A welder qualification (ISO 9606-1, welder qualification test) shows that a welder can weld with a given process, material, thickness and position. Once the qualification is obtained, regular records are needed to keep it valid; this is one of the gaps that comes up most often in audits.
The 6-month confirmation
The employer or welding coordinator must record on the qualification that the welder has welded within the qualified range at least once every 6 months. If the welder does not weld within that range for more than 6 months, the qualification may lose its validity.
Related reading: AWS D17.1 explained · Weld records on Gulf oil & gas projects · What is a WPS?
Revalidating the qualification
ISO 9606-1 defines several routes for extending the validity of a qualification: retesting at set intervals, or verification through inspection records taken from production welds. The route your company has chosen must be stated on the qualification. Refer to the current edition of the standard for exact periods and conditions.
The gaps that come up most often in audits
- 6-month confirmation signatures missing or signed late
- The welder welding outside the qualified range (position, thickness, material)
- A welder whose qualification has expired continuing to work in production
- The WPS and the welder qualification not matching
- Records scattered on paper and not found when requested
Which of these is in your records?
Most of these mistakes slip past when records are read by eye one at a time, and auditors look for them first. The real question is which one sits in your own files. Upload your welder qualifications to NTB SpecPro and quickly see which points may carry risk, the likely reason and a suggestion.
Making tracking easier
Even in a shop with a few welders, tracking the dates by hand in spreadsheets is hard. The NTB SpecPro welding module records welder qualifications, reminds you of those about to expire and compares the qualified range with the WPS. The final check always stays with the welding coordinator.
Free tool: Welder qualification expiry calculator
Prepared by NTB SpecPro process quality engineering; reviewed by an engineer holding the International Welding Engineer (IWE) qualification. Questions: info@ntbspecpro.com
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