Importance of the RAL quality mark

30. What is RAL and what does the abbreviation stand for?
31. What is a RAL quality mark?
32. What is the purpose and the particular value of the RAL quality mark?
33. Since when does the RAL quality mark "products made of mineral wool" exist?
34. After which criteria the RAL quality mark is attributed?
35. Who checks and decides about the awarding of the RAL quality mark to products?
36. What is the chemical ban ordinance and what has it anything to do with the RAL quality mark?
37. Is there any protection against imitation or abuse?
38. How many manufacturers of mineral wool keep the RAL quality mark and is there information about it available?
39. Should old mineral wool products be replaced by the mineral wool products marked with the RAL quality mark?
40. Do foreign manufacturer posses the RAL quality mark too?

30. What is RAL and what does the abbreviation stand for?

RAL, the German Institute for Quality Safeguarding and Labelling (Deutsches Institut für Gütesicherung und Kennzeichnung e.V.), was founded in 1925 as an national committee for delivery conditions. Today it is an umbrella organization of the German quality assurance committees. It is a charitable and neutral association. RAL is working on behalf of its more than 130 member associations, of the quality committees as well as of neutral bodies of experts.

31. What is a RAL quality mark?

A RAL quality mark is the confirmation for high quality of products and services, supervised regularly and neutrally. It aims for a clear identification of products and services which are produced or offered following fixed quality criteria. It is only allocated to those manufacturers and service providers who fulfil the fixed quality and examining regulations. The RAL quality mark is based on quality criteria specific to products which are transparent and accessible to any consumer. You can find the quality criteria and examining regulations for the RAL quality mark "products made of mineral wool" on the Internet under www.ral-mineralwolle.de.

32. What is the purpose and the particular value of the RAL quality mark?

The RAL quality mark "products made of mineral wool" serves for the orientation of the consumer. Easily recognizable it indicates the checked quality and safety of mineral wool products to every consumer.

33. Since when does the RAL quality mark "products made of mineral wool" exist?

Since 1999 the RAL quality mark "products made of mineral wool" is attributed to mineral wool products. The purpose of this RAL quality mark is to document the regularly checked quality and safety of mineral wool products in an easily recognisable way. So it guarantees that the product can be processed safely, efficiently and without harm to the environment.

34. After which criteria the RAL quality mark is attributed?

The awarding of the RAL quality mark "products made of mineral wool" is based on the fulfilment of the following requirements: compliance certificate, first examination, manufacturer’s declaration, producer and external supervision.
Compliance exoneration certificate: To Gütegemeinschaft Mineralwolle e.V. (GGM) the manufacturer must present certificates issued by recognized toxicology institutes, indicating the respective mineral wool fibre type’s conformity with one of the three complying certification criteria of the Dangerous Substances Ordinance (Gefahrstoff-Verordnung).

First examination: The manufacturer has to give proof of every production location and line that the type of fibre manufactured there corresponds to the freely commercialised fibre type and presents a test report of an analysis institute recognized by the GGM.
Manufacturers declaration: By a written statement the manufacturer must commit himself to establish the accordance between the fibre type tested during the first examination and the produced or commercialised fibres.
Self supervision: A self-supervisory system is installed and a supervision contract is signed with one of the sampling institutes recognized by the GGM.

External supervision: From now on the manufacturer is examined by an independent institute. The awarding of the RAL quality mark is provided by the GGM executive board after a positive examination by the GGM quality committee.
Only with products with the RAL quality mark "product made of mineral wool" the consumers can be sure that they fulfil one of the three criteria of the Dangerous Substances Ordinance and can be build in safely.

35. Who checks and decides about the awarding of the RAL quality mark to products?

The Gütegemeinschaft Mineralwolle e.V. (GGM) checks the documents submitted by the manufacturer to the quality committee. Only after the statement that the producers’ documents show conformity to the quality and examining regulations of the Gütegemeinschaft Mineralwolle e.V. (GGM) and that the respective manufacturer affirms his recognition of the entire GGM statutes as mandatory for him, the awarding of the RAL quality mark is attributed by the executive board of the GGM. Besides being members of the GGM quality committee the experts also qualifies as neutral scientists for toxicology and glass chemistry.

36. What is the chemical ban ordinance and what has it anything to do with the RAL quality mark?

The so-called chemical ban ordinance is named correctly "Ordinance for the Change of Chemical Legal Ordinances" (Verordnung zur Änderung chemikalienrechtlicher Verordnungen). Since June 2000 it states the ban on the circulation, the production and the use of bio-persistent artificial mineral fibres for the heat and sound absorption in buildings and for the technical insulation. At the same time it includes an exemption regulation for non bio-persistent, thus organically soluble fibres which are, if in compliance with exoneration the three ordinance certificate criteria, exempted and consequently permitted by the ordinance. The three compliance exoneration certificate criteria are defined clearly; they derive from the German Hazardous Substances Ordinance and are at the same time the criteria to be obeyed by mineral wool products with the RAL quality mark. Mineral wool products awarded with the RAL quality mark are not subject to the prohibition of the chemical ban ordinance.

37. Is there any protection against imitation or abuse?

Yes, as a protection measure against imitation and abuse by legislation beyond the protection competition the RAL quality mark was both registered at the German and international patent authorities. The RAL quality mark has additionally been recognised as a quality mark by the German Federal Ministry of Economy and Technology, the leading branch associations trade, the consumer councils and the respective German federal ministries.

38. How many manufacturers of mineral wool keep the RAL quality mark and is there information about it available?

So far (as of November 2017) 23 mineral wool manufacturers have been awarded the RAL quality mark. Information about the RAL quality mark "product made of mineral wool" can be found and requested on the Internet under www.ral-mineralwolle.de or at the address of the Gütegemeinschaft Mineralwolle e.V. (GGM).

39. Should old mineral wool products be replaced by the mineral wool products marked with the RAL quality mark?

No, because correctly built-in mineral wool does not release pollutants or fibre dusts as examinations have demonstrated (see also the answers 19 to 21). This fact is clearly stated in the chemical ban ordinance, paragraph 2 a, article 2: “The use ban does not contain any demands for a removal…” (see also the answers 35 and 36). In the instruction "dealing in detail with mineral wool products" necessary protective measures for refurbishments are explained. It also states clearly that there is no need for the removal of old mineral wool products. When renovating, however, one should consider to products with the RAL quality mark.

40. Do foreign manufacturer posses the RAL quality mark too?

Foreign manufacturers have also recognized the necessity of the RAL quality mark for the identification of the checked quality and safety of products. Many manufacturers from different countries which deliver on to the German market, have consequently followed the strict examination criteria of the Gütegemeinschaft Mineralwolle e.V. (GGM).