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Practical Limitations for Reviewing

Qualification Documents
Learn what the CWIs responsibilities are in reviewing
four types of welding-related documents
BY JIM SEKELY

here are many types of welding-related documents that

CWIs are confronted with all the time on the job.
However, they possibly might not be familiar with what
the documents really are or what their responsibilities are with
regard to the documents. This article is intended to address the
detail to which the CWI should review:
N Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS)
N Procedure Qualification Records (PQR)
N Welder (Welding Operator) Performance Qualification
Records (WPQR)
N Standard Welding Procedure Specifications.
It must be recognized that the responsibility for conformance to the welding codes and standards remains with the
contractor, manufacturer, or fabricator who signed the WPS,
PQR, and WPQR and that they accept responsibility for the
welds made using these documents. The CWI responsible for
reviewing the documents does not arbitrarily assume responsibility for the welds made solely based on his or her review of the
documents.

Welding Procedure Specifications

The WPS, whether qualified or prequalified in accordance
with one of the various AWS D standards, should be reviewed to
ensure that it is
N Complete on properly formatted forms (not written on a napkin or a scrap of paper).
N Signed by the contractor, manufacturer, or fabricator responsible for the work performed using this WPS.
N Applicable to the scope of work intended to be welded using
the specific WPS.
The Welding Procedure Specifications should address the
following:
Welding process(es)
Base metal(s)
Joint details
Filler metal(s)
Electrical parameters (voltage, current, travel speed), as
applicable
Weld metal transfer mode, if applicable
Position
Progression

Preheat and interpass temperature(s)

Requirements for any postweld heat treatment, when
applicable.
N If the WPS is supported by Procedure Qualification Records,
the WPS should reference the specific PQR, the date of the
PQR, and/or the revision level of the PQR.

Procedure Qualification Record

The PQR should be reviewed to ensure that it is
N Complete on properly formatted forms. As with a WPS, they
should not be written on some scrap of paper.
N Signed (certified) by the contractor, manufacturer, or fabricator attesting to the fact that the PQR was prepared, welded,
and tested in accordance with the requirements of the specific code or standard to which the welding procedure is being
qualified to.
N The PQR should be reviewed to ensure that it is dated and is
applicable to the WPS that references the specific PQR.
In general, the PQR should address the following:
Welding process
Base metal
Joint details
Filler metal
Position
Progression
Preheat and interpass temperature
Requirements for any postweld heat treatment, when
applicable
Results of any destructive or nondestructive testing and who
conducted the tests.
The PQR should also identify the specific WPS that is being
qualified by this test.

Welder (Welding Operator) Performance

Qualification Test Record
The WPQR should be reviewed to ensure the following:
N That it has been completed on properly formatted forms
(again, not written on a napkin or scrap of paper).
N That it has been signed (certified) by the contractor, manufacturer, or fabricator attesting to the fact that the statements

JIM SEKELY (jsekely@comcast.net) is a consultant, Welding Services, Inc., Monroeville, Pa. He is a past chair of the AWS B2
Committee on Welding Qualifications, chair of the AWS B2D Subcommittee on Standard Welding Procedure Specifications, and chair
of the AWS D9 Committee on the Welding, Brazing, and Soldering of Sheet Metal. He is a member of the National Board Inspection
Code Committee, ASME B31.1 Power Piping Code Committee, and AWS Technical Activities Committee.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the committees on which he participates.
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in the record are correct and the welder was tested in accordance with the requirements of the specific code or standard
to which the welder was qualification tested.
N That it identifies the WPS that was followed during the testing
process.
N That it also identifies the destructive or nondestructive testing used to evaluate the coupon or specimens.
N That it lists the test results of destructive tests (if used) and
who conducted them.
N That it lists the test results of nondestructive tests (if used)
and who conducted them; certifications to the NDE method
may be required and such certifications should be noted on
the WPQR.
N That it has been dated so that it can also be used as the basis
for qualification renewal.

AWS Standard Welding Procedure

Specifications

For info go to www.aws.org/ad-index

Although it is not necessary to review the SWPS or the summary of PQRs for content or conformance, verification that the
SWPS is signed by the manufacturer, fabricator, or contractor is
required signifying that they accept responsibility for the welds
made using the specific SWPS.
The fabrication documents (drawings, shop travelers,
sketches, as applicable) should be reviewed to verify that the
SWPS used is applicable to the welding being performed.
In conclusion, it must be recognized that the CWI is not
expected to verify the fine details of every welding document
presented for review. The CWIs responsibility is to ensure that
the documents exist, they are applicable to the welding performed, and are properly signed and dated.O

12 INSPECTION TRENDS