CHAPTER 1
The Welding Inspector
Contents
Introduction -
Important Qualifications for the Welding Inspector.
Ethical Requirements for the Welding Inspector s..cwsnnwinisnnsensns
Establishing Lines of Communication,
‘Summary
Review—Chapter I—The Welding Inspector(CHAPTER 1—THE WELDING INSPECTOR,
Chapter 1—The Welding Inspector
Introduction
Welding inspectors function as quality representatives
of organizations that may be a manufacturer, purchaser,
insurance company, or government agency. The inspec
tor is responsible for judging the acceptability of a prod:
uct according to a written specification. The inspector
must understand both the limitations and intent of the
specification, The goal of the welding inspector is to
strive for the required quality, but not to delay comple.
tion and delivery schedules without proper cause.
Welding inspectors find themselves working in doz~
ns of different industries, with each situation having
slightly different job responsibilities. Among those in-
dustries employing welding inspectors are energy pro-
duction, chemical processing, petroleum product refining
and distribution, transportation, and bridge and building
‘construction (see Figure 1.1)
‘The welding inspector is a composite person—a
highly qualified specialist in the field of welding. Weld-
ing inspectors can be classified as:
*+ Code or governing agency inspector
‘esa Area Corporation
Figure 1.1—Industries Utilizing Welding Inspectors+ Purchaser's, customer's, or owner's inspector
+ Fabricator’s, manufacturer's, or contractor's inspector
+ Atchitect’s or engineer's inspector
Inspectors working in small welding fabrication, con-
struction, or erection shops are often required to be
‘more versatile than those working in lager industries.
‘An inspector working in a small shop may be the re-
ceiving inspector, in process inspector, and final in-
spector. In fact, the inspector may be a one-man
‘Quality Control Department. An inspector working in
these situations must be knowledgeable in all facets of
‘welding inspection. a
Even though the in-house inspector may have different
duties from the outside inspector, only a single inclusive
category of inspector is considered within this manual.
‘The content of this manual may sometimes apply to all the
‘categories above or be limited to one or more of them. In
all cases, however, the inspector has the necessary qualifi-
cations and is competent to make the examinations appro-
priate for the type of weldment being inspected,
Important Qualifications for the
Welding Inspector
For a person to become a welding inspector, there are
‘2 number of important qualifications. Any person who
wishes to do their inspection job conscientiously and
professionally must take these qualifications seriously.
Physical Condition
-Sovisiding inspector must bs active and in good phys