Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Video | Agriculture | Confidence | Economy | Energy | Employment | Finance | Media | Property | RBNZ | Science | SOEs | Tax | Technology | Telecoms | Tourism | Transport | Search

 

Steel industry makes quality certification compulsory

Media Release

29 September 2016

Steel industry makes quality certification compulsory

The Steel Fabricator Certification (SFC) qualification will soon be mandatory for all Steel Construction New Zealand (SCNZ) fabricator members.

Launched in 2014, SFC is an industry-led quality assurance scheme that aims to reduce risk for specifiers. It ensures participating structural steel fabricators are capable of manufacturing product to the specified quality standard by certifying that companies have the appropriate personnel and quality management systems in place.

Members of industry organisation SCNZ voted unanimously to introduce the compulsory requirement at its AGM in Napier on September 16.

Bob Hawley, SCNZ Chair and Managing Director of structural steel fabricator Red Steel Limited, says: “New Zealand’s structural steel fabricators have shown overwhelming support for the SFC scheme and to raising industry standards. We are committed to providing compliant product of the highest quality for building and infrastructure projects up and down the country.

“This new resolution means that SCNZ membership will be much more than simply paying an annual fee; members will first have to qualify then ensure they maintain their standard,” says Mr Hawley.

Hawkins Construction Auckland Regional Manager Terry Buchan says: “Compliant product that meets New Zealand standards is of paramount importance to our building and infrastructure projects. As a major customer to the structural steel industry, we applaud SCNZ and its members for taking this positive step to bolster the quality assurance of the fabricated steelwork produced locally. It’s a welcome development that will give us increased confidence in New Zealand fabricated product.”

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

Since SFC’s introduction, 23 fabricators – representing 75 percent of New Zealand’s structural steel output – have become certified.

New members must now qualify for SFC prior to being inducted into SCNZ. Existing SCNZ members now have four years to meet the new requirement. This timeframe will allow the industry to prepare – there are currently 64 steel fabricator members to be certified. The SFC process involves an initial audit followed by annual reviews.

“As with many construction materials, the current compliance regime for structural steelwork relies, for the most part, on self-inspection and self-certification. This approach is dependent on the expertise, ethics and quality systems of the fabricator, and on the knowledge and expertise of engineers and welding inspectors, to assess if the steel supplied is compliant,” says Mr Hawley.

Significantly, the SFC scheme raises the bar by providing independent, expert certification of New Zealand fabrication companies. Independent auditing body HERA Certification has been established to audit and certify steel fabricators to ensure they have both the welding and the fabrication quality management systems in place to consistently produce fully compliant steelwork.

Mr Hawley says the new resolution provides an important point of difference for locally fabricated steelwork compared with offshore competitors.

“The current boom in construction activity has seen an increased amount of imported prefabricated steelwork entering New Zealand. However, there have been cases where it has not been easy to prove the steelwork meets the required specification, leading to expensive and time-consuming testing to demonstrate compliance. The upshot is costly project delays,” says Mr Hawley.

“The SFC scheme, on the other hand, provides procurers and specifiers, such as engineers, architects, quantity surveyors and building contractors, with greater certainty of product quality and significantly reduced compliance risk,” says Mr Hawley.

SFC helps builders to pre-qualify steel fabrication companies capable of doing the work to the required standard, Mr Hawley says. And there is less effort required on the part of the engineer and the builder to manage quality.

“An increased pool of SFC-qualified fabricators also means builders and engineers can be confident there will be plenty of choice,” says Mr Hawley.

To find out more about Steel Fabricator Certification visit www.steelfabcert.co.nz.

Ends

About Steel Construction New Zealand

Steel Construction New Zealand Inc. (SCNZ) aims to advance the interests of New Zealand’s diverse structural steel industry by promoting the benefits of steel solutions in building and infrastructure projects. Members include manufacturers of structural steel and steel products, distributors, fabricators, designers, detailers, galvanisers, and paint and building supply companies. SCNZ provides its members with technical advice on the latest in steel design trends and standards, networking opportunities and a representative voice with key industry and government decision makers. For more information please visit www.scnz.org.

About Steel Fabricator Certification

The Heavy Engineering Research Association (HERA) and Steel Construction New Zealand (SCNZ) developed a new quality assurance programme: the Steel Fabricator Certification (SFC) scheme. The aim of SFC is to reduce compliance risk for procurers and specifiers. It recognises fabricators who have appropriate quality management systems and personnel in place to consistently produce work of the required quality. SFC is based on a modified version of the highly regarded European system and incorporates the requirements of existing standards and the Weld Quality Standard AS/NZS ISO 3834. It recognises four construction categories, allowing engineers to specify a level of quality appropriate for the risk. Participating fabricators are certified by an independent auditing authority. Certification is valid for five years and includes annual surveillance audits. By September 2020, all SCNZ fabricator members will be SFC qualified. For more information please visit www.steelfabcert.co.nz.


© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Business Headlines | Sci-Tech Headlines

 
GenPro: General Practices Begin Issuing Clause 14 Notices

GenPro has been copied into a rising number of Clause 14 notices issued since the NZNO lodged its Primary Practice Pay Equity Claim against General Practice employers in December 2023.More

SPADA: Screen Industry Unites For Streaming Platform Regulation & Intellectual Property Protections

In an unprecedented international collaboration, representatives of screen producing organisations from around the world have released a joint statement.More

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.