The EN 1090 Questions Irish Fabricators Get Asked Most

Every steel fabricator selling into Irish construction needs to understand EN 1090. It is the harmonised European standard that governs CE marking of structural steel and aluminium, and CE marking to EN 1090-1 has been a legal requirement for structural steel placed on the market in Ireland since July 2014. That means EN 1090 certification in Ireland is not optional for anyone fabricating beams, columns, trusses, portal frames or staircases for permanent construction use.

The questions below are the ones we hear most often from fabricators working towards certification and from the main contractors and engineers who appoint them. The answers are practical rather than clause-by-clause, because what matters on the workshop floor is knowing what you must hold, why a customer asks for it, and where the process trips businesses up.

What is EN 1090 and does it apply to my workshop?

EN 1090-1 is the European standard covering the manufacture and CE marking of structural steel and aluminium components for permanent use in construction works. If your workshop produces load-bearing steelwork that ends up in a finished structure, it applies to you regardless of the size of the business.

The scope is broad. It captures building frames, mezzanines, agricultural sheds, staircases, balustrades, bridges and support structures. A fabricator producing structural steelwork without a certified Factory Production Control system in place is placing non-compliant product on the market, which is a real commercial and legal exposure when a main contractor checks paperwork before payment.

What do I actually need to hold to comply?

Compliance is a system, not a single certificate on the wall. In practice a fabricator needs to have the following in place and audited by a Notified Body:

• A documented Factory Production Control (FPC) system that reflects how the workshop genuinely operates
• A qualified Responsible Welding Coordinator where welding is carried out, with welding quality management aligned to the relevant part of the EN ISO 3834 series
• Material traceability, so any component can be traced back to its material certificate
• Qualified welders and approved welding procedures for the work being done
• A Declaration of Performance for each product type, and the CE mark affixed before the product goes out the door

The single most common gap we see is the distance between the written system and the reality on the floor. An FPC manual copied from a template will not survive a certification audit if the workshop does not run the way the paperwork says it does.

What is an execution class and who decides which one applies?

Execution class sets how rigorous the fabrication controls must be, and it runs from EXC1 through EXC4. EXC1 covers low-consequence work such as some agricultural buildings, EXC2 covers most commercial and residential steelwork, EXC3 covers higher-consequence structures including many public buildings and bridges, and EXC4 covers special structures where failure carries the most severe consequences.

The execution class is a design decision. The engineer or project team sets it based on consequence class, service category and production category, and it should arrive with the design information. Fabricators run into trouble when they price and programme a job assuming EXC2 and the specification later confirms EXC3, which carries tighter welding, inspection and traceability demands. Confirm the execution class in writing before you quote.

Who issues EN 1090 certification in Ireland?

Certification of your FPC system is carried out by a Notified Body, an independent organisation authorised to assess conformity. Several operate in the Irish market, including the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) and other accredited bodies servicing fabricators here. You can confirm a body's scope and status through the European Commission's NANDO database of Notified Bodies.

The Notified Body assesses the FPC system, not each individual product. Once certified, the fabricator is responsible for issuing Declarations of Performance and affixing the CE mark on an ongoing basis, with the certification maintained through surveillance audits.

How long does certification take and what does it cost?

With focused preparation, getting from a standing start to a certification audit typically takes several weeks to a few months, depending on the size of the business, the execution class and how much of a welding and quality system is already in place. Fabricators with existing welder qualifications and material traceability move faster than those building everything from scratch.

Costs vary widely by company size, execution class and current systems, so any single figure quoted online should be treated with caution. The larger cost is usually internal: the management time to build and embed the FPC system, qualify welders and train a Responsible Welding Coordinator. That is why the businesses that treat certification as an operational project, not a paperwork exercise, get better value from it.

Why do main contractors and engineers ask for it before appointing a fabricator?

Because the certification is the customer's evidence that the steelwork will be manufactured consistently, that materials are traceable and that welding is properly controlled. A main contractor carries the risk if non-compliant steel ends up in their building, so checking a fabricator's EN 1090 status and welding credentials is basic due diligence before award.

For fabricators, that makes certification a route to work rather than a cost centre. It is a precondition for tendering most commercial and public steelwork, and demonstrable compliance is a genuine differentiator when several fabricators are competing for the same package. Listing on a recognised register of certified fabricators makes that status easy for customers to verify, which is one reason the Irish Steel Certified Register exists.

How is EN 1090 changing under the revised Construction Products Regulation?

The Construction Products Regulation framework that underpins CE marking has been revised, with the new Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 phasing in to replace the 2011 regulation over the coming years. The core obligation for structural steel, that it must be CE marked to demonstrate conformity, is not going away.

The practical position at the time of writing is that fabricators should keep their existing FPC and welding systems in good order and watch for guidance on transition timelines. For the current legal status and any commenced changes, the authoritative sources are NSAI and the European Commission. Irish Steel members can raise specific compliance questions through the association's fast-track technical support rather than trying to interpret the transition alone.

Where fabricators lose time, and how to avoid it

Since 2014 Irish Steel has supported fabricators through certification, and a clear pattern runs across the membership. The businesses that struggle are the ones that leave welding coordination and welder qualification until the audit is booked, or that inherit an execution class late in a job. The businesses that sail through treat the FPC system as the way the workshop runs every day, with the paperwork simply recording it.

The two areas worth investing in early are welding quality management and inspection competence, because they carry the most technical weight in an audit and the most risk on site. Building those capabilities in-house also reduces long-term dependence on outside consultants.

Getting the right support in place

EN 1090 certification is manageable when it is approached as an operational project with the right people trained. Irish Steel members access discounted, industry-specific training built for the metal-working sector, including Welding Inspection and the Responsible Welding Coordinator course, alongside fast-track technical and compliance support and a listing on the Certified Register that puts a compliant fabricator in front of the main contractors who are looking for one. You can review the standard in more detail on the Irish Steel EN 1090 standards page, or join Irish Steel to access member training rates and technical support.

Common questions about EN 1090 certification in Ireland

Is EN 1090 certification a legal requirement in Ireland?

Yes. CE marking to EN 1090-1 has been mandatory in Ireland since July 2014 for structural steel and aluminium components placed on the market for permanent use in construction. Fabricators producing load-bearing steelwork without a certified Factory Production Control system are placing non-compliant product on the market.

Does a small fabrication workshop still need EN 1090?

Yes. The requirement applies to any business producing structural steel for permanent construction use, regardless of size. What varies is the execution class and the scale of the systems needed, not whether the standard applies. Smaller workshops with existing welder qualifications often reach certification faster.

Who decides the execution class for a project?

The engineer or project team sets the execution class as a design decision, based on consequence class, service category and production category. It should arrive with the design information, and fabricators should confirm it in writing before quoting, as a jump from EXC2 to EXC3 carries tighter welding and inspection requirements.

Do I need a Responsible Welding Coordinator for EN 1090?

Where welding is carried out, yes. A qualified Responsible Welding Coordinator is a core part of the welding quality management EN 1090 requires, working alongside welding controls aligned to the EN ISO 3834 series. Irish Steel runs a Responsible Welding Coordinator course at member rates.

How does the Irish Steel Certified Register help with EN 1090?

The Certified Register lists certified steel fabricators so main contractors, engineers and customers can verify compliance quickly when appointing a fabricator. For members, a listing turns EN 1090 status into visibility with the buyers who are actively looking for a compliant fabricator.

This article is for general information only. For guidance on standards, certification, or training, contact the Irish Steel team.