Beware of “Dangerous” Roofing Battens: Use Diamond Mark Certified Ones

The Wood Protection Association (WPA) recently issued a Notice about an item in “Roofing Today” Magazine, in January 2024, which reported “thousands” of cases of roofers getting skin burns or other problems associated with treated roofing battens. Whilst Woodexperts believe that this number is journalistic over-exaggeration, it nonetheless points to the fact that the roofing industry is being sold inferior – and possibly dangerous – battens by some unscrupulous importers or merchants. The governing British Standard – BS 5534 – gives the requirements for both grading and treatment of roofing battens: and so the best way to ensure that roofers are buying and using only “proper” BS 5534 battens, in to look for the number of that Standard on each and every batten – as is required by BS 5534 itself. Furthermore, the very best way to ensure that the battens on sale are genuine BS 5534 ones and not “fake” is to look for a 3rd party Certification Mark as well as the Standard number. Our Diamond Mark is therefore the most reliable way to check whether the battens being offered for sale are both correctly graded and have also been properly treated with wood preservatives that are safe for operatives to handle.