Certification & verification

We’ve gone from strength to strength to deliver services and quality compliance schemes that ensure safety and reliability of steel structures in New Zealand.

And achieving this goal has meant truly assessing the very diverse needs of our members and finding new ways to give the certification and verification support they need to adhere to international best practice and maintain a competitive edge.

In a performance-driven metals engineering industry, we know that ensuring products and services are at the highest standard they can be is integral. Giving our locally fabricated steel an important point of difference against imported fabricated alternatives and the ability to achieve market acceptance.

Across our team, this has resulted in a number of undertakings to put this goal in to focus.

Our core offerings

Third party verification through HERA Verified

HERA Verified was born out of a need for reliable third party assessment services for our supplier and manufacturer membership. Our unique position as an established and independent association allowing us to launch this offering in 2012 as a means to help innovative products and services achieve market acceptance.

At it’s core, HERA Verified awards a recognised quality mark testifying that it’s manufacturers’ technical data has been independently assessed. This covers the reliability of the range of performance data offered by suppliers – and is particularly beneficial where products are new or values are not based on calculations in accordance with NZ, Australian or other international standards.

Following assessment, an annual licence to promote the product or service as HERA Verified is granted – providing an exclusive reference relating to the scope of work given.

Assuring specifiers of steel construction through the SFC scheme

The Steel Fabricator Certification (SFC) scheme is a key mechanism for our New Zealand fabricators to compete against imported steel of uncertain provenance and quality. Based on the European system, this ensures those under this scheme adhere to the only mandatory certification system for structural steel worldwide.

Part of our focus for this scheme is ensuring that supervisors and inspectors are qualified to a recognised level to meet the SFC scheme requirements. Running regular courses throughout the year to ensure that companies are able to operate to proven procedures and have personnel in-house that are aligned to international best practice.

An independent certification body HERA Certification Ltd has also been created to service this scheme. By addressing current compliance regimes for structural steelwork which relies for the most part on self-inspection and certification.

This work is controlled by an independent governing board made up of the fabrication industry and other interested parties. And is the International Institute of Welding (IIW) Authorised National Body for Companies Certification (ANBCC) for New Zealand to IIW MCS ISO 3834.

Want to know more?

Contact Dr Michail Karpenko.

Green Star steel credit

With growing climate concerns worldwide, industries have been forced to relook how they interact with the environment and most importantly – challenged to adopt clean, sustainable thinking into their practices. In response the New Zealand’s commercial infrastructure space has aligned to the Green Star rating. Undertaking assessment in both the design and build phases of a project to assess their overall environmental impact.

Recognising this, we’ve actively worked with the Sustainable Steel Council to ensure New Zealand steel is dealt with fairly in this rating system. Not only continuing to support steel reinforcement, but expanding the scope to include structural steel buildings, Environmental Product Declarations (EPD’s) and Environmental Management Systems (EMS).

We’ve also aligned with the New Zealand Green Building Council to ensure the scope of steel is expanded past recycled steel. Giving our members the ability to measure their sustainablity and improve their global standing in climate reform.

It’s an exciting verification process that no doubt can open up the door of opportunity to the international market for those involved.

Want to know more? Contact Dr Stephen Hicks.