Reviewed 12 October 2026. Start with the fire-performance requirement in the project specification, then match it to evidence for the proposed product. The material name, a CE logo or a laboratory’s accreditation mark alone does not establish the fire classification of a finished diffuser.
Identify the performance being specified
Reaction to fire describes how a product contributes to fire. Fire resistance concerns the performance of an element or assembly during fire exposure. An air grille’s reaction-to-fire evidence should not be presented as proof that it is a fire-resisting damper or that a complete ceiling retains its fire resistance.
The EU reaction-to-fire classification system sets different criteria and test methods for different classes and product groups. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/364 provides the classification tables. Do not reduce all classifications to the same two tests, or assign a required class from a building’s general description alone. Confirm the required classification and installation conditions with the project’s fire designer.
Check aluminium, coatings and other components together
Commission Decision 96/603/EC, as amended, lists certain materials and products that may be classified without reaction-to-fire testing, subject to conditions. Aluminium is included, with restrictions. The decision also sets conditions for organic content, gluing and coatings, and excludes specified products containing organic layers.
The decision does not establish a general rule that organic powder coating below 1 mm automatically qualifies a finished aluminium diffuser as Class A1. Confirm the basis for the actual finish and assembly, including plastics, seals, filters, adhesives and backing materials. A bare-metal material claim should not be extended to a coated or composite product without checking its scope.
Review the report against the requested classification
- Check the report holder, manufacturer and precise identification of the tested specimen.
- Match its material, finish, thickness, components and installation to the proposed order.
- Check the test and classification standards, editions, results and field of application.
- Verify the laboratory’s accreditation and whether its scope covers the relevant work.
- Obtain confirmation from the receiving project team that the evidence meets its requirements.
A report issued to a material supplier is evidence about the specimen and work identified in that report. Do not relabel a GB result as an EN classification using a shorthand equivalence table. Where an EN classification is required, agree the appropriate evidence with the project team and competent laboratory.
International accreditation arrangements support confidence in test results, but the destination’s regulatory and contractual requirements still need to be checked. The accreditation body IAS explicitly advises confirming the requirements of the receiving market or authority. An accreditation mark alone is not an automatic approval for every European project.
Confirm documentation before ordering
For a Hongyang enquiry, send the required classification, destination country, installation detail, product dimensions and finish to Mike. We will confirm the available information for the proposed product. Report ownership and applicability must be checked; we do not treat a supplier’s material report as a blanket finished-product certification.
Any additional testing needs a defined specimen and agreed scope. Availability, cost and timing must be confirmed for that enquiry, rather than promised as a fixed fee or turnaround.
Related guide: Does an HVAC diffuser need CE marking?
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