23 According to EN 1090, the manufacturer of steel or aluminium structures must mandatorily affix the CE marking to the structure and its components. As of 1 July 2014, it is forbidden to place metal shafts on the European market without the EN 1090 certificate. To do so, companies must implement a Factory Production Control (FPC) system, i.e. a systematic and permanent internal control of production. Following an initial inspection and verification of the FPC, the specifically authorised Notified Body certifies that the process complies with the applicable standards and issues an inspection certificate. The manufacturer then issues and signs a Declaration of Performance (DoP), which together with the certificate of conformity issued by the Notified Body forms the basis for CE marking. In practice, EN 1090 certifies the manufacturer by assuring the market that he is able to produce a metal shaft suitable for the purposes for which it is designed. With reference to lifts, the application of EN 1090 concerns the supply of the metal supporting structures (the frames) and the accessory metalwork (landing platforms, railings, etc.). The standard applies to both series and non-series production, including kits. The materials used for metal shafts must be certified at origin and traceable; the relevant certificates must be provided together with the documentation accompanying the metal shaft. Upon request, specimens of the metal used to make the metal shafts and the relevant test reports from authorised laboratories must also be provided. With regard to welding, which is the most widely used special process for products covered by EN 1090, the manufacturer must demonstrate that he can control a whole series of operations and that he has qualified technical personnel available. This is an important aspect to avoid defects that could compromise the mechanical stability or durability of the metal shaft. It is therefore advisable to verify that the manufacturer is in possession of ISO 3834 certification, which applies both to welding activities in the workshop and on the construction site, and which therefore does not replace ISO 9001 certification but complements it. The site manager, or person in charge of the erection, must check that all the technical documentation of the lift structures is available, including that relating to bolts, bracing, safety glass, anchorings, etc. This certificate, together with the verifications and tests required by the Ministerial Decree of 17 January 2018 “Update of the Technical Standards for Construction”, completes the documents required by the static tester to approve the structures and allow the operation of the complete lift system. It should be remembered that the entire technical file must be kept by the manufacturer for at least ten years because in the event of problems with the metal shaft, resulting in damage to property or persons or serious or fatal accidents, it allows the conformity of the product to be verified and any responsibility of the manufacturer to be identified. * Head of Quality Department Metal Working Srl THE SITE MANAGER OR ASSEMBLY MANAGER HAS A KEY ROLE IN ENSURING THAT METAL SHAFTS ARE CERTIFIED AND HAVE THE NECESSARY TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION Metal shafts and certifications THE MATERIALS USED FOR METAL SHAFTS MUST BE CERTIFIED AT ORIGIN AND TRACEABLE
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