By Lyndsey Hall
From July 1st, all steelwork that is not CE marked and does not comply with regulations will have to be dismantled.
CE marking was already made compulsory on July 1st 2013 for all construction products covered by a harmonised European standard, or conforming to a European Technical Assessment (ETA), and from the beginning of next month it will also be mandatory for fabricated structural steelwork, which includes manufactured components that, when assembled, form a complete frame.
This is one of the most significant changes that the construction industry has faced in almost a decade, and, with only 10 days until the deadline, many companies are still not ready to comply.
Penalties for non-compliance range from suspension notices, prohibition notices and application for forfeiture to fines and imprisonment, depending on the offence.
The product standards for CE Marking, as well as the consequences for non-compliance depending on the structure, can be found here.
There are also certain requirements for steelwork contractors in order to be able to CE mark the work that they produce. Contractors must declare performance to the System 2+ level of assessment, the requirements for which can be found here.
In order for a steelwork contractor to demonstrate their right to CE mark their products, they must be able to provide a Factory Production Control (FPC) Certificate, a Welding Certificate, both issued by a notified body, and a Declaration of Performance (DoP) issued by the steelwork contractor.
The main contractor or client engaging the steelwork contractor must carry out due diligence before appointing any contractor who will be delivering fabricated structural steelwork on or after July 1st.
For more information visit SteelConstruction.info.
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