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National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
ISO 17025 and the Delivery of
Competent NDT Services
Brett Hyland
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
Delivery of Competent NDT Services
OH&S legislation places responsibility on those
appointing subcontractors/suppliers to ensure
their competence
Liability for adverse consequences arising from
incompetent suppliers means we all have a
personal stake in knowing what ‘competence’
means
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
Delivery of Competent NDT Services
Effective controls, appropriate to the project risk
profile
• personnel
• processes
Role of third party assurance
Active client oversight
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
NDT Personnel
Base qualifications
Appropriate certification level
Context-dependent approvals
Regular competency assessment
Active involvement of the Level 3
On-site technical auditing
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
NDT personnel
Base qualifications
•AINDT scheme AS 9712 (formerly AS 3998)
•2000/01 changes enforced by NATA
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
NDT personnel
Appropriate certification level
•Default is Level 2
•Test parameters explicitly detailed for Level 1
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
NDT personnel
Context-dependent approvals
•Varying experience, eg manufacturing vs commercial
NDT
•Varying application, eg in-service vs newly
manufactured
•Varying test items, eg UT of ferritic welds vs austenitic,
thermit
•Item-specific approvals?
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
NDT personnel
Regular competency assessment
• Independent practical examinations
• 5 yearly competency assessment
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
NDT personnel
Level 3 Involvement
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Authorisation of technicians as competent to perform specific tests
Writing or approving test procedures, validating these as necessary
Monitoring the need for additional test procedures (in conjunction with
the process for review of incoming work requests
Management of the in-house NDT competency program
Monitoring of the quality of reporting test data across the organisation
Ensuring field technical control
Ensuring the integrity of testing equipment
Dealing with technical queries from testing personnel
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
NDT personnel
Level 3 Involvement
• Documented nature and frequency of Level 3 input
• Documented circumstances requiring additional Level 3 input
• Documented delegation of Level 3 responsibilities during
absence
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
NDT personnel
Adequacy of Level 3 input
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Experience level of local full-time staff
Diversity and quantity of work undertaken
Whether procedures are written generically or as item-specific
instructions
The vulnerability of the local technical control arrangements in the
absence of key staff
The extent to which technicians perform work at locations away from
the base site
The nature of the competency assessment undertaken for technicians
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
NDT processes
Test procedure selection
Equipment assurance
Test records and reporting practices
Management system controls
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
NDT processes
Test procedure selection
•Technical review of test requests
•Technique limitations (PoD issues)
•‘Screening’ methods
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
NDT processes
Equipment assurance
•Calibration
•Maintenance
•Capable of required accuracy
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
NDT processes
Test records and reporting practices
•Complete record of test
•Reports data clear, aligned with test specifications
•Tailored to customer requirements
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
NDT processes
Management system controls
•ISO 9001 type controls
•Covered in 17025, with additional elements
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
Australia’s Accreditation, Certification and Conformity Assessment Infrastructure
International
Laboratory
Accreditation
Cooperation (ILAC)
National Association
of Testing Authorities,
Australia (NATA)
Laboratories
Inspection Bodies
Reference Material Producers
Proficiency Testing Scheme
Providers
Government, industry and
the wider community as
customers
International Cooperations
Peer evaluations to ISO/IEC 17011
Accreditation Bodies
Competency assessment of
Conformity Assessment Bodies (to various
standards)
Conformity Assessment
Bodies
Stakeholders
International
Accreditation
Forum (IAF)
Joint Accreditation
Scheme of Australia
and New Zealand (JASANZ)
Product certification bodies
Personnel certification bodies
ISO 9000 management system
certifiers
ISO 14000 environmental system
certifiers
Government, industry and
the wider community as
customers
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
Role of third party assurance
Commonwealth Government MoU with NATA
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aims to promote an appropriate, internationally recognised infrastructure for
inspection, testing, measurement, proficiency testing schemes, reference
material production and certification, based on accreditation;
aims to encourage the ongoing development and strengthening of that
infrastructure to meet the changing needs of industry and consumers in
Australia's public and national interest;
recognises the value of accreditation systems;
looks to NATA to provide leadership and guidance;
recognises NATA as Australia’s key organisation for the development of
knowledge, international experience and recognition in accreditation of
inspection bodies, testing and measurement laboratories, proficiency testing
scheme providers and producers of reference materials; and
recognises NATA's role in accrediting facilities that play a crucial role in assuring
public health, safety and environmental quality.
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
Role of third party assurance
Commonwealth Government MoU with NATA
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NATA will provide national leadership in establishing standards of good
laboratory practice, in accrediting laboratories, inspection bodies,
proficiency testing scheme providers and producers of reference
materials thereby providing a network of competent accredited service
providers to meet national needs as identified by governments or
industry groups.
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
Role of third party assurance
Ensuring industry needs are met
•Use of external industry technical specialists
•90 current NDT appointments (compared with >150
labs)
•NDT Accreditation Advisory Committee
•Technically focussed assessments
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
Role of third party assurance
Accreditation outcomes in NDT
•Testing operators holding a base qualifications for the NDT method(s),
with specific authorizations based on competency assessment and
experience for product areas.
•Testing operators required to perform regular ongoing competency testing
relevant to the work they perform.
•Testing operators subject to at least annual technical witness audits (onsite).
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
Role of third party assurance
Accreditation outcomes in NDT
•A designated Company Level 3 responsible for developing test methods,
approving personnel to conduct specific types of testing, monitoring
operator competence and ensuring effective technical control measures
are in place over testing work.
•Company Level 3 oversight to ensure that selected techniques represent
the most suitable approach for the testing application.
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
Role of third party assurance
Accreditation outcomes in NDT
•NDT equipment performance checks are current and records of
verification are maintained.
•Complete job records to ensure that the test is repeatable, which enables
independent verification in case of dispute.
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
Role of third party assurance
Accreditation outcomes in NDT
•Reports which provide clear details regarding the nature, location and size
of detected defects in accordance with the nominated test specification, as
well as any limitations of testing.
•A formal management system in place including corrective and preventive
action processes, formal document control, internal auditing systems, well
as protocols for establishing/controlling worksites and processes for
monitoring technical control over sites.
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
Active client oversight of NDT
Risk profile of work may warrant direct project
oversight
•Pre-qualification activities
•Ongoing reliability controls
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
Active client oversight of NDT
Pre-qualification activity examples
•Pre-qualification process for personnel being provided
by the testing company
•Provision for client to approve the NDT supplier’s test
methods for all specified types of testing for the project
•Provision for client approval of supplied validation data
for nominated critical testing applications
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
Active client oversight of NDT
Ongoing reliability examples
•Random re-testing of individual equipment items by
independent companies
•Independent random witness auditing of tasks at the
site by client auditors
•Compliance monitoring of test parameters (may
include the use of real-time data capture systems)
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
Conclusion
Technical assurance is required for
• NDT personnel
• NDT processes
Control mechanisms (Complementary)
• Third party assurance
• Active client oversight