UKCA marking

The UKCA marking is the new regulation for mandatory UK product certification (UKCA stands for UK Conformity Assessed) that replaces the EC marking after the UK separation from the European Union. Effective from 2023, the technical requirements of the EC marking will be almost identical to the conformity assessment criteria and standards applicable to meet compliance with the UKCA marking.

In fact, the UKCA marking shall apply to almost all products for which EC marking was previously mandatory.

UNKA came into effect on January 1, 2021, for all new products placed on the market and will remain the reference marking, replacing the EC marking, for all products placed on the UK market from January 1, 2023.

Forge Fedriga and the regulatory framework

The international market in which we at Forge Fedriga operate is particularly demanding and requires technical and regulatory expertise. Precisely for this reason, a very high level of attention is necessary for managing Social Responsibility, Energy, Safety, Environment, and Quality, through an integrated system that undergoes annual maintenance audits not only by Inspection Agencies but also by Forge Fedriga’s Customers.

Similar reasoning also applies to the products since each market sector requires the various suppliers to comply with specific product standards that, depending on the case, may be of a national or international, or specific industry. Think, for example, of the oil & gas sector. This explains why it is essential for Forge Fedriga – to survive in the market – to hold the most important product and system certifications, which are internationally recognized and constantly renewed.

The standards applicable in the forging industry

What are the standards of reference in the forging industry right now?

The first one to mention in order of importance is the ISO 9001 standard on Quality Management System requirements. The ISO 9001 standard is strategic, cross-cutting, and required in every industry. ISO 14001, on the other hand, provides guidance for the use and the requirements that Environmental Management Systems must meet. It is strategic compliance for the oil & gas industry in particular. The ISO 45001 standard regulates the requirements for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems: compliance is required under Legislative Decree No. 81 of 2008 and is generally appreciated in all markets. Forge Fedriga is certified in all three standards mentioned so far.

And more. Forge Fedriga is:

• Accredited for its in-house Laboratory according to the UNI CEI EN ISO/IEC 17025 standard regarding the general requirements for Testing and Calibration Laboratories: this is a compliance required by some customers for the testing laboratory
• Certified according to ISO 50001, which provides the requirements and guidelines for the use of Energy Management Systems: compliance appreciated by all markets
• Furthermore, it is registered for its compliance with the HAF 604 standard, applicable to foreign companies for the Safety of Supplies for Civil Nuclear Power Plants for the People’s Republic of China: a mandatory registration for supplier companies in the country.

Other standards to keep in mind are ISO 26000 and ISO 29001: the first deals with the social responsibility of the various organizations (and all markets appreciate compliance with this standard). The second focuses on the quality management system requirements for companies that provide services and products across the supply chain of natural gas, petrochemical, and oil industries. The ISO 29001 standard was issued in 2020, but there seems to be less market interest than in years past. Instead, compliance with DNVGL-RP-B202 is recommended by major oil & gas companies.