British Standard BS 851188

M3 Floodtec is committed to recognised standards for product performance, quality, environmental responsibility and workplace safety. Independent testing and certification play an important role across our flood resistance range, while our ISO certifications support consistent processes across the wider business. Together, these standards provide customers with greater confidence in how our products are developed, tested, manufactured and delivered.

What Is British Standard BS 851188?

BS 851188-1:2019+A1:2021 is a British Standard published by the British Standards Institution (BSI), the UK’s national standards body. It applies to building flood resistance products designed to help reduce floodwater entering through openings such as doors, windows, airbricks and vents.

The standard sets requirements for product performance and testing, as well as factory production control, installation and deployment instructions, user information and product marking. Together, these requirements provide a recognised framework for how flood resistance products are tested, manufactured, installed and used.

Independently Tested Performance

BS 851188 assesses flood resistance products under controlled flood conditions, including static water, wave action and water currents, to evaluate how they perform under defined flood conditions.

Testing is carried out within M3 Floodtec’s purpose-built, BSI-approved Flood Test Facility in Worcestershire, one of only three approved flood testing centres in the UK. The facility allows products to be developed, tested and refined in-house under controlled conditions, supporting both certification testing and ongoing product development.

Its specialist capabilities include wave simulation and impact testing, helping recreate different aspects of real-world flooding and giving our team valuable insight into product performance. The facility also includes our full-scale Flood House, where flood resilience measures can be demonstrated working together as part of a wider Property Flood Resilience approach.

Flood Test Facility

Raising The Standard

Before BS 851188, flood resistance products were commonly tested to PAS 1188, a publicly available specification for flood protection products. BS 851188 introduced a more comprehensive British Standard covering product performance alongside manufacturing, installation, user information and marking requirements.

M3 Floodtec became the first company in the world to achieve certification to BS 851188 for a flood resistance product range. Our certified products carry the BSI Kitemark™ under Licence No. KM 713574, giving customers confidence that they meet recognised standards for flood resistance.

Certified Across Our Business

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ISO 9001 – Quality Management

ISO 9001 supports consistent quality management across our business, helping ensure our processes, products and customer service are regularly reviewed and continually improved.

ISO 14001 – Environmental Management

ISO 14001 provides a recognised framework for managing our environmental responsibilities, helping us monitor our impact, improve efficiency and support more responsible working practices.

ISO 45001 – Health & Safety Management

ISO 45001 supports the management of occupational health and safety across our operations, helping us maintain safe working practices for our employees, contractors and the people we work alongside.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the British Standards Institution (BSI)?

The British Standards Institution (BSI) is the UK’s national standards body, responsible for developing recognised standards designed to improve quality, safety and consistency across a wide range of industries. BSI also provides independent testing and certification services to assess products and management systems against recognised requirements.