As far as the UK and the rest of Europe are concerned, oriented strand board (OSB) has come of age. It is now recognised as a wood-based panel in its own right, competing with other wood-based panels in many structural and non-structural applications as well as establishing itself in certain specialised areas. This Digest describes this relatively new product and provides information regarding its performance in general terms. It provides guidance on the use of OSB and how to select and specify the different grades in accordance with the European Standard EN 300. It also demonstrates how mandatory compliance with the Construction Products Directive can be achieved by using the new European Harmonised Standard. 6 pages.