BPMA Code of Conduct

BPMA Code of Conduct for Members

BPMA seeks to represent Members that demonstrate the highest degree of professionalism, expertise and ethical standards in every aspect of their operations, including the safety, reliability, quality and support of their products and the competence of their employees and representatives and its acceptance forms part of the BPMA membership criteria and application.

BPMA therefore expects each of its Members to abide by the BPMA Code of Conduct which is designed to assure users, specifiers and purchasers of pumping equipment that they can “BUY WITH CONFIDENCE” from a BPMA Member.

Supporting BPMA Articles of Association and Policies
Each Member commits to respect the requirements of the BPMA Articles of Association and Policies that are agreed from time to time. In particular each Member agrees to respect in Association meetings and other activities the requirements of Competition Law and limit discussions and actions so as to comply with all such laws and regulations.

Products and Technical Standards
Each Member shall ensure that the products it offers for sale globally are supplied, manufactured or manufactured under licence to conform to any statutory requirements and standards as may be mandated by local law.

CE Marking
All equipment manufactured or supplied by Members of the Association that is being placed onto the European market will be CE marked as required to confirm that it complies with EU law and that is ‘fit for purpose’ and safe. Members should be able to produce technical files to support the CE marking within 10 days of being requested

UKCA Marking
All equipment manufactured or supplied by Members of the Association that is being placed onto the UK Market ( England , Scotland & Wales ) will be UKCA marked as required to confirm that it complies with UK law and that is ‘fit for purpose’ and safe. Members should be able to produce technical files to support the UKCA marking within 10 days of being requested

UKNI Marking
All equipment manufactured or supplied by Members of the Association that is being placed onto the Northern Irland market will need to confirm the relevant rules. In Northern Ireland, EU conformity markings continue to be used to show goods meet EU rules. For most manufactured goods, this is the CE marking, but there are some other markings for specific products. If you are supplying goods from the UK to Northern Ireland you will need to use a UK body to carry out mandatory third-party conformity assessment you will also need to apply and use UKNI marking.

Product Performance
A Member shall be able to demonstrate the published features of any product that it supplies and substantiate any benchmarks, performance characteristics, serviceability levels or other criteria to which it lays claim.

Quality Assurance
Members will be certified to or aspiring to ISO 9001/2 or will demonstrate an adequate in-house quality assurance scheme exists.

Energy & Environment
Members shall act in accordance with the relevant standards on environmental protection and seek to continually reduce their impact on the environment.

Equipment supplied by Members will be manufactured to comply with regulations and restrictions affecting the use of certain materials in its construction therefore minimising the environmental effect.

Intellectual Property
Members shall recognise and respect ownership of intellectual property and refrain from plagiarism or other abuse of the intellectual property of others.

Where a Member has not contributed directly to the origination of design, system or process that it subsequently offers for sale, it shall seek assurance that the intellectual property belongs to the supplier or that the supplier is licensed to re-sell the design, system or process.

Installation
To be the best of their ability and within the limit of their control, members will ensure that the equipment they supply is installed to the standards currently in force.

After Sales Support
Members will be able to advise operators on training, maintenance and support, for all their products whether the support is supplied direct or via a third party.

Service and Maintenance
Each Member will ensure that sales service, repair and maintenance is available through:-

• Their own network of service engineers
• Nominated service agents
• Providing details of other agents
• BPMA members to ensure only competent and qualified engineers are responsible for the installation, service and repair of products. Health and safety requirements will be carried out as appropriate.

Spare Parts
Introduced in 2021 in the UK introduced the 'right to repair' laws, this new requirements mandates manufacturers to make spare parts for electrical and electronic goods available within two years of all model launches, and then for between seven and 10 years after the model is discontinued, depending on the type of product

Representatives
A Member shall ensure that its employees, contractors and/or agents are adequately trained, qualified and exercise their responsibilities with appropriate skill, care and professionalism.

Sales Assurance
All claimed performance criteria relating to a product, whether orally or in writing, shall accurately reflect the product’s features and performance characteristics. Members will, where required and practicable, provide pre-sales support and services to ensure the appropriate specification of the equipment for the required purpose. The level of associated support will be evaluated and in line with customer needs. Member’s sales staff and technical advisers will receive full training and aspire to seek appropriate certification or accreditation under a recognised quality assurance scheme.

Operating Instructions
Members will make relevant operating manuals available.
Copies of manuals will be held for the expected lifetime of the equipment.

Employees
Members shall respect the basic human right principles of their employees and take responsibility for their health and safety in accordance with current UK requirements and be fully aware of current legislation relating to Equality, inclusion and diversity, harassment, bullying and discrimination.

Customer Complaints
Any business purchasing from a BPMA Member or their nominated supplier who subsequently has a grievance or complaint should, in the first instance, make representation to the Member in writing.

The Member shall respond promptly in writing to all complaints lodged by a customer.

The Member will use its best efforts to resolve all such complaints in an equitable and timely manner. The Member will maintain a record of such complaints.

Should the customer not receive a satisfactory response BPMA will provide a complaint resolution service as follows, so long as the Association Director has received a written letter, which details the following:-

Supplier information

• Date equipment purchased and from whom
• Name of the sales contact
• Installation date and details of the installer

Product information

• Manufacturer and brand of the equipment
• Model Number
• Serial Number

Nature of Complaint

• Full details of the problem

BPMA will pass these details to a senior manager of the Member and will request a written response within 14 days of receipt.

BPMA will actively seek to find a satisfactory resolution and will respond to the complaint with the outcome of its involvement.

BPMA will not be liable for any redress over any failure to resolve the issue and the offer of this service does not affect the statutory rights of the customer.

Action on Members failing to adhere to the Code of Conduct
Members found to be flagrantly ignoring this Code of Conduct or convicted of any offences relating to its content may have their membership rescinded at the discretion of the BPMA Council

A Member which has been suspended or excluded from membership by a BPMA Council decision has the right to appeal against the decision and make a direct representation to the Council.

Information Management

BPMA will respect your privacy and take all reasonable precautions to protect all personal information.
We will endeavour to provide information and correspondence that is appropriate and of a legitimate interest to employees of BPMA members.
We will not share your information with any third party outside of our organisation, other than as necessary to provide a service.

Integrity

BPMA are committed to maintaining the highest degree of integrity in all our dealings with potential, current and past members as well as public bodies and other stakeholders.
We recognise that our member companies may be in direct competition. We will strive to avoid showing any preference towards any member company over another and endeavour to maintain an independent position in our dealings with them.
We will ensure that all relevant competition laws are respected by our members in their dealings with us and each other, where such dealings have been facilitated by us.

Discriminatory Conduct

BPMA members will strive to ensure that their professional duties are conducted without causing offence on the grounds of gender, race, religion, disability or any other form of discrimination or unacceptable reference.

Insurance

Members should have suitable public liability insurance and make the insurance documents available for inspection if requested.

Confidentiality

BPMA will always try to maintain commercial confidentiality,
BPMA shall take reasonable endeavours to safeguard the confidences of all members and past members and shall not disclose these confidences to their disadvantage or prejudice unless the member has released such information for public use or has given permission for disclosure.

Online publications

Means any website operated or controlled by BPMA or other electronic medium including, but not limited to, e-mail communications, social media posts and alerts