Author: Ing. Carlos Álvarez, July 04, 2022.
Introduction
To ensure the mechanical integrity of equipment and assets typical of the oil and gas industry, it is necessary that they be inspected by applying Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) methods; which must be carried out by qualified personnel. This article tries to clarify the doubts about the different standards and parties involved in the certification process, as well as information about recognized international institutions such as: the American Society for Non-Destructive Testing (ASNT) and the International Organization for Standardization. (ISO), in order to obtain authorization to work as an NDT operator/inspector.
The physical integrity of the manufactured, repaired or altered components, such as: pressure vessels, storage tanks, pipes, among others; It is achieved through inspection by competent personnel, hence the importance of having a qualified resource, with experience and certification by the company or an outside institution, depending on the regulations that apply. There are documents that can be taken as a reference for the elaboration of the written practice or procedure for the qualification of the END personnel; however, most of them come from recognized international institutions; such as the American Society for Non-Destructive Testing (ASNT) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Basically, the three documents with greater recognition and the institution of their origin are the following:
• ASNT Recommended Practice SNT-TC-1A.
• ASNT Standard CP-189.
• ISO standard ISO 9712.
A brief description of each of these documents follows:
1. ASNT Recommended Practice SNT-TC-1A
It was the first document issued dealing with the subject for the qualification of personnel in END, specifically in the year 1966. It offers a series of recommendations for the employer to develop a written practice or procedure for qualification and certification. It establishes three (03) qualification levels, namely: Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3, leaving the possibility of subdividing them, as considered by the employer, for specific skills and responsibilities.
2. CP-189 standard
This document provides a series of rules for the employer to develop a written practice or procedure for the qualification and certification of NDT personnel. Here, all the requirements that are mentioned have a mandatory sense, unlike the SNT-TC-1A, where most of the requirements are written as recommendations. Another difference with the recommended practice SNT-TC-1A, is that it adds the qualification levels of apprentice, limited level 2 and instructor, to make six in total, which we can use as a reference in the possibility that the SNT-TC leaves us. -1A, to subdivide the qualification levels when they are considered necessary.
3. ISO standard ISO 9712
It offers a series of rules for the employer to develop a written practice, that is, the procedure for the qualification and certification of its NDT personnel. The main difference with the documents provided by the ASNT, seen above, is that the process is shared by three entities, namely: The employer, an authorized qualification body and a certification body. This document, like the ASNT SNT-TC-1A recommended practice, establishes three qualification levels that are level 1, level 2 and level 3.
Qualification and certification process SNT-TC-1A and the ASNT Standard CP-189
This process is under the responsibility of the employer, and begins with the training of personnel in NDT, with the approval of the required exams, including the duly documented visual one, and the record of the accumulated experience. Once the necessary records are in place and these exceed the minimum established in the written practice, or procedure for the qualification and certification of the company’s personnel, the candidate has obtained the qualification for the level in the considered method.
In the next step, a person qualified as level III corroborates these records; which are reflected in a form or certificate; which, signs as a sign of compliance with the requirements according to the procedure for the qualification and certification of the company’s NDT personnel. Subsequently, a representative of the employer signs the document certifying the NDT inspector’s competence.
Qualification and certification process ISO 9712 standard
This process is shared by three entities: The employer, an authorized qualification body and a certification body, the latter two independent or unrelated to the employer, in order to give a sense of impartiality to the process.
This sequence is initiated by the employer, who is responsible for the preparation and record of the experience of its NDT personnel, later the documentation of the training and experience of the candidates for certification are sent and corroborated by a qualification body authorized by a certification body, and this is in charge of carrying out the required evaluations of the personnel who are candidates for certification. Once approved, the qualification for the method and level sought is granted. Then the authorized qualification body delivers all the records to the certification body, which issues the certification and sends it to the employer. Lastly, the employer issues an authorization to the personnel so that they perform the functions according to the approved certification.
What NDT personnel qualification and certification process should be used?
The answer lies in the standards and codes of construction, inspection, repair and alteration of components, or regulations of each country for these purposes, with which the employer usually works and agrees with the client. These documents establish the requirements that must be met by the inspectors who will carry out non-destructive evaluations, and hence the processes or reference documents to be used for the qualification process of NDT personnel.
About the Author
Carlos Álvarez, Mechanical Engineer (1994). Level III certified by the American Society for Non-Destructive Testing (ASNT) in the Ultrasonic testing method. He has extensive experience in the Oil and Gas sector as an Inspector of static equipment, non-destructive testing inspector attending maintenance work and various projects in Venezuela, Panama, Colombia, Aruba and Trinidad and Tobago.
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