The short answer
On 13 October 2026, the Office for Product Safety and Standards published a recall of a CAT7 data cable whose Declaration of Performance said reaction-to-fire class B2ca-s1a,d1,a1, but which tested at Dca-s2,d2,a1. For anyone specifying or buying fire-rated products, the check is whether the paperwork can be traced to the batch actually delivered, and who tested it.
By Euan Pallister, Operations & Quality Improvement Consultant. Published on . Story dated 13 October 2026. The facts below come only from the sources listed at the end.
What the record says
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) published a recall on 13 October 2026 for an Oren Kablo CAT7 S/FTP 300m Ethernet cable, made in Turkey and listed under construction products. Two type batches are named: 3Cat7SFTPHB2caBL-40 and 3Cat7SFTPHB2caBL-20.
According to the notice:
- The manufacturer’s Declaration of Performance gave the cable a reaction-to-fire class of B2ca-s1a,d1,a1.
- Independent testing indicated the performance actually achieved was Dca-s2,d2,a1.
- OPSS served a Prohibition Notice on the UK importer, which stops it supplying the product in Great Britain without OPSS consent and requires it to recall the product from the UK market.
- OPSS is not asking for cable already installed in the fabric of a building to be recalled. People managing risks in buildings are encouraged to consider whether the lower performance matters where it has been used.
Why the class matters
A reaction-to-fire class isn’t a detail on a data sheet. It is often the reason a product was allowed in a particular location in the first place, such as an escape route or a riser. When the class on the paperwork and the class of the product differ, the building may not be what its designers and the people who signed it off think it is.
The notice doesn’t say how the gap arose, and we won’t guess. What it shows is that a Declaration of Performance is a document. It is only as good as the test behind it, and only meaningful for the batch it applies to.
The check to run on Monday
Pick one fire-rated product you buy in, specify or install: cable, a fire door set, intumescent sealant, a fire-stopping product.
- Match the class. Does the Declaration of Performance state the class you specified, in full?
- Match the batch. Can you link the paperwork to the batch or production date on the delivery you actually received?
- Know the tester. Do you know who tested it, and when?
- Check at goods-in. Does anyone compare the class on the delivery label with the order and the specification before it goes to site?
Who in your business would notice a delivery whose class doesn’t match the spec?
Quick answers
What was recalled?
An Oren Kablo CAT7 S/FTP 300m Ethernet cable, batches 3Cat7SFTPHB2caBL-40 and 3Cat7SFTPHB2caBL-20, made in Turkey, according to the OPSS recall notice.
What was the problem?
Testing indicated the cable did not achieve its declared reaction-to-fire performance. It was declared as B2ca-s1a,d1,a1 and tested as Dca-s2,d2,a1.
Does cable already installed have to come out?
OPSS said it was not requesting the recall of product already installed in the fabric of a building. It encouraged those managing building risks to consider whether the lower performance matters where the cable is fitted.
What should a buyer check?
That the Declaration of Performance matches the class you specified, that it covers the batch you received, and that the delivery label and paperwork agree with it.
Sources
- Product Recall: Oren Kablo CAT7 S/FTP 300m Ethernet Cable (2510-0089) (GOV.UK, Office for Product Safety and Standards)