b'R AB E HT G N I S I A RQuality and compliance We couldnt afford for any of these certainty of product quality and significantly steel structures to be built if there were reduced compliance risk. The transition from Mike to Wayne came ingoing to be issues with them, says Wayne,D&H was amongst the first five companies 2005 at a pivotal time. Dixon & Haddon wasnoting the potential for the local industry to beto achieve SFC status, after which it offered growing rapidly and projects were becomingtarred by the same brush. We had to protectsmaller fabricators a helping hand to do the more complex, particularly in terms of quality our reputation. same. We needed to invest in our competitors and compliance. It required an industry-led solution for the whole industry to step up, says Wayne.The weathertightness liability dramasSteel Fabrication Certification (SFC)and of the 2000s had bred a degree of nervousnessD&H Steel contributed to its development amongst councils and consultants. Itas part of a Steel Construction New Zealand highlighted the importance of quality andworking group. having confidence in the constructionAs with other construction materials,materials and the workmanship.the compliance regime for structural Meanwhile, there was a new and emergingsteelwork largely relied on self-inspectionthreat to the industryprefabricatedand self-certification. Launched in 2014,steelwork imported from low-cost economies.SFC raised the bar by providing independent, In search of the lowest price, there was aexpert certification of New Zealand fabrication growing threat of main contractors importingcompanies. It ensured that participating fabricated structural steel from offshorestructural steel contractors manufactured fabricators. It was a risky approach. Therestructural steelwork to internationalwere instances of missing paperwork, of thebest practice.Above: Michail Karpenko (left), Manager of the HERA Welding Centre and David Smol (right), Chief Executive compliance of the steelwork being calledImportantly, SFC created a point ofMBIE, present Wayne Carson with certificates for into question and of steelwork not meetingdifference for locally fabricated steelthe internationally recognised AS/NZS ISO 3834 the required specification. The upshot wascompared with imported product, and itPart 2 Weld Quality Standard and Steel Fabrication Certification to Construction Category 4.expensive project delays and it created aprovided procurers and specifierssuch asFar left: Ttara Haumaru at North Shoreheightened awareness of compliance.engineers, architects and contractorswithHospital under construction.Left: Rendered view of the new Dunedin Hospital.133'