In 2014 the steel fabrication industry faced a significant change as it became a legal requirement for all steelwork used on construction projects throughout the European Union to be CE certified. The requirement states that all fabricated steel structures such as mezzanine floors are designed and manufactured in order to adhere to a set of standards set out within BS EN 1090.

The responsibility to check the materials used on a project lies with the project manager or in most cases, the end-user. In addition, it is the responsibility of distributors to ensure the products they allow into an end-user are suitably certified.

You will no doubt be familiar with the CE logo which is seen on most consumer goods and CE marking was introduced to construction products in the European Unions Construction Products Directive of 1988. As the directive was extended many more products were added including mezzanine floors which are considered to be of execution level two.

There are varying consequences for those who fail to comply with the CE Marking Mandate which range from prohibition notices for the least serious infringements up to the possibility of fines and imprisonment for the worst cases.