Billington first in UK to deliver CE Steel

RNS Number : 6700H

Billington Holdings PLC

02 June 2011

 



2 June 2011

Billington Holdings plc

("The Company" or "Billington")

Becomes first UK company to deliver CE Marked steel structure

Billington Holdings plc, one of the UK's leading structural steel and construction safety solutions specialists, today announces that its division, Billington Structures Ltd, has commenced fabrication of its first CE marked steel structure, a single storey braced frame for Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd, at Heaton Park in Manchester.

Communauté Européenne ('CE' or 'European Community') was introduced in 1995, CE Marking was created to stimulate the free circulation of goods within the European Community. When applied to any product or equipment indicates that the manufacturer or its authorised EU representative has declared that the product or equipment complies with all applicable European Directives. 

Certification will be introduced to the UK in July 2013, from which time it will become illegal to sell structural steelwork in the UK or the  Republic of Ireland that does not carry the CE Mark. 

CE Marking is not allowed unless the Factory Production Control (FPC) system under which they are produced has been assessed by a suitable certification body that has been approved to the European Commission.  Billington Structures, which has been fabricating steel since 1947,  demonstrated compliance with the new and more stringent European standards and was awarded the CE mark accreditation on 1^st May 2011.

Commenting on becoming the first company to commence fabrication of CE Marked steel, Steve Fareham, Chief Executive of of Billington said:

"Billington place great significance on compliance with industry standards and see the introduction of more stringent standards as a step forward for the industry.  Naturally, we're delighted that we have been able to satisfy the legal requirements and demonstrate compliance well ahead of the mandatory deadline of July 2013, and in doing so, become the first UK company to deliver CE Marked steel for Sainsbury's new supermarket in Manchester."

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For further information contact:

Billington Holdings plc Steve Fareham, Chief Executive	www.billington-holdings.plc.uk Tel: [phone]
Blythe Weigh Communications Tim Blythe, Ana Ribeiro, Matthew Neal	Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7138 3204
WH Ireland Limited Katy Mitchell	Tel: [phone]

Notes to Editors

With history dating back to 1947, Billington Holdings Plc was formed in June 2008 following the disposal of non-core assets and change of name from Amco Corporation Plc.

The Group comprises of two divisions:

Structural Steel

Billington Structures Ltd has supplied structural steelwork to the UK and overseas markets since 1947, specialising in design, supply, fabrication and erection. From our production facilities, in the North at Barnsley and the South at Bristol, we supply customers throughout the UK with a range of structures, from portal frame and beam and column buildings, to complex structures in excess of 6,000 tonnes. Between the two sites, we are able to process in the region of 25,000 tonnes of steel per annum.

Billington's expertise is relied upon by some of the most respected Blue Chip contractors in the UK. Supported by a loyal and proficient workforce, the company is committed to achieving excellence through training and unrivalled customer services.

Billington was the first fabricator in the industry to achieve ISO14001 for Environmental Practices, second to achieve ISO9001 for Quality Assurance, achieved ISO18001 for Health & Safety in 2005, Gold Standard in Sustainability 2006 and currently hold the prestigious Investors in People award. Billington's involvement with Blue Chip supply chain partnerships is tested and consistent, and has proved reliable for the more discerning organisations in the construction industry.

easi-edge Safety Solutions

easi-edge is a specialist in the development , production and rental or sale of edge protection systems and of other safety related products for the construction industry.

easi-edge's products are tested to BS EN 13374, Class B by Lloyds British and Lloyds Register and provide a complete service from technical services through to delivery and training. The easi-edge protection system has been designed by chartered structural engineers and is quality assured to ISO 9001.

Billington Holdings Plc is headquartered in Wombwell, South Yorkshire. For further information, visit http://www.billington-holdings.plc.uk/.

Below is an introduction to the topic of CE Marking:

The Construction Products Directive (CPD)

CE Marking of construction products was introduced in the Construction Products Directive (CPD) in 1988. The CPD is a European Directive that seeks to remove barriers to trade and applies to all construction products permanently incorporated in to 'construction works'. This includes steel products such as steel sections, bolts, welding consumables and fabricated steel components that are used in building, bridges, highways or other civil engineering projects. Put simply if the product is CE marked there is a presumption that it satisfies the regulations and the CPD, if the product is not CE Marked the onus is on the manufacturer or supplier to prove that it does satisfy the regulations. In July 2013 the CPD will become a mandatory regulation in the UK and all structural steelwork for buildings and bridges will have to carry a CE mark issued by the steelwork fabricator.

Harmonised standards

CE Marking is a declaration by the manufacturer that the product meets certain public safety requirements. The public safety requirements are a set of Essential Characteristics that each product must satisfy and these characteristics are given in the product's harmonised standard. For steel structures the main harmonised standards are:

·      Steel sections and plate - BS EN 10025-1

·      Hollow sections - BS EN 10219- 1 and BS EN 10210-1

·      Pre-loadable bolts - BS EN 14399-1

·      Non-preloadable bolts- BS EN 15048-1

·      Fabricated steel - BS EN 1090-1

CE Marking of Structural Steelwork

The standard that covers CE Marking of structural steelwork is BS EN 1090-1. This standard has been accepted by member states and was published in 2009 but certification  to the standard only became possible in March 2011. Because steel components are "safety critical", CE Marking is not allowed unless the Factory Production Control (FPC) system under which they are produced has been assessed by a suitable certification body that has been approved to the European Commission. Whilst the UK is now in an extended transition period, CE Marking will become mandatory in most other European Countries in  July 2012.

 

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