Abu Dhabi-based Emirates Steel Industries (ESI) became the first company to obtain Dubai Central Laboratory's (DCL) mandatory Certificate of Product Conformity, following a circular in this regard by Dubai Municipality last year.

The certificate marks conformity of their product to the BS 4449 standard specification of DCL.

Prominent companies from around the world that manufacture reinforcing steel have applied for the certificate which will allow them to use the DCL product conformity mark on their products.

According to Hawa Bastaki, director of DCL  Department of Dubai Municipality, some 83 companies from the Middle East, Europe, Asia and America have applied for the certificate so far.

Following internationally accepted certification procedures, the awarding of the certificate is the result of a comprehensive assessment consisting of factory audit by DCL assessors and type testing of representative samples of the product at the DCL laboratories.

'ESI has successfully demonstrated that it has in place a quality management and quality assurance system to enable them to consistently produce the product according to the required specifications,' she said.

She explained that the certification is part of the implementation of the Dubai Municipality Circular No. 159 of 2007 pertaining to the 'Control of Reinforcing Steel in the Emirate of Dubai'. 
 
'Out of the 23 factories that have been audited so far, 10 have satisfactorily completed the certification process and have been awarded the Certificate of Product Conformity,' she added.-TradeArabia News Service