Choosing a solid surface fabricator: why accreditations matter

When you’re specifying solid surfaces for a project, most of the conversation is around the material: which brand, which finish, how it performs and what it looks like in situ.

The fabricator producing it tends to get less attention – specifically, the standards they operate to and the accreditations that back those up. It’s not the most glamorous part of a specification decision but it’s often a more useful indicator of quality than a brochure.

We wanted to explain what accreditations actually mean in the industry, why they matter when you’re choosing a fabricator and why we’ve recently invested in extending our own. 

Why accreditations matter

An accreditation is an external verification that a company meets a defined standard. A third party, like a manufacturer, a trade body or an industry federation, has looked at how the business operates and confirmed it measures up. It’s not self-declared or permanent, so maintaining it means meeting those standards on every single project.

Accreditations broadly cover two things: fabrication quality and health and safety practices. The best fabricators have both.

Health and safety in fabrication

Producing solid surface worktops, wall panels, cladding or any other fabricated piece involves cutting, grinding and finishing materials. It’s skilled work and creates real occupational health considerations that businesses need to manage carefully.

The main risks in a fabrication environment:

• Noise exposure: active fabrication workshops regularly exceed 85dB, the threshold at which the Noise at Work Regulations 2005 require hearing protection and health surveillance
  
  
• Hand-arm vibration (HAVS):  prolonged use of routers and grinders can cause nerve and circulation damage, requiring monitoring under the Vibration Regulations 2005
  
  
• Skin sensitisers:  certain resins and adhesives used in solid surface work can cause occupational skin conditions with repeated exposure

There’s another risk that’s received attention in recent years: respirable crystalline silica (RCS). Silica dust is generated when engineered quartz and natural stone are cut or ground, and it’s a serious respiratory hazard.

Acrylic solid surfaces don’t contain crystalline silica. That means the silica risk isn’t present during fabrication, for the team producing the piece or for contractors on site during installation. It’s a practical advantage of acrylic solid surfaces that doesn’t always come up in specification conversations.

The Worktop Fabricators Federation

The WFF is a trade federation for the worktop fabrication industry, focused on professional standards and occupational health. We recently became a member, one of a small number of solid surface fabricators in the UK to hold this membership.

To get our membership, we had to submit workshop videos, provide a full listing of the products we fabricate and complete a series of detailed assessments covering how we operate.

WFF members have to maintain up-to-date risk assessments and method statements covering fabrication, templating and installation, carry out health surveillance appropriate to the risks involved and keep records that are acted on rather than filed away.

For anyone appointing a fabricator, that’s worth knowing. It means our practices have been independently assessed and you’re not relying on our word alone.

Nigel Fletcher, Operations Officer at the WFF, explains: “A professional company that follows best practices should demonstrate a commitment to quality and workforce development. Although it has a cost to protect the workforce, the higher standard of workmanship, warranty, and guarantee greatly differentiates businesses that focus on low prices with little investment in infrastructure. The supply chain must start to recognise that the race to the bottom doesn’t give longer-term partnerships.”

Accreditations cost time and money to maintain. It’s what separates the businesses that invest in doing things properly from those that don’t.

CHAS Advanced accreditation

DFMK also holds Advanced accreditation with CHAS – the Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme. CHAS Advanced is the highest level of CHAS certification, covering health and safety, financial standing, quality, environmental practice and professional standards. It’s assessed and audited annually by an external body.

For clients who require contractors to demonstrate compliance before appointing them (common on larger commercial and construction projects), CHAS Advanced provides independently verified assurance.

Fabrication quality: manufacturer accreditations

Alongside health and safety, the other area accreditations cover is how well a fabricator works with specific materials. Manufacturer accreditations are awarded by material brands to fabricators who meet their standards for handling, fabrication and installation. They’re brand-specific and require ongoing compliance.

Corian® Quality Network:  We’re certified partners, meaning we follow Corian®‘s defined processes for fabrication and installation, assessed and confirmed by them directly.

HIMACS® Quality Club: We’re members of the HIMACS® Quality Club, confirming we meet their standards for how the material is worked and fitted on every project.

When a project specifies either of these materials, our certifications mean you know the work is being handled by a fabricator the manufacturer has assessed and approved.

What to ask when appointing a fabricator

Accreditations aren’t everything, but they’re a straightforward way to verify that a fabricator has been assessed by someone other than themselves. A few questions worth asking:

• Are you certified by the manufacturers you work with?
• What health and safety accreditations do you hold?
• Can you provide current risk assessments and method statements, including for templating and installation?

A fabricator confident in their standards will answer those without hesitation.

We hold manufacturer certifications with Corian® and HIMACS®, Advanced accreditation with CHAS, and membership with the WFF. If you’d like to know more about what any of that means for your project, get in touch and we’ll talk you through it.