14 Feb Introducing UKCA Markings – What is changing?

If you’re based in the UK and have ever bought, fabricated or built using structural steel, you may not be aware that you’ve been using steel that’s has a CE marking. What does this mean? This guide is here to tell you all you need to know.

Established in July 2013, CE marking is a way of enforcing European manufacturing standards across the EU. The marking is applied to steel to indicate that it’s of a suitable quality to use. Following Brexit, the UK announced that it was creating its own version of this, which has since been revealed to be UKCA markings.

The experienced structural steel fabricators working at Baker Steel Trading have experience using and supplying both CE and UKCA marked materials, so if you’re looking to learn about the differences between these two sets of standards, continue reading this blog post.

What are UKCA Marks?

The acronym UKCA stands for UK Conformity Assessed marking, which has become the country’s new way of demonstrating compliance with the relevant steel standards. Introduced in January 2021, this covers regulations in England, Wales and Scotland. If the fabricated steel is used in Northern Ireland, the products will need to use both CE and UKNI markings.

UKCA and CE markings will be relevant until January 2023 to help steel fabricators, manufacturers and steel beam suppliers comply with this new set of standards. From this point, CE marking will no longer be relevant in Great Britain and steel beams, columns, and other products will need to have a UKCA marking.

Do I Need to Comply with UKCA Markings for Structural Steel Fabrication?

Here at Baker Steel Trading, we ensure that all of the structural steel we use meets relevant European and British regulations, so if you want to learn the specific list of when UKCA guidance has to be followed, you’ve come to the right place. 

It’s against the law to work with steel that doesn’t comply with UKCA standards if you regularly:

• Import structural metalwork kits or components into the UK. As other countries have different regulations, you need to ensure that the steel you’re receiving also meets the UK market’s safety regulations.
• Modify items such as structural steel beams by using methods such as drilling, painting and bending. As you’d expect, this kind of modification can weaken the surface of a material, so you need to check that the product meets UKCA guidance.
• Manufacture steel components that will be used in civil engineering, as they will require an exceptional level of safety and reliability to maintain public safety.

We used the term “regularly” above to highlight that if a single product is created as a special commission, without the possibility of more of the same to be manufactured later, then you don’t have to worry about affixing the UKCA marking. However, if a series of steel products are going to be manufactured at any point, then BS EN 1090-1 certification will be required, along with the appropriate markings.

Differences Between UKCA and CE Marks

If you’re used to following the EU market’s regulations that came with using CE marked steel, then you may be concerned about what you’ll have to change to follow the new UK-specific regulations. Thankfully, UKCA markings and their rules are almost identical to CE ones.

One change you may have to make is obtaining a type-examination certificate from a third party. However, most manufacturers will be able to self-declare their steel based on the results of tests that are undertaken. Whether this is an available option for you depends on the specifics of the steel you’re using.

As you’ll probably expect, UKCA marking being UK-specific means that it has no relevance in the EU. Therefore, if your steel will be shipped to any EU member country, dual marking (UKCA and CE) will be required.

Contact Steel Fabrication Experts

Suppose you’re looking through steel fabrication companies to find one that can reliably meet all UKCA and CE regulations whilst providing high-quality structural steel. In that case, Baker Steel Trading are here to help. We’re proud to supply both CE and UKCA marked steel for complete conformity, helping you construct a steel frame building or complete other construction projects.