Engineering is a process full of variables on which the outcome or solution depends. Rather than suggesting that engineering is open to interpretation, this really means that engineering guidance and decisions have to be very clear and unambiguous.
We acknowledge that you have a choice of certification body and we recognise that we have to compete for your custom but with an increasing number of new entrants to the certification market, we also feel the need to provide TWI Industrial Members with clear advice and guidance on meeting your compliance requirements.
The authority for an individual to fulfil a role or discharge specific responsibilities can only be granted by the employer, in accordance with the employment law of the relevant country. Standards and specifications are increasingly being written to include personnel competence requirements; that is, the ability to apply the necessary practical and theoretical knowledge, skills and personal attributes for the role or tasks to be carried out.
ISO 9001:2008 6.2.1 states; “Personnel performing work affecting conformity to product requirements shall be competent on the basis of appropriate education, training, skills and experience.”
This makes it necessary to:
- Identify the range of activities
- Identify the competence required for each activity
- Train and assess against the competence criteria
- Monitor performance of persons to re-assess competence.
Personnel certification by a third party certification body gives written assurance that the competence of the individual conforms to specified requirements. This is conformity assessment.
You are likely to choose personnel certification because it:
- Is a contractual or regulatory requirement
- Provides market advantage by meeting customer preferences
- Contributes to your risk management programme
In selecting a certification body to perform your conformity assessment you should:
- Bear in mind that the cheapest might prove to be the most costly if its auditing is below standard, or if its certificate is not recognised by your customers
- Establish whether the certification body has assessors with experience in your sector of activity. Welding is identified as a ‘special process’, which means that its quality cannot be readily verified and its successful application requires specialist management, personnel and procedures
- Establish whether the certification body implements EN ISO/IEC 17024, Conformity assessment - General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons.
- Clarify whether or not the certification body has been accredited and, if so, by whom. Accreditation is an essential tool for decision-making and risk management. You can save time and money by selecting an accredited and competent supplier.
Personnel competence in specific roles and in discharging specific responsibilities is a key element in ensuring quality control in welded products.
Effective certification requires recognised training routes, verified evidence of practical experience and strictly controlled assessment and practical testing, and the scope of certification must embrace industry requirements.
Personnel certification, in accordance with EN ISO/IEC 17024, provides you with a testimony that a person has demonstrated the competence, the combined knowledge, skill and experience, to perform a defined role or application-specific tasks.
Proven credibility in the welding and materials joining sector, UKAS-Accredited Certification Body with over 40 years experience in effectively assuring personnel compliance
Industry managed, third-party audited, ISO/IEC 17024 compliant, performance-based validation of personnel competence
The answer to the question, “are your personnel compliant with standards and specifications?” cannot be, “it depends”. The only possible answers are, “Yes”, or “No”; CSWIP Certification “Yes”.
Eur Ing Chris Eady BSc (Hons) MSc CEng MRAeS MWeldI
Chief Executive TWI Certification Ltd
