CERTIFICATION SCHEMES FOR NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING PERSONNEL.

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1 An overview of NDT certification schemes, with a look at the latest developments and TWI s involvement with the development of certification schemes within S.E.Asia. INTRODUCTION: The objective of this short paper is to create a greater awareness of the different types of Non-Destructive Testing certification schemes that are currently available to industry and to explain the fundamental differences that exist from scheme to scheme. This paper will also highlight recent developments that are currently occurring to the major NDT certification schemes, and finally, provide a general overview of TWI s involvement with regard to the development of certification schemes for NDT personnel in South East Asia. CERTIFICATION SCHEMES FOR NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING PERSONNEL. In general there are 2 basic systems of NDT certification, Central and Company or Employer based. Central Certification Schemes, are schemes which are administered and controlled by independent certification bodies. What this means is that all aspects related to the operation of the scheme such as; curriculum development, the approval of course notes and exams, the marking of examinations, the issuing of certificates, the recording systems, panel for appeals and the monitoring of appointed examination and test centers, are the responsibilities of a single certification body. The end result is a certification scheme, which operates to a single standard of competence. The objective of these schemes is to ensure that the NDT operator is able to perform competently in all aspects related to his/her chosen discipline. Persons

2 that are deemed competent will be awarded a certificate, which actually belongs to that person. Central certification means that the qualified technician is able to carry out NDT on any site for any employer. They have been trained and certified to be competent at performing a complete range of skills pertaining to their chosen NDT discipline. In other words their certificate is fully transferable from employer to employer and job to job. There are many numerous certification schemes for NDT personnel, which are currently in operation today, globally. Almost all of the developed countries in the world have their own schemes, for example countries like Australia, Japan, Germany and Canada just to name a few, have developed and operate their own national NDT certification schemes, but only a handful of these schemes have attained global acceptance. The NDT personal certifying schemes that are enjoying global recognition currently are: ACCP- Administered by The American Society of Nondestructive Testing. CSWIP Administered by The Welding Institute. PCN Administered by The British Institute of Nondestructive testing. ASNT Level 3 Administered by The American Society of Nondestructive Testing. All of the above mentioned schemes operate independently of any private organizations and are responsible for the maintance and integrity of their nominated certifying schemes. Company Certification Schemes, are a schemes, which operate under prescribed guidelines and stipulate recommended practices. These types of schemes are administered by Level 3 certified individuals, on behalf of the company. An example and the most popular of these types of schemes is the SNT TC 1A Document. The objective of Company certification is to certify the operator using company written practice or procedures. What this means is that the NDT operator is only

3 qualified for specified NDT operations and if that person were to change procedures or be transferred to another company, that person would need to be re-certified as his original certificate would no longer be valid and therefore non-transferable. This scheme when operated as per the guidelines offers employers a cost effective method of certifying NDT operators as the training and examination is focused on company written practice or procedures, rather than a full training curriculum therefore eliminating the need for over training. This certification is often referred to as in-house certification, as in most cases the certifying Level 3 works for the same company. Unfortunately this scheme is open to abuse and as we all know when we entrust responsibilities to individuals, the levels of competence will vary from one person to another. This has forced some companies/authorities into the nonacceptance of Company based certificates as the levels of competence cannot be guaranteed. Another worrying aspect that is associated with company based certification, is the lack of understanding of how these schemes are supposed to operate. On many occasions companies requiring the services of NDT operators have been supplied with personal that have been certified under the SNT TC 1A scheme, from a previous employer. As many employers are unaware of the rules, these persons are employed with the belief that they are capable of performing a variety of tasks. Unfortunately company based certificates are non-transferable and therefore not valid if the technician changes company. Industry/employers need to understand that each company needs it s own written practice which clearly defines the certification process, training requirements and how the examinations are to be carried out. Once industry/employers become familiar with the rules associated with company certification the opportunities for the abuse of company based scheme will be dramatically reduced.

4 LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN NDT PERSONAL CERTIFICATION. The NDT industry, like all other industries, is in constant state of change. The use of new NDT technologies coupled with the increasing requirement for better skilled personal, are constantly moving the goal posts for NDT personal certification schemes. In recent times certification bodies have made adjustments to their schemes to adapt to the changing requirements. Listed below are some of the more important developments currently occurring within the NDT industry: 1. ASNT Central Certification Program. (ACCP) ACCP is ASNT s newest certification program. It is a centralised certification scheme that provides comprehensive Level 3 and level 2 certification by written and practical examination. The result is a comprehensive, transportable NDT certification. ACCP was developed to meet: Increased global competition Increased expectation for quality, reliability, and safety Increased need to reduce costs Increase reliance on outsourcing This program although relatively new has generated a great deal of interest as more companies seek certification that meet with ISO requirements. ACCP offers an attractive alternative to existing schemes. 2. ASNT ON-LINE EXAMINATIONS ASNT have introduced examinations on-line. Candidates attending the TWI training school in Kuala Lumpur will have the option to sit the written part of their examinations on line. The main advantage of doing exams on-line will be, instant notification of results. A temporary result slip will be issued on the same day. Successful candidates will have the option of using their qualification the following day.

5 3. ASNT s Transition Program The American Society of Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) has just introduced a transition program that allows Company certified personnel in accordance with (SNT-TC-1A), the opportunity to transfer over to Central Certification. In order to do so the candidate will have to provide with his/her application form, documentary proof of relevant job experience within the NDT sector. The duration of the transition program will be for a one-year period, due to finish in September of The transition is only valid for those persons have held a SNT-TC-1A Level 2 or ASNT Level 3 for a minimum of 3 years. The transition program is aimed at ASNT qualified personnel who are currently working in the industry and posses the necessary skills for ACCP certification. The transition program gives technicians, or their employers, an opportunity to upgrade their qualifications with a minimal amount of expenditure and effort. All persons that ASNT accept into the transition program will have to undertake a mandatory examination within a five-year period, in order for the certification to be retained. If you want to know more about the transition program, do not hesitate to log onto ASNT s web site: CSWIP NDT As a result of requests from industry TWI have decided to reintroduce CSWIP NDT certification into the UK. Until the mid 1980 s CSWIP certification was the most widely recognised central NDT certification scheme in the world. The high standards of the technicians approved under the scheme placed the CSWIP at the forefront of NDT certification and was copied throughout the world. With the establishment of PCN certification it was decided to give the new scheme a clear playing field in the UK and as result CSWIP certificates were transferred to the new scheme. CSWIP NDT certification did not however cease to exist and has continued to thrive in the rest of the world. CSWIP NDT certification complies in all respects with the requirements of both EN 473 and ISO 9712 and is equivalent to all other such schemes on offer throughout the world.

6 CSWIP certification has expanded its range from the welds sector and now covers in addition the general sectors for magnetic particle, liquid penetrant and visual inspection in addition to the rest of the other certifications in Ultrasonic Testing, Radiographic Testing and others. This expansion will continue until CSWIP satisfies all of the existing and future requirements of our customers worldwide. TWI s Involvement in South East Asia. With AFTA (Asian Free Trade Assoiciation) approaching quickly and the everincreasing pressure to improve standards of workmanship due to globalization of business, governments in South East Asia are now recognizing the importance of having a workforce capable of meeting the challenges that lie ahead. TWI have already teamed up the authorities in Malaysia and Indonesia to create training and certification centers that will allow persons to be dual certified in order to meet both local and global demands. The objective of working with local authorities is to provide the local populace and companies with a cost effective solution to their certification requirements. These centres are staffed by nationals belonging to the country and are trained to operate certification schemes in accordance with the chosen schemes strict requirements. The need to have a workforce that is skilled and certified has never been greater for Asia. TWI has the necessary experience and skills in training and certification to qualify technicians to internationally recognized certification schemes and standards in the following disciplines: NDT personnel, Welding Inspectors, Welders, Industrial Painters and Blasters, Painting inspectors, Plant inspectors and Underwater personnel. TWI has also spoken to authorities in; Hong Kong, Brunei, Thailand and the Philippines, all have shown great interest in forming similar independent arrangements.

7 Conclusion As more organizations/companies recognize the importance of having a competent workforce, the NDT profession will have to undergo an important transition. Currently most of the personnel in the NDT industry are working with company certification. When you consider that most welders need reputable third party certification in order to work, it seems ludicrous that NDT operators whom have never been properly trained and certified, are allowed to carry out testing on components or structures which may be very critical and could lead to disaster should they fail. The next time you are on an airplane and you experience some turbulence, look out the window and watch the wings of your plane bounce. Consider the fact that the person responsible for checking the integrity of the structure of the plane that you are onboard may not have been centrally certified.