The Merry Month : Stone, Chapter1 Verses 1-15
“It is not necessary to comply with recommendations and statements in order to comply with the standard, it is necessary to comply only with the requirements (that are denoted by the verbal form ‘shall’).” International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Stones: Chapter 1 verses 1-15
In 12440 there was a denomination that begat the declaration of the true name. In 12057, 12058 and 1469 there was harmonisation. A joining of the great forces that govern the true name and its requirements under the great Mark, the CEN – European Committee for Standardization.
And lo, the stone came down from the mountains and up from the ground. And the great Mark did ask questions of the manufacturers and the suppliers and the agents of stone. The Mark set tests of strength and flexibility, absorption and porosity and asked from where the stone came.
And there was great consternation among these shepherds of stone. They asked: “Why must we conform? Why should the great Mark insist we identify all our secrets and throw us to the wolves of commercial forces?”
And the great Mark answered that the world had changed and the shepherds of stone had been blind to these changes and they had buried their heads in the sands of time. There was doubt in the minds of their customers. Who should they believe? Why was the same stone named many times by many people? How could anyone declare stone was fit for purpose if they knew not its properties?
The Mark said now was the time for openness and honesty and fair competition. Stone should be named truly and honestly as it was in BSEN 12440. That slabs for stairs and floors BSEN 12058, Modular tiles BSEN 12057 and slabs for cladding BSEN 1469 should set out the requirements of the Mark and all those shepherds of stone and their flock should understand the new world of stone through these readings.
The Shepherds of stone were silent and some did leave and some chose to ignore the Mark.
The Mark grew angry and the harmonisation was made law through Building Regulation and this was made by force and those that ignored the word of the Mark would be punished and fined by Trading Standards.
All stone that came down from the mountains and up from the ground had to be tested and certified, be declared fit for purpose and carry the sign and the sign was CE. This was harmonisation.
And then on 31 March 2015 the Mark changed some of the requirements of harmonisation and the Shepherds of stone were called down from the mountains and up from the ground again.
“Listen to my words,” quoth the Mark. “We have reviewed and changed the following harmonisations:
- nominal thickness tolerances
- durability, skid resistance, direct airborne sound insulation, thermal conductivity, release of dangerous substances added to requirements
- assessment and verification of constancy of performance added
- sampling at the point of delivery.”
And the Mark said more on sampling. “Where sampling at the point of delivery (eg a construction site) of the products is required, with regard to ensuring the accuracy, reliability and stability, sample testing and assessment of each consignment shall be carried out.”
In other words, thou shalt not deliver samples to a construction site as part of a project unless those samples have been tested and controlled for general characteristics, mechanical strength and visual appearance.
The good Shepherds of stone and their flock – the manufacturers and the suppliers and the agents of stone – understood the words of the Mark and went forth and applied these words to their projects and they prospered.
And if they weren’t quite clear what it all meant, they asked the Stone Consultants and were given guidance and succour and were led out of the wilderness of legislation.
This was the word and the word was the Mark.