Competence in welding - for people and companies

By T J Jessop

• ISO 14731:2006 and ISO 3834:2005 (formerly EN 719 and EN 729)
  
  
• Demonstration of compliance with ISO 3834
  
  
• Demonstrating compliance with ISO 14731

There is mounting evidence that standards and client specifications are becoming more stringent and explicit in the area of competence in welding. Although competence of welders has been a feature of welding fabrication for many years, with the widespread application of welder approval testing, welding competence requirements are now being extended to other areas of the workforce and to organisational capabilities as a whole. The trend is a recognition of the fact that success in welding, both in business and technical terms, is unlikely to be achieved in the absence of special attention and control. Previous articles have attempted to track this trend and to provide information to fabricating companies seeking to comply with new competence requirements. It remains a matter for companies themselves to decide if welding competence is an issue they need to address and, if it is an issue, to decide on the most appropriate way to tackle it. There is no universal solution.

The current article attempts to revisit the key factors affecting competence requirements and to provide practical advice to companies on the way forward. The overall 'picture' in terms of competence requirements and how they may be fulfilled has gradually become clearer and it is believed that now is an appropriate point to examine how the various components and options fit together. Emphasis is placed on two key standards, ISO 3834 and ISO 14731.

1. ISO 14731 and ISO 3834 (Formerly EN 719 and EN 729)

The main purpose of ISO 14731 is to provide guidance to fabricators on the specification and allocation of tasks and responsibilities to all their welding (and welding-related) personnel. The tasks to be considered are listed in Table 1. The company must show that people with welding responsibilities possess relevant competence. ISO 14731 does not require any second or third party qualification or certification of welding personnel, but the qualifications of the International Institute of Welding/International Authorising Board are mentioned in an informative Annex to the standard.

Table 1 ISO 14731 Welding Co-ordination - Tasks and Responsibilities

Review of requirements The following elements shall be considered in a review of requirements: - the product standard to be used, together with any supplementary requirements; - the capability of the manufacturer to meet the prescribed requirements.

Technical review The following elements shall be considered in a technical review: - the parent material(s) specification and welded joint properties; - the joint location with relation to the design requirements; - quality and acceptance requirements for welds; - the location, accessibility and sequence of welds, including accessibility for inspection and non-destructive testing; - other welding requirements, e.g. batch testing of consumables, ferrite content of weld metal, ageing, hydrogen content, permanent backing, use of peening, surface finish, weld profile; - the dimensions and details of joint preparation and completed weld.

Subcontracting With regard to sub-contracting, the suitability of any sub-contractor for welding fabrication shall be considered.

Welding personnel With regard to welding personnel, the qualification of welders and welding operators, brazers and brazing operators shall be considered

Equipment The following elements shall be considered with regard to equipment: - the suitability of welding and associated equipment; - auxiliaries and equipment supply, identification and handling; - personal protective equipment and other safety equipment, directly associated with the applicable manufacturing process; - equipment maintenance; - equipment verification and validation.

Production planning The following elements shall be considered with regard to production planning: - reference to the appropriate procedure specification for welding and allied processes; - the sequence in which the welds are to be made; - environmental conditions (e.g. protection from wind, temperature and rain); - the allocation of qualified personnel; - equipment for preheating and post-heat treatment, including temperature indicators; - the arrangement for any production test.

Qualification of the welding procedures With regard to welding procedures, the method and range of qualification shall be considered.

Welding procedure specification With regard to welding procedure specifications, the range of qualification shall be considered.

Work instructions With regard to work instructions, the issuing and use of work instruction shall be considered.

Welding consumables The following elements shall be considered with regard to welding consumables: - compatability; - delivery conditions; - any supplementary requirements in the welding consumable purchasing specifications, including the type of welding consumable inspection document; - the storage and handling of welding consumables.

Materials The following elements shall be considered with regard to materials: - any supplementary requirements in the material purchasing specifications including the type of inspection document for the material; - the storage and handling of parent material; - traceability.

Inspection and testing before welding The following elements shall be considered with regard to inspection and testing before welding: - the suitability and validity of welders' and welding operators' qualification certificates; - the suitability of the welding procedure specification; - the identity of the parent material; - the identity of the welding consumables; - joint preparation (e.g. shape and dimensions); - fit-up, jigging and tacking; - any special requirements in the welding procedure specification (eg prevention of distortion); - the suitability of working conditions for welding, including the environment.

Inspection and testing during welding: The following elements shall be considered with regard to inspection and testing during welding: - essential welding parameters (e.g. welding current, arc voltage and travel speed); - the preheating/interpass temperature; - the cleaning and shape of runs and layers of weld metal; - back gouging; - the welding sequence; - the correct use and handling of welding consumables; - control of distortion; - any intermediate examination (e.g. checking dimensions).

Inspection and testing after welding The following elements shall be considered with regard to inspection and testing after welding: - the use of visual inspection (for completeness of welding, weld dimensions, shape); - the use of non-destructive testing; - the use of destructive testing; - the form, shape, tolerance and dimensions of the construction; - the results and records of post-operations (e.g. post-weld heat treatment, ageing).

Post-weld heat treatment With regards to post-weld heat treatment, performance in accordance with the specification shall be considered.

Non-conformance and corrective actions With regard to non-conformance and corrective actions, the necessary measures and actions (e.g. weld repairs, re-assessment of repaired welds, corrective actions) shall be considered.

Calibration and validation of measuring, inspection and testing equipment With regard to the calibration and validation of measuring, inspection and testing equipment, the necessary methods and actions shall be considered.

Identification and Traceability The following elements shall be considered with regard to identification and traceability: - the identification of production plans; - the identification of routing cards; - the identification of weld locations in construction; - the identification of non-destructing testing procedures and personnel; - the identification of welding consumable (eg designation, trade name, manufacturer of consumables and batch or cast numbers); - the identification and/or traceability of parent material (eg type, cast number); - the identification of the location of repairs; - the identification of the location of temporary attachments; - traceability for fully mechanised and automatic welding units to specific welds; - traceability of welder and welding operators to specific welds; - traceability of welding procedure specifications to specific welds;

Quality records With regard to quality records, the preparation and maintenance of the necessary records (including subcontracted activities) shall be considered.

Further information on ISO 3834 can be found at www.iso3834.org.

Satisfying ISO 14731 is a requirement of ISO 3834. Put simply, ISO 14731 is about people and ISO 3834 is about the welding capability of a whole company. ISO 3834 requires companies to show that all their welding (and welding-related) operations are under appropriate and technically competent control. Three levels of control (ISO 3834 Parts 2, 3 and 4 respectively) are described and a fabricating company seeking compliance is required to choose a level appropriate to the technical difficulty of the welding operations employed. Like ISO 14731, ISO 3834 does not require any second or third party certification of compliance.

Compliance with ISO 3834 (and therefore, by implication, compliance with ISO 14731) is featured in the standards and specifications listed in Table 2. Evidence is available to suggest that client specifications in a number of European countries such as Germany, Norway, the Netherlands and Italy are beginning to stipulate compliance with ISO 3834 to qualify for entry on tender lists. Therefore fabrication companies are encouraged to consider how they will comply with ISO 14731 and ISO 3834. Compliance is likely to bring business benefits by providing ready fulfilment of emerging standards and client specifications. Furthermore, compliance can provide the framework for enhanced internal discipline for continuous improvement, and increased technical efficiency and cost effectiveness of welding operations.

Table 2 List of Standards and Specifications Referring to ISO 3834

Reference Number	Title
EN 13445:2002	Unfired pressure vessels
EN 15085	Railway applications - welding of railway vehicles and components
prEN 1090	Execution of steel structures
EN 12723:2000	Gas supply systems - welding steel pipework - functional requirements
EN 12952:2001	Water tube boilers and auxiliary installations

Part 5 of ISO 3834 is new. This contains a comprehensive list of standards which the manufacturer should comply in order to achieve compliance with ISO 3834 Part 2, 3 or 4. It includes, for example ISO 14731 (for welding co-ordination). ISO 9606 for welding qualification and ISO 9712 for NDT personnel. However, alternative standards to those listed in Part 5 are acceptable provided that:

1. the alternative standards specify equivalent technical conditions, and
2. the alternative standards are called up in the product standards, specifications or contracts that apply.

2. Demonstration of compliance with ISO 3834

For fabricators who already have ISO 9001 certification, the principle additional requirement may only be to satisfy ISO 14731, see below. Thereafter, it will be necessary for the company to ensure that their ISO 9001 quality assurance procedures satisfy the ISO 3834 elements which relate specifically to factors that affect welding.

In the absence of ISO 9001 certification, the fabricator will, in addition, need to develop procedures and/or work instructions to satisfy the elements of ISO 3834, see for example Table 1.

With regard to demonstration of compliance with ISO 3834 the same approach as that usually adopted for ISO 9001 certification can be used: invite an accredited independent third party organisation to audit the company's compliance and thereafter refer potential customers to that third party.

2.1 Certification to ISO 3834

In the UK, it is advisable to use a third party certification body accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service. UKAS is a member of a group called European Co-operation for Accreditation (EA), thereby providing wide recognition of UKAS accredited certification. EA has recently published stringent guidelines ^[2] for certification bodies wishing to offer certification to ISO 3834. Companies seeking certification to ISO 3834 should check that the certification body is accredited in accordance with the EA criteria.

TWI Certification Ltd's Welding Fabricator Certification Scheme, see www.iso3834.org, is accredited by UKAS for ISO 3834 certification in accordance with the EA criteria. It is also accredited by the European Welding Federation for ISO 3834 certification in accordance with guidelines published by EWF. The recognition by EWF may also be helpful to ISO 3834 certificated UK companies seeking to export their products into other European countries.

3. Demonstrating Compliance with ISO 14731

Although the content of ISO 14731 is specific to welding and welding related activities, the principles on which it is based will be familiar to all organisations which strive to operate best practice in the management of their workforce. Any organisation which has, for example, achieved the 'Investor in People' award, or operates an effective N/SVQ system, will already have the foundation of ISO 14731 compliance in place. The basic principles are to ensure that each individual understands his/her tasks and responsibilities and where these fit in relation to the wider responsibilities of a large group; and that each individual has the right competence and support to carry out his/her allotted tasks effectively. Welding operations, perhaps more than any other process, can be made hugely effective by the 'get it right first time' approach which requires welding competence at all levels.

There is an array of education, training, qualification and certification schemes for welding and welding related personnel. At first sight this may appear baffling but by focussing on the key requirements of the employee/employer a route forward for compliance with ISO 14731 should be easily identified. As with ISO 3834, objectively demonstrating compliance may be as important as actually complying and therefore some degree of independent qualification/certification of personnel will be helpful. Also, it should be noted that in the recently published Pressure Equipment Directive, all welders and NDT personnel are required to be qualified by a Third Party Organisation.

European Welding Federation and International Institute of Welding Qualifications ('Diplomas')

These have been described in detail elsewhere and are summarised in Table 3. In most cases they require a certain level of basic education followed by successful completion of an approved course and examination. Courses and examinations are offered by TWI.

In 2000, the EWF and IIW schemes merged such that the training syllabuses and examination formats are common.

Table 3 EWF/IIW Qualifications ('Diplomas')

Training and Qualification Guideline
International Welding Engineer International Welding Technologist International Welding Specialist International Welding Practitioner
International Welding Inspection Personnel (Comprehensive, Standard and Basic levels) International Welder
European Thermal Spraying Specialist European Thermal Sprayer
European Adhesive Engineer European Adhesive Specialist European Adhesive Bonder
European Welding Specialist for Resistance Welding
European MMA Diver Welder
European Plastics Welder
Special Course in Laser Welding (Engineer, Technologist and Specialist)
Special Course for Robot Welding at the Specialist Level
Special Course on Weld Imperfections for Non-Destructive Testing Personnel

Further information can be obtained from www.ewf.be or www.iiw-iis.org

EWF and IIW Diplomas have the advantage that they show that the person has demonstrated reasonable understanding of a specified body of knowledge. The fact that they are referred to in ISO 14731 is also clearly a major advantage in demonstrating compliance.

The disadvantages are that there is no experience or job competence requirement. They are valid for life and therefore there are no requirements to maintain knowledge and keep up to date.

European Welder Federation Certification Scheme ('Certificates')

These tackle the disadvantage of the 'Diplomas' described above. Certificates are awarded only to EWF Diploma holders who have demonstrated competence in a welding job at the appropriate level. They are valid for three years and are only renewed if the holder can demonstrate continuing competence and continuing professional development.

This scheme provides a 'cast iron' demonstration of compliance with ISO 14731. The certificates issued even have the mechanism for employers to endorse them in the context of ISO 14731 and they indicate the products, materials and processes in which the holder has demonstrated competence.

TWI Certification Ltd can assist individuals and employers seeking this kind of certification.

Professional Membership

Professional Membership of The Welding Institute and Registration with the Engineering Council (UK) provide national recognition for professionals in welding and support for Professional Development. Further details are available at www.twiprofessional.com.

The Welding Register

Registration for CSWIP inspectors, instructors etc (see Table 4) is available as an option for certain certificate holders to get more benefits like membership of the Welding and Joining Society, free log books and personalised rubber stamps, and CSWIP renewal reminders.

Table 4: Categories of The Welding Register

Visual Welding Inspector Welding Inspector Senior Welding Inspector Welding Supervisor Master Welder Instructor Welding Technical Representative Underwater Inspector Grade 3.1U Underwater Inspector Grade 3.2U ROV Inspector (3.3U) Underwater Inspector Controller (3.4U) BGAS Senior Pipeline Inspector Grade 1 BGAS Senior Pipeline Inspector Grade 2 BGAS Senior Welding Inspector BGAS Welding Inspector

Documents can be downloaded from www.cswip.com/cswip.html

Certification Scheme for Welding and Inspection Personnel (CSWIP)

This remains in place as the accredited and internationally recognised certification scheme for a range of welding and welding related personnel (see Table 5). CSWIP provides an independent verification of knowledge and competence for specified tasks and is therefore valuable in demonstrating compliance with ISO 14731.

Table 5: Categories of CSWIP Certification

Welding Co-ordinators Welding Inspectors - 3 levels (Visual Welding Inspector, Welding Inspector and Senior Welding Inspector and also incorporating the International Welding Inspector qualifications where applicable Underwater (Diver) Inspectors - 2 levels Underwater Inspection Controllers Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) Inspectors Electromagnetic Inspectors Welding Technical Representatives Welding Supervisors Welding Instructors Plastics Welders Plant Inspectors NDT Personnel General Inspectors Heat Treatment Operatives Cathodic Protection Drillstem Inspection

Documents can be downloaded from www.cswip.com/

Summary of Main Points

1. Compliance with ISO 14731 and ISO 3834 is becoming an increasingly important requirement.
2. Compliance with ISO 3834 can be demonstrated through third party certification. Further changes to accreditation guidelines may affect current ISO 3834 compliance certificates.
3. The EWF and IIW qualification schemes for demonstrating welding knowledge continue to expand.
4. The new EWF Personnel Certification Scheme for demonstrating job competence is a convincing way of achieving compliance with ISO 14731.
5. Professional Membership of TWI and Engineering Council registration continue to provide national recognition in professional engineering and support for Continuing Professional Development activities.
6. An array of other qualifications is available to assist in demonstrating compliance with ISO 14731.

References

1. Welding and Joining Quality Board Fact Sheet: 'What's the difference between the EWF Diplomas and the new EWF Certification Scheme?' Fact Sheet 007, Issue 2 May 1999.
   
   
2. EA - 6/02 'Guidelines on the use of EN 45011 and EN 45012 for certification to EN 729' Published by EA, www.european-accreditation.org

Useful websites

TWI Ltd: www.twi.co.uk
The Welding Institute: www.twiprofessional.com
EWF: www.ewf.be
CSWIP: www.cswip.com
IIW: www.iiw-iis.org
EA: www.european-accreditation.org

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