ICNDT Workshop on NDT Certification at 20th WCNDT Korea 2024

Mutual Recognition of Personnel
Certification as an aid to theglobalisation of NDTMike Farley
Past Chair of ICNDTGlobalisation of industry▪Design, building and operation of plant equipment and machineryis “globalised”▪This true for all sectors where NDT is important– transport (for example cars, planes, trains and ships),– civil engineering (bridges),–energy infrastructures (oil & gas rigs and pipelines, wind turbines, power stations)
and– manufacturing (steelmaking to composites to electronics).

Globalisation of NDT▪Industrial companies procure equipment and materials from wherever is most costeffective, increasingly from emerging economies, using local NDT services working
to the contract standards▪Safety, reliability and availability of structures, plant and machinery thus depends
on the whole supply chain of companies and contractors all around the world, eachwith their own NDT personnel and equipment

ICNDT promotes an international NDT quality infrastructurethat can facilitate globalised trade and this includes a system toallow recognition of personnel certification

Example of Globalisation in Scotland – the Forth Replacement Crossing▪Replacement bridge, opened 30th August 2017
▪Cable-stayed bridge, longest three tower bridge in the world▪Global project▪Steel deck and tower units fabricated in China▪Site construction by East European labour▪All NDT (China and UK) used PCN certificated personnel▪Structural health monitoring system incorporated from new

ICNDT activities relating to Personnel Certification
NDT quality chain is very dependent on personnel certification

Research and development
Motivation ofStandards
technicians
is vital toProcedures
theEquipment
achievementof quality inPersonnel Training
NDT
Personnel Certification
Human Factors
Audits and SurveillanceICNDT activities relating to Personnel Certification –we need

–NDT Certification that we can rely on all around theworld–Certificates gained in one country need to bevalid/recognised world-wide–Correct implementation of both Third Party certificationand in-company programmes (SNT-TC - 1A)–Best practice is a combination of Third Party (ISO9712)
and the employer fulfilling his obligations through acompany programme in accordance with his written
practice (ie Driving licence plus company specifics)•See the latest version of the ICNDT Guide– and Harmonisation and Mutual Recognition of similar
Certification schemes

Memories• Mid 1970’s, in UK constant complaints from technicians andindustry about industry asking for numerous similar, but separate
certifications … Expensive, time-wasting and de-motivating. ..led totheir amalgamation in PCN• 1989, my first WCNDT conference in Amsterdam, there was hugepressure for harmonisation and mutual recognition of certificationin different countries …. This led to a common syllabus and toEN473 and ISO 9712 standards for personnel certification• In the early 90’s, there was a belief that a common standard would
bring harmonisation , and that mutual recognition would follow.
• Some bilateral recognitions developed but nothing like fast enoughand not efficient, a Multilateral Agreement was neededEFNDT Multilateral Recognition Agreement (MRA)▪By the early 90’s where most countries in Europe had EN473 - compliant
schemes▪In 1994, EFNDT developed a Multilateral Recognition Agreement, withAccreditation to ISO17024 as a pre-requisite and either EN473 or ISO
9721 as the underlying standard▪By 2013, the EFNDT MRA had 29 signatories (Schedule 1) which eachagreed to recognise the certification provided by 22 Certification Bodies(Schedule 2)

Some important activities of ICNDT 2008 - 2013
Successfully lobbied at WCNDT Shanghai
in 2008 for a new single standard toreplace EN473 and the old ISO 9712,
leading to ISO 9712:2012
Revised ICNDT Guide to reinforce key
messages in the new ISO EN9712 2012
ICNDT Multilateral Recognition
Agreement on Personnel Certification*

ICNDT PCB Conformity Assessment*(alternative or supplement toAccreditation)
ICNDT Examination Question Bank forISO 9712**Launched in 2013 at the EuropeanCertification Conference in Croatia

ICNDT Multilateral Recognition Agreement (MRA)▪NDT Societies sign and thereby agree “to promote the recognition and acceptance ofthe certification issued by PCBs registered under the ICNDT MRA”.
▪Details are in the ICNDT Operating Procedure OP19, largely based on its EFNDT
predecessor and learning from the experience in EFNDT (from 1994)▪Registration depends on a PCB having an external endorsement to ISO 17024. Thiscan be Accreditation by an AB which is a member of EA or IAF or an ICNDT PCBApproval.
▪Nine ICNDT member societies from Europe, Asia Pacific and Pan-America had signed
Schedule 1 before the launch event in Croatia in 2013
– Australia, China, Brazil, India, Malaysia, Russia, Ukraine, Korea, Singapore▪There were 10+ more signatories during the conference– Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, UKICNDT Multilateral Recognition Agreement (MRA) , now 2024
47 National Societies, members of ICNDTArgentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Chinese Taiwan, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France,Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland,Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom,
Uzbekistan.

have signed the MRA and thereby agreed to recognise the certification awarded by the Personnel
Certification Bodies (PCBs) which are registered with ICNDT. Currently 20.
Argentina Inst forStandards andCertificaion ( IRAM)

Australian Institute for
Non-destructiveTesting (AINDT)

Associação Brasileira de
Ensaios Não Destrutivos
Inspeção (ABENDI)

Czech TUV Nord

Chinese Society for
Non-Destructive
Testing (ChSNDT)

Chinese Taiwan,
SNTCT

Finland, Inspecta
Sertifiointi Oy

Germany, Gesellschaftfür
Zertifizierung mbH(SECTOR Cert)

India ( NCB of ISNDT)Korea, KSNT (KPCN)

Malaysia, Dept of skills
Development, DSD
SPKM-NDT

Mexico, (IMENDE)

Poland, UDT Jednostka

Portugal, Associação de

Certyfikująca Osoby(UDT-CERT)

Laboratórios
Acreditados de Portugal( RELACRE)

Singapore, NDTSSSouth Africa, (SAIW)

Sri Lanka, (CBNDT)

UK, British Institute of

NDT – ( PCN)
Ukraine, (UkrSRINDT)UK TWI Certification

In addition, we have

▪Around 10 PCBs in the EFNDT MRA which meet very similar requirements and could
transition to the ICNDT MRA▪We have other PCBs with ISO9712 schemes which are supportive of the same
approach advocated in the ICNDT Guide and the ISO 9712 standard (eg ASNT ,Canada)

Advantages of MRA to PCBs

▪Several newer PCBs found the process of application to join the MRA to be a very
valuable learning experience▪There have also been benefits to PCBs from the disciplines involved in MRA renewaland annual updates▪PCBs call on the ICEC Sec for advice/back-up when faced with demands from theiraccreditors▪Several PCBs have used the ICNDT PCBA route as an alternate or supplement toAccreditation – very valuable▪There are Gaps in Schedule 2 because some European Certification Bodies haveremained in the EFNDT Agreement and not yet registered with ICNDT.
▪ We need to consider as to how ICNDT and EFNDT MRA’s might come together andavoid separate regional schemes

Advantages of the MRA to industry, employers and individuals▪Recognition in the MRA provides confidence to potential contract employers that thesupplied technicians will be competent.
▪MRA Schedule 2 members have the service backup from ICEC - if the certification body is on
our schedule then the certificates should be universally accepted.
– ICEC Sec has numerous examples eg Brazilian wanting to work on UK, Technicians from Europe justifying tueir
certification for work in Canada, Malay and Sri Lankan moving to work on Australia.
– ICEC also discovered bad practice when a Libyan Oil Co questioned a certificate carrying an ICNDT logo. Misuseof logo as the PCB was not recognised by ICNDT▪ The ICNDT MRA provides a basis for the recognition of– Certificates gained from another PCB in the MRA– Training carried out as part of gaining certification from another PCB in the MRA– Experience accepted by another PCB in the MRA– Examinations taken at another PCB in the MRA– All above are possible at initial Certification, Renewal, or Recertification and when a candidate seeks to moveup a Level, and can reduce the time, and cost for an applicant and their employer

Advantages of the MRA in a world of skills shortages▪Many times in the conference we have heard concerns about skills
shortages and the fears that these will get worse due to the age profileof the existing work force▪But we have also heard about the pools of talent in some countries▪ Already we depend on a mobile NDT workforce and I predict that oneof the solutions for skills shortages will be the greater (and faster)mobility of people with certificated skills, making use of the ICNDT MRA

Concluding remarks▪We have systems in place through the ICNDT MRA to achieve
harmonisation at a high level of quality▪The MRA provides the basis for recognition of certification▪But the dream of widespread mutual recognition is still unfulfilled▪To avoid unnecessary costs, wasting of time, frustration and demotivation we need Certification Bodies to find more opportunities torecognise training, experience, examinations and certificates gained in
the other PCBs in our MRA Schedule 2.
▪We need other bodies/codes (examples are ASME, EN4179/ NAS410,ANDE) to recognise ISO 9712 certification.
▪Finally , If the MRA did not exist it would need to be invented and it willbecome more important as skills shortages worsen▪Thank you for your attention▪Questions welcome
Mike Farley