Tensor Joinery: Guaranteeing Marine Compliance Post-Brexit

Tensor Joinery is making a series of preparations in advance of changing conformity assessment procedures for marine equipment, allowing us to continue serving our markets in the UK & within the EU. 

The United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union will see a series of changes to approvals and standards, including amendments to the Merchant Shipping (Marine Equipment) Regulations 2016. These amendments will replace MSN1874 (M+F) Amendment 3 and will seek to enhance safety at sea and prevention of pollution to the marine environment, ensuring that the law continues to operate effectively once the UK has left the EU.

What’s Involved in the New Regulations?

The new regulations will provide for international standards for marine equipment - including flooring adhesives - placed on board UK ships and for the enforcement of those international standards. Whilst ensuring that compliance with applicable international standards is approved by a UK body, they will also enable marine equipment which meets EU requirements and is approved by an EU Notified Body to be placed on the UK market or on board a UK ship.

How Will TensorGrip Joinery Products Be Affected?

The UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) mark is the new UK product marking that will be required for certain products being placed on the market in Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland). It covers most products that previously required the “wheelmark”. It will not be recognized in the EU market, and products that require CE marking will still need a CE marking to be sold in the EU. Tensor Joinery’s current preparations will see changes to compliance labelling, with the UKCA ‘black flag’ mark to be applied to TensorGrip L17 Contact Adhesive. 

IMO ‘Wheelmarking’ or UKCA Black Flag labelling on adhesive products will depend on where original certification was obtained and where the relevant laboratories were based. Whilst the “wheelmark” will be removed from all labels on products destined for the EU, comprehensive testing will be conducted so that it can be re-applied.Once this process is complete, UK products will carry the UKCA ‘black flag’ and EU products the IMO ‘wheelmark’.

TensorGrip L17 Contact Adhesive is tested and complies with SOLAS 1974 Regulation II-2/3, II-2/5, II-2/9 and X/3; IMO Resolution MSC 307(88): Annex 1: Part 5 and IMO MSC/Circ.1120. 

TensorGrip Joinery would like to assure its customers in the United Kingdom and within the European Union that it is making all necessary arrangements to guarantee compliance around the use of flooring adhesives on ocean-going vessels. 

*Please note: To allow businesses time to adjust, MED approved equipment can continue to be placed on UK ships until 1 January 2023, provided MED and UK Standards remain equivalent.

Get in Touch with TensorGrip Joinery

For more information on changes to merchant shipping regulations and how this will impact our adhesives, please contact a member of the TensorGrip Joinery team via sales.uk@quinglobal.com. Alternatively, get in touch via telephone on +44 (0) 1738 494919.



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