• The ACRS Product Certification Scheme certifies manufacturers, processors and fabricators (“Producers”) of steel reinforcing, steel prestressing, structural steels, and ancillary products for conformity to ACRS Product Requirements (as “Approved Materials”).
• The ACRS Product Certification Scheme validates the conformity of Approved Materials manufactured, processed, and supplied under the Scheme to the point of despatch from the Producer’s Certified premises, providing a chain of certification from the point of materials manufacture to the delivery of that material after any processing or fabrication.
• The ACRS Product Certification Scheme is a two-stage, “book-end” process, covering both the steelmaking at the steel mill of origin, and any subsequent processing or fabrication of that steel to ACRS Product Requirements. ACRS Product Certification Scheme certificates for Approved Materials are therefore awarded to both steel mills, and to the subsequent steel processor or fabricator of the steel from the certified mill. Both certificates must therefore be reviewed, where appropriate.
• The basis for the ACRS product certification Scheme is:
  • Evaluation of the supplier’s quality system to ISO 9001 for the manufacture, or processing of the materials to be assessed (note: ACRS Product Certification is not ISO9001 assessment) and testing from the supplier's range of materials to independently verify conformity with ACRS Product Requirements.
  • Periodic evaluation of the quality system and testing and evaluation of samples taken from suppliers' stock and from the market.
• ACRS certifies steel reinforcing, steel prestressing and structural steels manufacturers and suppliers, providing conformity assessment and traceability validation of materials to the point of despatch from the processing plant. (ACRS is currently examining the possibility of extending traceability to the point of delivery to site).
• The ACRS Product Certification Scheme operates under an "All Materials: All Locations" policy. All materials manufactured by a Firm to all Standards certified under the ACRS Scheme (the “ACRS Product Requirements”) must be assessed and approved by ACRS. That is, a Firm may not:
  1. At an ACRS certified location, manufacture or process some materials to ACRS Product Requirements and manufacture or process other, similar materials that are not assessed and approved by ACRS, or
  2. At a non-ACRS certified location manufacture and process materials covered by ACRS Certification at another location of the Firm.
  This rule is fundamental to the integrity of the ACRS Product Certification Scheme, and public confidence in the Scheme. No exceptions can be made.
• Analysis of samples and processes is undertaken from each assessed production site using statistical, or other suitable rigorous methods to determine and report upon:
  • characteristics of each type of material produced or processed;
  • differentiate between different batches of materials;
  • identify and comment upon outlier sample results;
  • monitor and report trends in product performance;
  • undertake non-conformance reporting.
• ACRS independent Assessors collect company materials data during an annual evaluation and from reported data obtained through the year.
• ACRS Assessors are expert metallurgists, experienced in steel reinforcement manufacture and processing, and prestressing steels and structural steels manufacture. ACRS Assessors not only perform evaluations for existing and prospective certificate holders, but also review the performance of the testing laboratories used by ACRS and sites to monitor the consistency and applicability of results obtained.
• ACRS conducts surveillance of laboratories, conducting replicated independent testing on representative samples taken from the company being evaluated. This testing is done to the requirements of the applicable Australian and/or New Zealand Standards.
• All data collected by ACRS Assessors is held in the strictest commercial confidence.
• ACRS Product Scheme Certification is given for individual product manufacturing and processing operations for individual or grouped sites (where confirmed as subsidiary to the primary site, as defined by ACRS Scheme Rules). All Certificates are valid for a period of 12 months.
• Any Standard listed on an ACRS certificate is the latest, published version of that Standard.

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