What is EN 1090-1 and CE marking for structural metalwork?
The European Construction
Products Directive. Is aimed at harmonising the safety performance of
construction products across the EU and they apply to anything placed
on the
market, whether imported or manufactured in the
EU. The CPD defines
six principles for materials that are to be used in civil engineering
including:
1.
Mechanical
resistance & stability (ITT
/ initial type testing)
2.
Safety in
case of fire
(Fire
testing)
3.
Hygiene,
health & the environment
(design)
4.
Safety in
use (clear
usage instructions & risk assessment )
5.
Protection
against noise (risk assessment)
6.
Energy
economy & heat retention
(environmental
performance)
New legislation was introduced in 2013 to allow
the CPR to be enforced
by the Trading Standards authority, which will have the power to stop a
business from trading and to withdraw any products supplied after July
1st
2014. In severe
cases Directors may also
be imprisoned.
Who
needs to
comply?
The regulations apply to a wide range of
activities involving “series”
manufactured items:
§
Manufacturers of metal components or kits that
have a structural use in
civil engineering.
§
Importers of structural metalwork kits or
components
§ Stockholders and metal processors that modify
stock - for example by
drilling, painting, bending, electroplating
The term “series” means mass produced or more than
one for example
multiple production such as staircases but not necessarily an access
platform
as a one off (non series) production, however the controls required are
same
and many larger organisations purchasing structural/fabricated steel
may insist
on CE Marking to ensure they have net their legal duty of care.
What do I need to do to comply?
There are 3 “consequence classes” it is anticipated that the majority
of
structural steel fabricators in the UK will fall within consequence
class 2.
You need to have what is known as an FPC (factory
Production Control
system) this is set of procedures and documentation that ensure the
following
amongst other requirements:
§
Traceability
of materials (to original mill certs and test results)
§
Competence
of welders/fabricators (coded welders/weld testing)
§
A
responsible welding coordinator needs to be appointed
§
Drawings and
calculations to prove the structural integrity of materials/fabricated
items
§
Calibration
of equipment (welding equipment)
§
Control of
defective materials and products with corrective action process (fixing
errors)
§
Purchasing
procedures and approval for materials and subcontractors
§
Quality
control systems to ensure the quality of manufactured products
Holding certification to ISO9001 will provide the
majority of evidence
required for EN1090 but you will need some additional controls as
detailed
above. When all this is in place you need to have a third party
audit/inspection by a notified body which is UKAS accredited.
How can we help?
We have a team of consultants who are also 3rd
party auditors recommending certification to EN1090 so fully understand
the
certification process inside out.
We have developed standard documentation and
procedures that ensure compliance to the requirements of both ISO9001
and
EN1090
§
Initial gap
analysis
§
Provide all necessary documentation including
procedures forms etc..
§
Generate an action plan
§
Develop any additional controls and
documentation
§
Liaise with a UKAS accredited certification body
to arrange certification
§
On-going
support to maintain certification (where requested)
Where companies meet certain criteria, we may
also be able to access financial support to implement your system.
We
can
also help with other standards such as ISO14001:2015, OHSAS18001, ISO27001
etc…
