New rules regarding welding and steel fabrication must not lead to increased costs for customers or put reputable companies out of business, Denis Naughten TD has said.

The rules have been in place since July 2014, after they were signed into law in 2013, but it is only now that bodies are offering advice and training for welding professionals to become compliant with the new rules.

“We all agree that improving standards is important but it cannot be done at the expense of customers. Farmers and rural businesses could be particularly hit by increased charges. There are people working for 30 years who have consistently done a good job. It would be terrible if they were put out of business because of these new rules,” Naughten said.

The aim of the regulations is to ensure that all welding professionals and steel fabricators are carrying a CE logo on their work. Companies also need to be able to prove the traceability of a manufactured product, as well as ensuring that all welding professionals are fully trained and that there is a “welding procedure” for each different type of weld.

If a person or company is found guilty of not being compliant, then he or she is liable to three months in prison or a fine of up to €500,000.

Training seminars are being planned for a number of the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) and the National Standards Authority of Ireland in the coming weeks. Carlow and Cavan are the first LEOs to hold seminars before the end of January.