Manufacturing fabricated metal products covers a wide range of businesses — structural steel fabricators, tank and vessel makers, jobbing platers, tool and fastener makers, architectural metalworkers and specialist firearms and ammunition manufacturers. They share one starting point: metal fabrication is machinery- and exposure-intensive, so the workplace health and safety duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 apply to all of you. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regulates in Great Britain and HSENI in Northern Ireland.
Beyond that shared foundation, the rules diverge. Use the routes below to find the guides written for your kind of business.
Find your route
Identify the description that best fits what you make. If more than one applies — for example you fabricate structural steel and also do your own surface finishing — follow every route that fits.
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1
Every metal fabricator
Whatever you make, start with the universal spine. Follow "Set up and run a safe metal fabrication workshop" for your health and safety, welding-fume and COSHH controls, work equipment, manual handling, fire safety, insurance, equality, data protection and the environmental permit for surface treatment.
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2
You place metal products on the market
Structural steel to BS EN 1090, boilers and pressure vessels, or general metal goods. These need conformity assessment and conformity marking — UKCA, or CE which is still accepted on the GB market — before they go on sale. Follow "Place fabricated metal products on the market".
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3
You make firearms, ammunition or explosives
Manufacturing weapons and ammunition (SIC 25.40) is a controlled activity needing firearms-dealer registration, an explosives licence and — at threshold quantities — COMAH major-accident controls. Follow "Manufacture weapons and ammunition".
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4
Confirm you have covered everything
Whatever you make, finish with the fabricated metal manufacturer compliance checklist to confirm your obligations are met before a production run.
Open the guide you need
- Set up and run a safe metal fabrication workshop — the universal spine for every fabricator.
- Place fabricated metal products on the market — conformity and marking for products you sell.
- Manufacture weapons and ammunition — firearms, ammunition and explosives licensing.
- Fabricated metal manufacturer compliance checklist — confirm you have covered everything.
Official sources
Authoritative starting points for metal fabrication health and safety.