Emirates Steel ... ensuring quality and environmental standards.
Emirates Steel wins top quality label
The UK Cares Sustainable Reinforcing Steel certification is a regional ‘first’ for Emirates Steel, which confirms the steel giant’s application of registered processes for achieving the highest product quality.
01 March 2011
EMIRATES Steel Industries has gained the UK Certification Authority for Reinforcing Steel’s (UK Cares) Sustainable Reinforcing Steel Certification for the production of continuously cast steel billets and carbon steel bars for the reinforcement of concrete.
This makes it the first steel maker in the GCC region to attain such independent accreditation, it says.
The Cares scheme ensures that Emirates Steel adopts the highest product quality standards, as well as an advanced environmental management system.
It necessitates product traceability from hot metal to delivery of steel products to construction sites, as well as regulatory compliance, energy efficiency, lower carbon emissions, recyclability and efficient use of raw materials.
“In fact, what the certification implies is that we are using the processes and procedures registered with the authority,” says Mubarak Al Khaili, vice-president of commercial strategy.
Requirements for sustainable products are increasingly being adopted by construction industry customers.
“To achieve Cares sustainability certification, our products, as well as our quality and environmental management systems, had to be assessed and approved,” he says.
This includes the assessment of the relevant product standard and environmental issues, such as emissions and raw material use.
“Achieving this certification is part of Emirates Steel’s bid to take a pro-active approach towards sustainability,” says Al Khaili. “Conforming to the scheme’s requirements helps in constantly improving our environmental performance and in adopting a proper mechanism for validating and communicating our performance to customers and contractors. The certification will give them the assurance that the reinforcing steel we produce meets all relevant product standards, and adheres to legal and environmental requirements.”
The UAE government has succeeded in driving sustainability high up the agenda and legislation has come into force to support sustainability targets.
“It is our responsibility now to comply with legal requirements and standards,” says Tariq Basandwah, vice-president of standards and audit. “Cares assessment audits will be ongoing to provide our customers with assurances that these requirements continue to be met.”
The Cares scheme ensures that approved firms operate to the highest standards of product as well as management system and environmental system compliance.
Emirates Steel’s quality assurance manager Abdel Moneim Tawfik says that in addition to Cares certificate, the company has also secured the Emirates Quality Mark, and the Cares and Dubai Central Laboratory certifications for product and quality standards conformity. Its integrated management system (IMS) is also ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and Ohsas 18001 certified.
Emirates Steel is a direct subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Basic Industries Corporation (ADBIC) which is, in turn, wholly-owned by the General Holding Company (GHC).
Located in the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD), 35 km away from the heart of the city, Emirates Steel is claimed to be the only integrated steel plant in the UAE, utilising the latest rolling mill technology to produce reinforcing bar and wire rod.
Established in September 2006, the company is currently implementing a comprehensive business development plan. Once complete, it will be one of the largest and most competitive steel producers in the Gulf region.
Emirates Steel is evolving from its roots of being a simple and relatively low value-added processor of steel into a sophisticated, highly productive manufacturing business with a high value-added business model.
Furthermore, Emirates Steel will be among the few regional steel producers with a diversified product range, including rebar in both straight and coil form, wire rod, sections, plate, seamless pipe, longitudinally welded pipe, hot-rolled coil and semi-finished products, such as billets and direct reduced iron.
