apply to cable production?

The CPR principles cover all construction products that are produced for building and civil engineering construction works or are incorporated with any product meant to be used in the same field. This means that cables that are intended to be permanently installed inside buildings must be constructed and tested in accordance with the CPR principles. However, these conditions do not apply to non-permanent cables, or any cables intended to be installed outdoor applications, whether they are duct, aerial, or direct buried cables.

To what types of cables does CPR apply?

The CPR regulation applies to all cables with permanent installation purpose. This applies to the following cables:

  1. Power cables.
  2. Installation cables and wires.
  3. Control cables.
  4. Telecommunication cables.
  5. Data cables

What aspects of safety do the CPR regulation include?

The most important part of the regulation, as applied to cables, is safety requirements against burning and fire propagation. However, there are many other aspects in which a product must obtain high standards and test results in order to be accepted by the harmonized European standards on construction products.

According to the CPR regulation, the most important evaluation aspects are as follows:

  1. Mechanical resistance and stability.
  2. Safety in case of fire.
  3. Hygiene, health and the environment.
  4. Safety and accessibility in use.
  5. Protection against noise.
  6. Energy economy and heat retention.
  7. Sustainable use of natural resources.