Imported structural steelwork

Background

WorkSafe has identified that some imported structural steelwork may not perform as originally designed. This may be due to:

• being fabricated to unknown standards, or
• being fabricated poorly due to poor quality assurance systems, or
• being fabricated with improper substitution of materials and welding consumables.

Not having the proper quality assurance systems in place to determine reliability of imported steelwork and ensuring the imported steelwork meets Australian Standards may result in catastrophic structural collapse. A collapse may result in serious or fatal injuries to workers and others during the construction phase or during the intended use of the building or structure.

Ensuring quality assurance and quality control

A robust quality control process is an essential way to identify potential faults in structural steel elements. Without appropriate quality controls in place, imported steelwork that does not meet the required standards for use in Australia may be used to create structural steel elements. This could lead to serious or fatal injuries for workers and pose an ongoing threat of serious or fatal injuries to occupants of premises and the public in general dependent on location and intended use.

Poor quality steel products may be due to the:

• manufacturing process not conforming to the accepted standards outlined in relevant Australian standards
• steel composition not complying with relevant Australian standards
• substitution of lower grade (strength) steel composition which is incompatible with relevant members in steelwork packages
• acceptance criteria in overseas standards for steel manufacture not meeting the acceptance criteria nominated by Australian standards

Employers, principal contractors, sub-contractors, providers of labour hire services and self-employed persons all have duties to ensure the safety of employees and others under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (the Act). As a duty holder, you should consider which of the following actions could increase safety at your workplace:

• conducting thorough inspections and testing of any imported steelwork products in accordance with relevant Australian standards
• involving qualified engineers or third-party inspection agencies in these inspections and testing
• verifying compliance of any imported steelwork products with relevant Australian standards; or
• verifying and ensuring that documentation is traceable to the specific steelwork product specified

Taking these measures may help reduce potential safety risks associated with imported steelwork.

Recommended quality assurance systems

Workplaces using imported structural steelwork should have robust quality assurance systems in place. This will help ensure that the supplied steelwork meets the required design specifications and relevant Australian standards, and ensure employees and other persons, including members of the public, are not placed at risk of structural failure and collapse.

Duty holders should use a combination of robust and transparent quality assurance systems to control the risk of structural fault and collapse. These may include, but are not limited to:

An appropriate independent third party should also be engaged for the inspection and testing of the overseas fabricated steelwork and shop welds. The independent third party should conduct factory inspections at the site of fabrication. They should inspect and verify that the structural steelwork and shop welds meet the engineering specification specified in the design, as well as the Australian Standards.

Further Information

Steel Grade, Composition and Fabrication

During the process of steel fabrication through to erection, the grade of steel should remain identifiable through use of labels, tags or stamps. All steelwork should be identified at all stages.

Fabrication methods should be carried out in a manner that does not compromise the material's properties below the design values. Fabrication needs to align with the standards laid out in the appropriate Australian Standards.

AS 4100:2020 – Steel Structures mandates the use of steel materials that adhere to specified values in chemical composition, mechanical properties, dimensional tolerances, and manufacturing methods.

Test certificates issued by the steel manufacturer are essential to ensure compliance. These certificates confirm the adequacy of the quality and suitability of steel used in structures.

Test certificates should:

• be written in English alphanumeric characters
• be clear and legible
• clearly identify the manufacturer, supplier, and testing authority
• include the certificate number and date
• specify the product testing specification, steel grade, product designation, relevant dimensions, steelmaking process, and have a unique identifier
• present mechanical properties from tensile tests in accordance with relevant technical standards
• include chemical analysis results along with the analysis type

Australian Standards Welds

The chemical properties of steel should be assessed to ensure compatibility with the Australian Standard welds. This assessment is fundamental for determining the correct weld group number, facilitating the selection of appropriate welding consumables and adherence to Section 10 of AS 4100.

If steel materials or welding consumables do not meet the Australian Standards, they are deemed non-compliant. This non-compliance requires the conduct of specialised welding qualification test by suitably qualified welders to approved certified welding procedures.

Fabricators are required to develop and qualify welding procedures specific to each project involving non-conforming materials. It is incumbent upon contractors, engineers or responsible authorities to ensure these project-specific qualifications are rigorously obtained and applied. It is important when dealing with imported steelwork to mitigate risks associated with incompatible compositions in line with AS/NZS 1554.1:2014 - Structural steel welding.

Independent Certification of Steelwork Fabricator

Principal contractors should ensure steelwork fabricators outside Australia from whom they source steelwork are certified by a recognised Australian independent auditing and certification authority. This ensures structural steelwork fabricated outside Australia conforms with known technical standards.