INHOUSE NDT START-UP

[Rich2001]

I am examine the possibility of bring NDT inhouse (specifically MT, PT and UT) Yet I don't have a ANST Level III inhouse.

Option 1 - OUTSIDE ADMINISTRATION

Has any one used and outside ANST Level III to administrate , train and certify inhouse (Level I & II) personnel? What are the pro's and cons?

Option 2 - CERTIFY SOMEONE INHOUSE WITHOUT EXAMINATION

What about certifying someone in house with the training and experience as a LEVEL III without examination. The personnel would do the training , testing and certifying Level I & II personnel. (to get things rolling) Then when the ASNT exams are given, Basic and Specific, at a close location have the inhouse Level III take these exams.

Has anyone done this? Pro's & cons?

Thanks,

Rich

 

[ndtwalt]

Unless you are planning to develop new procedures in anyone of the disiplines; there is no real need to have an "in house" level three.The importance of a level three is to certify and advance new methods of that disipline. So as to assure that the new procudure is in complance with accepted enigneering standard.
No certification of any kind can be recognized without a ASNT level three involvment. if you are planning to develop an "in house" program you need a level three involved.
Many shop that I've been in used an out side level three for training and approval of procedure only. Once you are certfy to level two, you are allowed to work independently with in the confines of the approved procedures. Now the pro's and cons. "In house" level three program allows you to develop new procedures, keep personel currently trained while having the ability to perform inspections current with production rates. The down side is the cost of support a department that may not be need full time. If inspection is only what you need, but an outside agency does not suite your needs. Just send your designee to an outside school. Get them trained and certified, and if any of your procedures are out of the realm of accepted standards (ie: AWS D1.1) than use an agency's level three on a case by case bases.

 

[NDTLevel3]

As a consulting Level III I can tell you that many companies use outside Level III services without ever encountering problems. Perhaps the biggest disadvantage is that you may not have immediate access to the Level III. The biggest advantage is that the cost is considerably less than a full time Level III. There is an initial cost for establishing your program and then a "retainer" fee for maintaining it and providing procedures, techniques, etc.

As for certifying someone in house without examination, not many clients accept that option today. The latest versions of recommended practices for qualification and certification no longer allow that option. You can learn more about qualification and certification here:

http://www.asnt.org/certification/guide.htm.

If you are interested in learning more about our NDT Level III consulting services visit

http://www.brighttechnical.com.

William E. Blum
Managing Director
Bright Technical Services Inc.

http://www.brighttechnical.com

wblum@brightechnical.com
USA Toll Free 1-877-638-2441
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