Retention of Radiographs of Welds (Xray Film)
Retention of Radiographs of Welds (Xray Film)
(OP)
Good Afternoon All,
In finishing up a project, I have been approached by the owner of the company with the question of what is the required retention time by B31.3, B31.4, & B31.8 of film of the welds radiographed during the project.
I can only find a requirement (B31.3) to retain records for a period of 5 years. This is a "loose" statement, and was wondering if any one could clear this up for me?
Regards
In finishing up a project, I have been approached by the owner of the company with the question of what is the required retention time by B31.3, B31.4, & B31.8 of film of the welds radiographed during the project.
I can only find a requirement (B31.3) to retain records for a period of 5 years. This is a "loose" statement, and was wondering if any one could clear this up for me?
Regards





RE: Retention of Radiographs of Welds (Xray Film)
RE: Retention of Radiographs of Welds (Xray Film)
Does code specifically state that you must retain the film?
RE: Retention of Radiographs of Welds (Xray Film)
RE: Retention of Radiographs of Welds (Xray Film)
What you choose to retain or not to retain will be a question answered by the legal codes in force within the jurisdiction in which you are operating, not the "design" codes, and determined with due regard as to the type of pipeline you are constructing and the length of service for which it is intended.
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Let your acquaintances be many, but your advisors one in a thousand' ... Book of Ecclesiasticus
RE: Retention of Radiographs of Welds (Xray Film)
this provides some level of protection (legal or otherwise) for both you and your customer.
RE: Retention of Radiographs of Welds (Xray Film)
RE: Retention of Radiographs of Welds (Xray Film)
RE: Retention of Radiographs of Welds (Xray Film)
If part of a film package starts going bad we still keep it as you can still read the flash screen.
You have to remember that film start loosing quality within a year, how much depend on how forced the development was and the proper fixing. Once a film starts losing quality the exposure to light will accelerate the process. This can just a few passes on the viewer.
We store our film in fire resistant cabinets, not only as fire hazard but to save the film in case of a fire.
The only time I've seen the storage question come up was during a EPA inspection after we had a recordable spill. We were asked for the film of the line and we had to answer that there was no film, but we had the reader sheets. Nothing was ever mentioned about the lack of film. I think we being able to go to a weld map get weld number and pullout a reader sheet impressed him. It did us too as we were able go right to it.