Applications for preliminary assessment are open to all fabricators wishing to participate in the National Construction Steelwork Compliance Scheme. When you are ready to proceed download the application form and pay the initial application fee of $638.00 (including GST) using the Make a Payment link.
Once the application is assessed and approved by SCA, the Stage 1 fee (for CC2 or CC3) is payable.
The scope of certification and fees charged varies with each Construction Category and fabrication facility.
We have implemented a multi-stage certification process, with staged payments to suit. This keeps up-front costs to you to a minimum and ensures you only pay for what you get.
Did you know SCA offers generous discounts for ASI members? SCA has negotiated this arrangement with ASI to make this offer possible. You might like to consider membership of ASI to secure these generous discounts.
The process of SCA certification for structural steelwork fabricators varies according to the Construction Category applied for and is briefly outlined below.
In all instances the fabricator must:
Following resolution of any shortfalls or issues, the Stage 2 (Site) Audit will be organised and undertaken for companies seeking certification to Construction Categories 2 and 3.
For this simplest certification level, an online application form must be completed and submitted. Once this has been received, reviewed and completed, the SCA Manager will contact you to arrange the Stage 1 (Desktop) Audit. If everything is satisfactory, certification to Construction Category 1 will be approved.
After completion of your Certification Agreement, your company gains listing on the SCA Register of Certified Companies including your company details, certification level, any exclusions or qualifications and other general information.
For these certification levels, an online application form must be completed and submitted. Once this has been received, reviewed and completed, the SCA Manager will contact you to arrange the Stage 1 (Desktop) Audit. On successful completion of the Stage 1 (Desktop) Audit, the Stage 2 (Site) Audit will be organised and undertaken, on resolution of any shortfalls or outstanding matters, certification to the conforming Construction Category will be approved. Erection of structural steelwork is a separate audit requiring site inspection for inclusion on the certification certificate.
After completion of your Certification Agreement, your company gains listing on the SCA Register of Certified Companies including your company details, certification level, any exclusions or qualifications and other general information.
This might include gates, handrails, agricultural buildings (no people congregating) or greenhouses.
This might include commercial, residential and educational buildings not exceeding 15 storeys, hospitals, warehouses or industrial buildings.
This might include bridges, structures designed for fatigue actions or as specifically required in authority construction specifications.
The requirements for CC4 are not fully defined in AS/NZS 5131. CC4 applies to unusual or special structures for which it is expected the requirements additional to those for CC3 will be defined at a project-specific level or by a particular organisation, agency or business.
Fabricators who wish to be certified to the Scheme are encouraged to apply and obtain the evaluation of the SCA Manager relating to appropriate next actions.
Those who have been working on their business management and/or their quality management system will be well on their way to being audit ready.
The process of SCA certification has been set up to allow fabricators to understand where they are in their development of quality systems and procedures in relation to the requirements of the relevant Construction Categories through the Stage 1 (Desktop) Audit. This preliminary audit provides fabricators with feedback on where they stand in the hierarchy of Construction Category requirements, before embarking on the more rigorous site audit in Stage 2.
Most fabricators who have successfully been through an ISO 9001 certification audit will have an effective management system and so will be well on the way, or if they have AS 3834 Certification, or a government agency pre-qualification e.g. RMS or TMR for major or minor works, they are likely to be audit ready for one or more categories.
Fabricators who have been working on their business management system and/or their quality management system and related procedures and processes, will similarly be well on the way to being audit ready.
On receipt of your application, the SCA Manager will make contact and discuss the process in detail. Based on the information provided during the subsequent conversation and the data provided, the SCA Manager will be able to advise the fabricator of their audit readiness and the next steps that will need to be taken.
That may be to progress to the Stage 1 Audit (Desktop) or alternatively to undertake some further preparatory work before recommencing the process.
Audit ready does not mean that certification to a preferred Construction Category is guaranteed, but it will mean that the audit process will provide the fabricator a defined pathway to certification to the preferred level.