Fraudulent certificates accompanying steel products have been identified as a concern in the market. As the leading steel certifier for Australian and New Zealand standards, ACRS sees an increasing number of false certificates and non-compliant product – including certificates purporting to be from ACRS – particularly from overseas suppliers.

Fraud of this kind threatens the integrity of construction projects and standards of safety, durability, and compliance across the industry.  

Fraudulent certificates are now being produced to a convincingly high standard. It is crucial, therefore, to specify the steel requirements and ensure that the steel is checked against the relevant certification documents both at the point of purchase and upon delivery. This will help to avoid issues with fraudulent certificates.

Engineers, Procurement Managers and Building Surveyors are central to ensuring buildings are compliant and fit-for-purpose, and therefore that the materials used meet standards and project specifications. Before construction, they can ensure that materials and processes with third-party certification to demonstrate compliance are specified. During construction, they can check that the correct documentation is provided from steel processors, demonstrating compliance and traceability.

The most straightforward way to have confidence over materials used in a project is for it to be purchased from producers and traders accredited by trusted, independent certification schemes, such as ACRS, that ensure visibility through the supply chain.

Fortunately, ACRS-accredited steel is easy to verify via a live database of certified products online and in the secure environment of the ACRS Cloud app. It’s as easy as scanning the QR code on an ACRS certificate to check its authenticity in-app, including:

• Certificate details: issue date, validity, steel grade, type, and standards compliance
• Producer information: certified producer certification status, scope of certification, and contact details
• Product specifications: descriptions of steel products covered under certificate, to ensure alignment with project specifications and standards.
• Certification updates: Real-time notifications about any changes in the certification status of producers or specific products

Digital systems like ACRS Cloud assist in verifying the authenticity of steel certifications and ensuring compliance with required standards. Digital traceability ensures the integrity of steel throughout the supply chain: ACRS Cloud tracks the journey of steel products from the manufacturer to the construction site, providing a transparent and verifiable record of their compliance with the required standards.

Find out more at steelcertification.com/cloud.

By Dr. Andrew Wheeler, Executive Director, ACRS

This article originally appeared in BOINZ Straight Up Magazine, Winter 2024 Edition. You can access the full edition and past editions here >