BS EN 1090 a legal requirement for the structural steel

industry (CE Marking)

If your organisation is involved in the manufacture of structural metal components or kits, from 01 July 2014 you will
need to demonstrate that your products comply with BS EN 1090.

What is BS EN 1090?

BS EN 1090 specifies the requirements for products used in the execution of structural steelwork. These include
structures and manufactured components produced from hot rolled, structural steels; cold-formed components and
sheeting; hot finished and cold formed structural hollow sections, as well as austenitic-ferritic and ferritic stainless steel
products.

Part 1 of the standard is the Requirements for Conformity Assessment of Structural Components. It describes how
manufacturers can demonstrate that the components they produce meet the declared performance characteristics (the
structural characteristics which make them fit for their particular use and function).

Part 2 is the Technical Requirements for Steel Structures. It specifies the requirements for the execution of steel
structures to ensure adequate levels of mechanical resistance and stability, serviceability and durability. It determines
the performance characteristics for components that the manufacturer must achieve and declare through the
requirements of Part 1.

Why CE Marking?

From July all respective steel products must comply with this standard and manufacturers will need to prove product
conformance through mandatory CE marking. After this date it will be a criminal offence to supply and trade structural
metalwork on the European market unless it adheres to this standard and carries a legitimate CE mark.

CE Marking is simply a declaration by a manufacturer that a product meets a set of essential characteristics thereby
ensuring public safety. It is also a requirement of the Construction Products Regulation to harmonise the safety
performance of construction products across the EU CE Marking is however regulated by criminal law and the
penalties for not adhering to this mandate may result in fine, imprisonment or product recall.

Does BS EN 1090 apply to my business?

This new regulation will affect you if you are an importer, distributor, manufacturer or fabricator of steel products who
changes the original properties of a structural component. Changing the original properties includes but is not limited
to shot-blasting, painting, cutting, cold forming, drilling, flame cutting, bending, rolling, marking, welding etc.

If you fall into any of these categories you will need to have the following in place to successfully be awarded a CE
Mark:

A Factory Production Control system (FPC)

ISO 9001 or an equivalent quality management system
BS EN 1090 a legal requirement for the structural steel
industry (CE Marking)

How can ISOQAR help me get my CE Mark?

You will need to employ a UKAS accredited Notified Body such as ISOQAR to verify your conformance with the
requirements of CE Marking.

Step 1: ISO 9001 Quality Management System or equivalent

If your business is not certified to ISO 9001 then you will require a two stage audit to confirm that your quality
management system is suitable for the requirements of CE Marking prior to auditing the FPC.

Whilst it is not essential to be certified to ISO 9001 to gain a CE Mark, ISO 9001 certification shows commitment to
quality, customers, and a willingness to work towards improving process efficiency and best practice business
management.

If your organisation is already certified to ISO 9001 and you have been audited by a UKAS accredited body then
your processes will already be compliant with the requirements of CE Marking. This means that you can apply directly
for the FPC assessment.
 BS EN 1090 a legal requirement for the structural steel
industry (CE Marking)

Step 2: Factory Production Control (FPC)

Once you have demonstrated that you have an appropriate quality management system in place, you will need to
undertake the following:

Initial inspection of the manufacturing plant

Initial inspection of the FPC
Continuous surveillance, assessment and approval of the FPC, which will typically include: an annual audit to ensure
continued competence to the declared Execution Class (Table B.3 OF BS EN 1090-1 sets out minimum levels for the
routine surveillance intervals)
Issue a FPC certificate and Welding Certificate identifying the execution class that you have achieved.

Dont leave it too late!

Whilst your organisation may be confident that it has robust business processes in place, preparing for independent
audit should not be taken lightly. Adequate time and resources should be made available to ensure successful third
party assessment and review. Since the number of UKAS accredited Notified Bodies is limited we recommend that
you book your FPC or certification audit in plenty of time.