The CE (or Conformité Européenne) mark stipulation was developed after the particularly harsh winters of 2010 and 2011, during which large numbers of agricultural buildings collapsed under the weight of snow, killing livestock and placing farming livelihoods in grave peril, mainly due to poor manufacturing processes and imperfect design. This also led to a raft of costly insurance claims.

In response, since the start of July 2014, all structural frame manufacturers have been obliged by law to have their Design Protocol and Factory Production Control Procedures assessed to European Standard EN 1090.

It is enforced by Trading Standards, who will respond to complaints over non-compliance. Directors of organisations which consistently refuse to comply could face prison sentences. In addition non complying products can be recalled.

Both the frame manufacturer’s design process and their factory quality control systems will have to be checked by a notified body, which must be accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service.

Following an initial assessment, if the frame maker passes, they will be accredited to CE Mark for their frames, and continued compliance will be checked twice a year.

CE Mark Benefits

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What’s in it for customers?

This award means you can rest assured any structural steel you buy from us complies in full with the law, and the most stringent building standards, this gives you quality to an assured standard, but also that you can expect a longer lifespan of the steel, given the superior build quality and the rigorous testing involved. The catalyst for the CE marking was bought in because of some buildings being built that were not fit for purpose and resulted buildings collapsing. This standard brings steel manufacturers to build to a set standard.