CE Accreditation – NSSS 7th Edition

NSSS 7th Edition – CE Accreditation

We are often asked at Lowe Stillages and Cages what is involved in the provision of CE Coding? As a company we are very proud of the quality recognition we have for our Products but this does not come frivolously. All our systems are constantly monitored to make sure we meet the highest of standards which are required for CE Accreditation.

This allows us to CE mark any of the products that we manufacture to show the professionalism of our Company, the Procedures we follow and the qualifications of our Fabricators / Welders. As we say when buying a Lowe Stillage you will get ‘Confidence in Compliance’ this means that the Stillage and Trolleys you buy from us will be designed and manufactured fit for the purpose, to the relevant standards that you have procured them for.

This is why Lowe are accredited to work for many of the high end industries in the UK i.e., Nuclear, Marine, Motor, Power etc. as confidence in compliance is a prerequisite for the procurement of equipment in these industries. A part of the Specification from which we are governed have recently been updated as follows.

The National Structural Steelwork Specification has now been updated to the 7th Edition and comes into force in January 2021, this is produced by the BCSA. This latest edition has been extensively updated and represents the biggest change since its introduction in 1989.

The purpose of a structural steelwork specification is to state what materials and products should be used and how work (fabrication and erection) should be carried out, in order to ensure that the completed structure meets the designer’s assumptions and the client’s needs. Design standards, such as the Eurocodes, give design rules that are valid only if strength, dimensional accuracy and freedom from defects are within presumed limits. The performance of a structure required by regulations will also only be achieved when construction is within presumed limits.

The complete ‘execution specification’ for a structure comprises a range of contractual documents, including drawings, a general specification with technical requirements for supply of materials and products and for workmanship, and project-specific requirements for the individual structure..

Significant changes include a mandatory requirement for all steelwork contractors to put in place a third-party certified welding quality management system to BS EN ISO 3834

The main body of the NSSS is limited to Execution Class 2, but this version also contains an Annex of the requirements for Execution Class 3 for static structures and an Annex giving general guidance on Execution Class 3 for buildings subject to fatigue, such as crane supporting structures.

To allow steelwork contractors time to put in place the necessary third-party systems to comply with the Specification it has been decided that the NSSS will not come in to force until 1st January 2021 Welding

Welds are generally specified on drawings by symbols in accordance with the relevant standard. Welding is a relatively expensive operation and weld sizes should not be over-specified. Welding is also a specialist activity and should be executed by appropriately qualified, trained and experienced personnel. The NSSS and BS EN 1090-2 require that § Welding must be carried out in accordance with a weld procedure specification, which itself has been based on a weld procedure test, carried out in accordance with the reference standards § Welding must be carried out by a welders qualified for the particular type of work in accordance with the reference standards.

Furthermore, the NSSS requires that the steelwork contractor’s system for the management of welding will meet the quality requirements contained in BS EN ISO 3834-3

All welds must be inspected, and a proportion of them should be tested as prescribed in the NSSS. The adherence to the reference standards should ensure that the welding is completed without defects in the welds.

If you have any questions or would like a quotation, please don’t hesitate to send in an enquiry here, or alternatively please send me an email on [email protected].

The above is courtesy of the BCSA.