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TMV3 Scheme Auditing Procedures
A ‘Primary’ TMV
approved by the Technical Assessment Panel (TAP) on behalf of the BuildCert
Advisory Committee will be granted a
‘Licence’
for a period of 5 years. Additional variants and factored brands are licensed
for the remaining period of the original
licence.
1. Scope of audit tests.
All Primary and
factored products shall be audited twice or as appropriate within the
‘Licence’
period (see notes below).
a) ‘Master’ valve
receives the primary certificate.
b) Primary
certificate is issued for 5 years.
c) All other
valves based upon the ‘Master’ valve are limited to the same
licence period
as the ‘Master’.
d) All valves
master or otherwise undergo ancillary audits – 2no. in 5 years (dependant on
remaining master valve license life).
e) Installation &
Maintenance manual assessed for compliance.
f) Factored
valves are to be audited to ensure: -
i. Conformity
with master valve.
ii. Complies
with the requirements of D 08 criteria.
BuildCert will notify
the license holder when their approved valve(s) are required to undergo
performance audit testing and test results must be presented to BuildCert within
12 months of this notification. Audit notification will be undertaken at the
same time as the request of verification of the licence holders quality system.
To ensure
that the correct valves are to be audit tested BuildCert will require an audit
application form to be completed and returned. BuildCert will
then detail the exact valves to be tested, the sample selection process and the
tests to be undertaken. The licence holder/applicant can then forwarded this
information to the test house. The test house will then undertake the
performance audit testing by liaison between the licence holder and BuildCert.
The completed audit test report and valve will then be presented to the
Technical Assessment Panel (TAP) for verification that the approved valve
continues to comply with the requirements of the TMV2 Scheme.
Steps for audit
testing
1.
Licence holder to compete and return the audit application form
2.
BuildCert to issue a sample number
3.
BuildCert to detail valves to be tested
4.
BuildCert to detail audit tests to be undertaken
5.
Licence holder to forward test information onto test house along with sample
valves
6.
Verification of sample selection to be forwarded to BuildCert
7.
Testing undertaken
8.
Test report and test valve to be sent to BuildCert within the 12 month time
period
2.
Selection of TMV’s for auditing
Licensee will then be
notified of the Schemes intention to audit and points of contact shall be
agreed.
Valves
undergoing audit testing within their first licence period: -
Three valves shall be selected from a minimum sample batch size of 30 samples
from the manufacturer’s or the factors in-house off the shelf stock.
Valves undergoing
audit testing in subsequent licence periods: -
One valve
shall be selected from a minimum batch of 10 samples; further sample selection
if required must be undertaken in the same way.
A
representative of the test laboratory, a TAP committee member, or an independent
third party approved by the TAP shall select the valves for test. Test samples
selected shall be kept under the possession and control of the person making the
selection and packaged and sealed in their presence. A letter documenting the
person(s) making the selection and verifying the chain of custody of the samples
must be forwarded to BuildCert for inclusion within the test file.
(1)
If an
audit failures occurs then the audit process detailed in clause 4 will require 2
further valves to be selected prior to undertaking the failure audit process
3.
Audit tests
The following tests
will constitute the audit of an approved TMV: -
a) No unauthorised
design changes
b) Performance
tests from section 7 of D 08 will be undertaken on one valve only (Stage 1),
chosen at random from the three selected valves: -
i.
Overshoot –
mixed temperature on starting from ambient
ii.
Thermal shut-off
– hot and cold water shut off
iii.
Temperature
stability – pressure reduction test
iv.
Temperature
stability – low flow rate test
v.
Mixed water
temperature overshoot on operation of the diverter (where appropriate)
c) Designation –
unique identification, marking
The number of test runs
undertaken for i. to v. above are as specified within D 08 (i.e. 3).
All the tests
will be conducted at the highest blend [but lowest flow rate] in combination
with the highest pressure rating within the range of designations for which the
valve (primary or factored) has approval.
If the
valve has multiple designations including a tub designation then in addition to
the performance tests stated above the 3-audit performance tests must be
repeated against the tub designation having the highest temperature and
pressure.
The cost
for the audit testing must be negotiated with the TMV3 approved test
laboratories
The
results of all audit tests along with the audited valve will be submitted to the
TAP Committee for verification.
The
Scheme shall retain all audited valves. Where the audit on the first valve is
successful, the remaining two valves (if appropriate) will be released by the
Test House for collection by the Licensee.
4.
Failure of an audit test
If a valve fails any
audit performance test.
a)
The test house
will inform the licensee immediately, who will have the option to request one
retest at the license holder's expense, within 2 working days of receiving the
failure notification.
Or
The manufacture can authorise the test house to undertake limited endurance
testing (48 hours) on the failed valve only, to awaken the thermostatic
properties of the thermostatic valve, as specified in D 08 clause 6.3.
b) If the same
valve subsequently passes the retest, then the valve will be deemed to comply
with D O8 and the results will be submitted to the TAP Committee for approval:
i.
If the same
valve subsequently fails the retest then the test house will inform
simultaneously the Licensee and the TAP Committee of the non- conformity, using
the standard audit report form;
ii.
Notification of
the Department of Health of the Audit failure shall be at the discretion of the
TAP.
c) A period of 4
weeks will then be allowed for a response from the Licensee of his assessment of
the valve failure and an expression of intention. If the Licensee does
not respond within this time then the TAP will require
the two remaining valves held by the test house (1) to
undertake the full audit test and at the discretion of the TAP inform the
Department of Health of the audit failure.
d)
The Licensee may decide, after consideration, that the failure was an isolated
incident in which case he can instruct the test house to undertake the full
Audit using the two remaining valves held by the Test House (1)
at the license holder's expense (Stage 2). These valves can at the licensee’s
request be woken up by applying procedure 4.a) prior to testing.
e)
Alternatively, the Licensee will provide a written assessment to TAP, which
includes a description of the fault, their remedy to overcome it, the timescale
to solve the problem and its effect on, and their intentions concerning the
existing population of affected products.
If the
TAP Committee disagrees with the proposals the manufacturer will be notified and
given the opportunity to provide an alternative proposal.
f)
If the TAP Committee further rejects the proposal from the manufacturer, then
the manufacturer will be informed and the Audit will continue using the two
valves already held by the Test House (1).
g)
If the TAP Committee accepts the proposal (original or final) from the
manufacturer, then the manufacturer will be informed and be required to provide
a further random sample from new stock. The standard audit tests will then be
undertaken.
h)
If the test results from the two additional valves (1) or the
re-submitted
valve, (where accepted by TAP) satisfy all of the audit requirements then the
product will be deemed to comply with D 08. All interested parties shall be
informed of the successful audit of the valve previously advised as
non-conforming.
i)
Should either of the two additional valves (1) (or the
re-submitted valve, where accepted by TAP) fail the audit tests, then
the product shall be required to be retested to the full D 08 specification at
the license holder's expense.
j) The
manufacturer may chose to withdraw the product, in which case the TAP Committee
will be informed immediately.
BuildCert
will invoice companies involved with failed audits for time required to deal
with the audit failure at the Schemes professional rate.
5.
Notification of Result
a) Pass: The
Licensee will be notified formally that his valve has passed the audit. The
Department Of Health will be notified at the same time.
b) Fail: The
Licensee will be notified formally in writing with a ‘Warning Notice’, that his
valve has failed the audit and the License suspended, the Department of Health
will be notified at the same time.
The Licensee will be
requested to acknowledge, in writing his intention:
i To submit his
valve for full D 08 testing, or
ii Not to
resubmit, in which case, the ‘License’ will be withdrawn immediately.
6.
Retesting
The valve will be
tested fully to D 08 at the license holders expense; within 2 months of the date
of the ‘Warning Notice’ the valve must comply fully with the requirements of D
08
24/04/09
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