Ancon confirms CE Marking compliance as new deadline hits the Industry

From 1st July 2014, the CE Marking of structural steelwork to BS EN 1090 becomes a legal requirement. After this date, any fabricated structural component delivered to site without a CE mark, including masonry supports and windposts, is in breach of the EU Construction Products Regulation, enforced by Trading Standards.

Ancon is proud to have offered the Industry a fully CE-compliant range since July 2013 - a full year ahead of the industry deadline.

The CE Marking of Ancon’s extensive product portfolio was the culmination of a major programme of independent product testing and external audits. The successful completion of this process, so far in advance of the 2014 deadline, demonstrates the robust design and manufacturing operations deployed at our UK manufacturing sites.

Ancon encourages the industry to understand the risks, demand the CE mark and accept no excuses.

Stuart Maxwell, Ancon Managing Director, says,

The process of gaining CE Marking on structural steel components is designed to ensure consistent quality standards and to reduce risk, with particular attention to weld quality, so it is important that the Industry recognises what assurances the Mark gives and demands the CE Mark.

Achieving all the requirements for fabricated components is a complex process, requiring strict working standards and controls, as well as Eurocode-compliant designs.

Risks and penalties for non-compliance

Manufacturers and distributors of non-compliant materials are most at risk from legal action, which can take the form of suspension notices, fines or even imprisonment; most are therefore well aware of this legislation and responsible suppliers have acted accordingly.

Engineers and contractors should also be aware of the dangers posed by non-compliance and are less aware of the Regulation. Enforcement agencies, such as Trading Standards, have the power to confiscate goods, which could lead to costly site disruptions and delays. More importantly, product liability and building insurance may be null and void, and project teams may find themselves having to demonstrate that a structure is fit for purpose where non-compliant materials are used.

Specifying structural steelwork from 1st July 2014

Engineers and contractors should amend their specifications to ensure only CE Marked products are used on their projects.

To comply with the new mandatory regulation only steelwork contractors or steel product manufacturers with an ’Execution Class’ equal to that required should be considered. Ancon is certified to undertake welded fabrication work to Execution Class 2 to EN 1090-2. This covers the majority of applications and is the default class when unspecified.

Engineers are responsible for specifying the Execution Class for the structure, the components and the details; these could be the same for all three or could vary.

When does CE marking have to be affixed on the basis of EN 1090-1:2009+A1:2011?

There is an official answer to this question on the Europa.eu website - see FAQ number 31 on the link below. Within the explanation on Europa.eu is a link to a non-exhaustive list of products which fall outside the scope of CE Marking to EN1090. This list contains structural products which fall under the scope of other harmonised standards and products which are not applicable to design codes.

https://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/construction/product-regulation/faq_en

This useful list confirms the CE Marking requirements of products such as continuous masonry support angles and windposts.

Essential CE Marking documentation

In order for a steelwork contractor or steel product manufacturer to demonstrate their right to CE Mark their products, they must provide the following three documents:

• Factory Production Control (FPC) Certificate – issued by a notified body
• Welding Certificate – issued by a notified body
• Declaration of Performance (DoP) – issued by the steelwork contractor/manufacturer

All Ancon’s documents are freely available on this site.

A standard BS ISO 9001 certificate should not be accepted in place of any of the above. The audit requirements of the two systems are very different with EN1090 having more onerous demands and checks.

From 1st July 2013, all Ancon bespoke structural steelwork has been delivered with a project-specific CE mark, linked directly to a Declaration of Performance, a Factory Production Control (FPC) certificate and a Welding Certificate.

Selecting a supplier and validating a CE Mark

Engineers, distributors and contractors should:

• Check that the supplier meets or exceeds the Execution Class requirements
• Check that the material is covered by the Welding Certificate
• Check that the Factory Production Control and Welding Certificates are still current and cover the period of the contract

Further Information

For further information please read our previously published materials on this subject:

Download the Ancon Guide to CE Marking from the Downloads area

Read our 2013 news story ‘Ancon leads the way with CE Marking of Brick Support Systems and Windposts’

Read our guide to Execution Class

Products outside the scope of CE Marking

Products which fall outside the scope of a harmonised European Standard or which do not have a European Technical Approval, do not require a CE mark. Where this is the case, Ancon holds a number of voluntary, third party approvals for these products which often have similar or sometimes greater compliance requirements than CE marking.

A list of harmonised standards is available at
https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/harmonised-standards/construction-products_en