What is BS EN 1090?
BS EN 1090 is a European standard which the United Kingdom has adopted, so it’s an international one, and it covers structural steel and aluminium. The BS stands for British Standards and shows that the British Standards Institution has endorsed and adopted EN 1090 for use in the UK.
A brief background
The 1989 Construction Products Directive (CPD) set out a common framework throughout the EU to guarantee the integrity of building and construction works. From July 2014, it became mandatory to follow the BS EN 1090 standard and mark products correctly according to Conformité Européenne (CE), since fabricated steel items are designated ‘safety critical’.
Post-Brexit, the UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) mark was launched in January 2021. So any structural metalwork placed on the UK market of Great Britain (i.e. including England, Scotland and Wales) now needs to add the UKCA mark to show it meets the manufacturing standard.
What does it say?
BS EN 1090 is aimed at enhancing the fabrication and assembly of steel and aluminium construction and comprises three elements:
EN 1090-1: CE Marking: This outlines the requirements for assessing and verifying conformity.
EN 1090-2: This part outlines the technical requirements for making and putting together steel structures.
EN 1090-3: This does the same, but for aluminium structures.
Steel goods generally come under one of four categories:
Class 1 covers those presenting the smallest risk to life, for example agricultural buildings.
Class 2 is the most common group and covers buildings with between two and 15 storeys, including those for general residential use plus commercial structures.
Class 3 categories encompass anything more than 15 floors high, such as crane tracks and bridges.
Class 4 covers structures posing the greatest potential threat to life, for example huge sliding roofs at massive stadiums.
Why does it matter?
BS EN 1090 ensures overall traceability, compliance and verification across the entire manufacturing process, so that all elements of production comply with the standard.
It also matters because it covers so many elements, from proper storage and certification to staff training and equipment set-up and calibration. Documents and records are all controlled under the standard, as is auditing.
Those products which don’t conform are controlled too, and the standard additionally encompasses product identification and marking.
How do we ensure compliance?
For a start, you need to have a Factory Production Control (FPC) system in place describing how you manage processes from first contact with a customer through to final quality pre-shipment checks.
At the same time you, need to ensure welder competence, since under the standard all welders must be fully qualified via an external testing body, while these workers are also subject to checks every six months to guarantee welds are being done at the right level.
Full BS EN 1090 compliance with Two J’s Metalwork
At Two J’s Metalwork, we follow industry accreditations including BS EN 1090 so that every project is compliant, reliable and completed with a high level of precision and accuracy.
We provide exceptional metalwork solutions for a diverse portfolio, from something as small-scale as a domestic extension to something as big as a stadium, the HS2 project or a major hospital scheme. Every member of our expert team started out as an apprentice before becoming a seasoned professional, and is capable of tackling any project no matter how complex – we place a high premium on exceptional craftmanship.
But we keep things as simple and hassle-free as we can from start to finish with clear communication, realistic timescales and bespoke solutions. Plus our commitment to quality means we never settle for less than the highest standards.
So, whatever the project, we’re ready to deliver superlative results. Take the first step – get in touch today.
