Celsa Group, one of the largest steel producers in Europe, is the first manufacturer to attain certification for UK production facilities under the British Board of Agrément’s new UKAS-accredited Reinforcing Steel Scheme.
The BBA revealed details of the scheme – designed to offer a straightforward and robust route to demonstrating industry compliance – in December following months of collaboration with the rebar sector and wider supply chain.
The Celsa Group was one of the first producers to engage with the new initiative, going on to achieve BBA Reinforcing Steel Scheme certification for Celsa Manufacturing UK’s production facilities in Cardiff.
BBA Technical Director Professor Bill Hewlettsaid: “We view the scheme as a natural progression to our renowned certification services and are excited to announce Celsa as the first recipient of this new robust and technically rigorous certification.
“When we announced the scheme we were already in talks with rebar manufacturers wanting certification services so really hit the ground running, being open for business from day one. Our decades of certification experience and impartiality no doubt helped in ensuring a smooth transition for Celsa and the other clients currently going through the process.”
Chris Hagg, Head of Sustainability and Strategy for CELSA Steel UK said: “We are delighted to be the first company to achieve this new UKAS-approved accreditation. The BBA has been at the forefront of certification of a broad range of construction products for well over 50 years and the addition of reinforcing steel to its portfolio is very welcome. In a post-Grenfell world of doubts being cast on the validity and authenticity of product testing, this scheme offers additional independent, third-party verified, trusted approval and brings extra value, confidence and reassurance to our customers.”
The Celsa Group produces more than seven million tonnes of steel each year, with Celsa Steel UK being the largest producer of reinforcement in the UK and one of the biggest manufacturers of other steel long products, shipping around one million tonnes of finished product from its Cardiff factory annually.
The Reinforcing Steel Scheme covers production at steel mills, cold rolling and processing plants, assessing manufacturing, process control and management systems to industry defined standards backed by continual benchmarking through material testing. The BBA samples products and witnesses in-house testing to determine compliance. Samples are also submitted to third party UKAS-accredited labs for confirmation on material compliance.
Professor Hewlett added: “The scheme is very much client-focussed and assures the supply chain of a high quality, consistent product verified by a third party auditing process. It is straightforward yet robust, providing assurance that reinforcing steel products manufactured within its scope meet the relevant standards. It is a natural progression for us to apply our experience to the rebar market to assist in upholding industry best practice and a professional supply chain whilst working with product manufacturers to support their innovation.”
