hEN 1090-1, Execution of steel structures and aluminium structures – Part 1: Requirements for conformity assessment of structural components, permits, in its Annex B, that the frequency of Factory Production Control (FPC) audits may be extended to one visit every three years. The Sector Group of the Group of Notified Bodies (GNB) responsible for this standard, SG17, has put forward a position stating that visits have to take place at least once per year.
A large number of SMEs are involved in structural metal product fabrication. A three-fold increase in the cost of audit visits will be challenging for many SMEs, especially those with relatively low volumes of production or which are involved in the production of one-off products. The suggested frequency increase, if accepted, would place an even greater relative burden on SME manufacturers of structural metal products playing a minor structural role.
