Flood Protection

“Flooding is the greatest natural threat currently facing the UK.” - Nick Starling, Director of General Insurance, ABI

Anyone who has experienced the total devastation of a flood event or its aftermath can be in no doubt about this and with extreme weather events on the rise, record rainfall and climate change; there is no question that more needs to be done.

The Government has pledged investment of £2.3billion by 2021 to protect families, homes and businesses affected by flood and the Environment Agency and insurance companies are taking action, but what can local authorities do to prepare for flooding and make homes and businesses in their areas more flood resilient and what can we as individuals do to better protect our homes and belongings.

The publically available specification PAS 1188 for Flood protection products was facilitated by BSI Standards, sponsored by the Environment Agency and developed in conjunction with a number of key stakeholders. The specification covers a range of different types of flood protection product;

PAS 1188-1:2014 - Flood resistance products. Part 1: Building aperture products. This covers barriers and doors designed to be quickly and easily deployed in the event of a flood.
PAS 1188-2:2014- Flood resistance products. Part 2: Temporary products. This covers filled container or barrier systems that can be temporarily installed and removed completely following a flood.
PAS 1188-3:2014 - Flood resistance products. Part 3: Building skirt and wall sealant systems. This covers building skirts designed to curtain a building and wall sealant systems comprising of a material applied to walls; to limit or restrict flood water from entering a building above or below ground level.
PAS 1188-4:2014 - Flood resistance products. Part 4: Demountable products. Demountable products are capable of being removed and reinstalled on permanent mountings for use away from buildings.

There is a BSI Kitemark™ scheme based on PAS 1188

In order to obtain the Kitemark, flood protection products are independently type tested under BSI control and the manufacturing facility is assessed for the quality of the production of the product. To ensure the on-going quality of the products, continuing assessments are carried out on a regular basis; typically twice a year.

For individuals

Many manufacturers will claim that their products meet and may even test their products to specifications but only those with the BSI Kitemark are independently tested and assessed by BSI.

For manufacturers

BSI can test and certify a range of flood resistance products to PAS 1188, whether you are competing for tenders, bringing new products to market or, if you want to differentiate your products within the existing market, we can work with you.

For specifiers

The BSI Kitemark is widely recognized and often specified by procurement professionals and those responsible for major infrastructure projects. Our product directory could help you to identify approved products for tenders.

So, when it comes to identifying quality flood resistance products you can trust the BSI Kitemark.