C.E. Marking is becoming a must this year

The construction industry is possibly facing one of the most significant changes for a decade as CE Marking of construction products becomes mandatory in all Member States throughout the European Union and the European Economic Area which, includes the UK. The standard that covers CE Marking of structural steelwork is BS EN 1090-1. This standard was published in 2009, and accepted in 2010.

From the 1st July 2014 the "CE" Mark is required on all fabricated products. This includes products such as steel sections, bolts, welding consumables and fabricated steel components that are used in building, bridges, highways or other civil engineering projects. Those affected by CE Marking should put in place a system of control for the manufacture of their products as described in BS EN 1090-1 and have the system certified by a recognised Body. Please note that it will be illegal to trade fabricated steelwork and related products on the European market after the 1st July 2014.

Note that CE Marking is regulated by criminal law and penalties for not having CE Marking or incorrectly CE Marking, if found guilty, are a fine, imprisonment or both. Although this will initially be difficult to police the main factor driving this standard will possibly come from customers themselves demanding this standard as insurance, liability, etc. could be affected if the standard is not met and an accident occurs.

The letters "CE" are the abbreviation of French phrase "Conformité Européene" which literally means "European Conformity" coming from the Directive 93/68/EEC in 1993. "CE Marking" is now used in all EU official documents. Therefore understanding the basic principles of the European CE marking directives is essential knowledge for anyone that is designing or manufacturing products that are destined for the European market including the UK. 

With little time to spare it is essential that all those affected start the process of gaining certification for CE Marking as soon as possible.  

Further information can be found at steelconstruction the free encyclopedia for UK steel construction.

Should you require any assistance please contact BETA