BS EN 1090
BS EN 1090 is the UK’s harmonized version of the European Construction Products Directive for structural metalwork. It is a legal requirement to comply with the directive and CE Mark product.
How do I get my products CE Marked?
You need to have
- a factory control procedure that complies with BS EN 1090
- products’ design approved by a qualified structural engineer
- determination of what Execution class the product falls into, depending on the potential for death or injury in the event of its failure, and
- have comprehensive records, especially regarding raw material and component traceability.
Your BS EN 1090 certification journey
Getting Started
- Provide a comprehensive briefing of what the standards require (both BS EN 1090-1, administrative and operational requirements, and either/or either BS EN 1090-2, technical requirements for steel, or BS EN 1090-3, technical requirements for aluminium, structures)
- Set a timetable and stick to it
- Begin to understand in detail how you operate
- Decide what you want covered by the certificate – which sites, and products. You can exclude some if you prefer.
- Put the right resources in place
Implementing
- Establish a detailed project plan in our online project management platform (and stick to it)
- Decide with you what administrative and operational controls you need in line with BS EN 1090-1 requires you to do
- Ensure you comply with the relevant technical requirements in part 2 if working in steel, or part 3 if working in aluminium
- Map out your business processes
- Conduct a gap analysis
- Implement the system
- Conduct a mini-audit (not mandatory, but a good way to check everything is as it should be and a dry-run of the certification audit).
Certification
- Appoint a notified body.
- Undergo a certification audit by a UKAS-accredited notified body.
- Brief you on post-certification activity
a. Ongoing surveillance audits & what you need to continue to do through the year - Agree where the finished, certified system should be housed
Episode guarantees certification
FAQ’s
Why should I bother, others don’t?
It’s a legal requirement to comply with the regulations, and the insurance sector is getting increasingly demanding of building owners to have complaint structures, for obvious reasons. It is also a key focus for the regulators, especially local trading standards offices.
Can you afford not to?
Will it create red tape and take too much time?
Done wrong, absolutely. Too many systems we see have a form or document to cover every aspect of the standard. That’s the easy way to build a system, and an equally easy way to cripple you operationally. You know when this is the case when you spend a month “updating” (i.e. creating false) records, etc. before the auditor next comes.
How long will it take?
It is difficult to give precise timescales, as it depends on a number of things such as how complex the business is, how close you are to complying with the requirements already, and so on. We recommend planning for it taking at least 3 months.
Why should I choose Episode?
For a fixed cost we will do as much of the work as possible, and guarantee certification.
Episode has worked with over 40 clients, many of whom have more than one standard they comply with (one has 5). All have been successfully certified and many subsequently ask us to help them maintain certification, and get more out of the system.
How much will it cost?
There are the following costs that will arise
- External consultants
Episode always gives a fixed fee proposal for a project, and we include guaranteed certification. A typical single standard project is about £3,900, but this does depend on the size and complexity of your business.
- Certification costs
A notified body needs to certify the system as being compliance with the standard. We will manage this process for you, and typical costs range from ££950 to £1,500 depending on size and complexity of the business.
- Internal business costs.
Typical additional costs arise because
- You must have CE Marked stock of raw materials and components with their traceability records.
- Equipment, such as welding machines, will need to ne calibrated by UKAS laboratory certified testing equipment. .
To speak to an expert to discuss your requirements call us on 0113 801 9001 or email us at info@episodeltd.com
What is quality management and BS EN 1090
In the UK it is a legal requirement that any structural metalwork is CE marked under the Construction Products Regulations (CPR), which were adopted in the UK in March 2011 to enforce the European Construction Products Directive. The aim of the directive is to harmonise 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. BS EN 1090 is the UK’s harmonised standard used to comply with the regulations.
Post-Brexit the UK coninutes to adopt the same regualtions, at least for now.
Since the 1st July 2014 it has been a criminal offence to supply structural metalwork unless it conforms to this standard and carries a legitimate CE (and now UKCA) mark. It is enforced by the Trading Standards Authority, who has the power to stop a business from trading and to withdraw any products supplied after July 1st 2014, until the company has shown that it complies with the Regulations.
Done right, BS EN 1090-1:2009 Execution of steel structures and aluminium structures Part 1: Requirements for conformity assessment of structural components need not add administrative burden to the operation. The system should be as simple and effective as possible, and easy to use. Most well-run manufacturers of structural metalwork will already have the elements needed to conform to BS EN 1090-1 and our qualified consultants will take what you already do and demonstrate how it meets the standard, rather than having to write completely new processes from scratch. This avoids the need for employees to learn new ways of working and cuts down the time needed for implementation.
When done correctly, gaining and maintaining ISO certification is not as complicated as most think. Trust Episode to make ISO work for you, not the other way around.
Contact us today on 0113 8019001 or click here to email us
It was only by utilising the expert guidance and experience of Episode that Thurston Group was able to attain certification within an exceptionally challenging time frame. We therefore offer our thanks to Episode Ltd. For the diligent and professional services provided. We also look forward to working with them again soon and would not hesitate to recommend their services."
Peter Spieight, Senior Divisional Director, Thurston Group, Wakefield
Roger's support was invaluable in terms of gap analysis, recommendations for improvement, and facilitation of the certification process. I would strongly recommend Roger to any organisation wishing to develop or improve its management systems, in a way which minimizes bureaucracy, and focuses on best serving the needs of the organization.
Gary Evans, Flour Corporation, Abu Dhabi
Roger and Sandy at Episode were great in helping us achieve not only one but two ISO standards 9001:2015 and 14001:2015. Episode were extremely helpful from the onset, they were able to break down the ISO standard so they were easily comprehensible and well applied to our business in a sustainable manner. They are a company that offers a guaranteed certification at the end of the process and they delivered it. I believe that the work completed during this process was key to us having won the Leeds Bid contract.
Harvey Mills, Managing Director, Forge Recycling, Leeds.
If Sandy hasn’t already updated you we are delighted to say we passed the transition audit for ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. Sandy did an absolutely fab job and all credit to her, we have loved having both of you here it’s been a pleasure.
I have had a brief chat with Morgan[the CEO] about the next steps and how we manage things going forwards. Morgan will be in touch with you soon about this and getting Episode/Sandy back in on a regular basis. Once again many thanks for everything and especially to Sandy!!
Morag Tearne, HR and Health & Safety Manager, H. Slingsby plc, Shipley
Episode is always prepared to go the extra mile. When in a tight spot the lead consultant carried out an audit for us at very short notice (on a Sunday afternoon) to keep us on track. What is important to us is the advice they give us is practical and tailored to us. The quality of output Episode produces is very high.
This has resulted in us having a multi-year managed service from Episode so as a company we know our ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 integrated system is up to date and working for us.
Gareth Walters, Financial Controller, Sports Turf Research Institute, Bingley.
When asked by Episode what three things they do well, and what three things they could improve upon, my answers were:
Done well
1. Client Communication, responded to queries very quickly
2. Requirements of the standard were communicated in a simple manner.
3. Assistance from initial implementation to date of assessment was very good.
I can honestly there is nothing I feel they should improve upon.
Paul Hunneybell, Operations Manager, Fenland Fire Contracts Limited, Luton
The consultant worked with the team in Scott Bader Middle East Ltd. to completely re-engineer our Integrated Management System incorporating ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001. Until then we were slaves to the ISO audits, with the systems not adding much value beyond certification. Now we have a business management system that really works for us and is truly integrated into our operations. We were also successfully re-certified along the way.
John Kemp, CEO Scott Bader Middle East, Africa and Asia
The consultant really focused on making our systems and processes work better for us, not just help us comply with ISO 9001. He was able to work with Department Heads and Senior Management to shape their strategic thinking about quality and business objectives without telling them what they had to do because the standard says so.
Karim D'Alessandro, HSE Director, Shelf Drilling Inc.