ASME Personnel Certification ANDE-1

Jon LabradorMadrid, Spain

April 2018

• What is the ANDE Personnel Certification Program

• Why ANDE? Why Now?

• What Makes ANDE Different

• Benefits of ANDE Personnel Certification

• The ANDE Requirements / Process

This Standard provides the requirements for a “Central Qualification / Certification Program” conducted by a Third-Party Certification Organization (Certification Body) for NDE and Quality Control (QC) personnel and uses both performance-based and prescriptive requirements that serve as the program core for these activities.

• The certification program recognizes an individual’s capability to perform non-destructive examination and quality control inspection in accordance with the ANDE-1 Standard.

• This Standard was written to meet the needsof many different industries such as energy, manufacturing, construction, aerospace, defense, automotive.

Paragraph - 1-1.3 USE OF THIS STANDARD

This Standard is required to be used when referenced by a user’s Code, Standard, Specification, Procedure, or Instruction, which the user has committed to meet or is required to meet. Optional use of this Standard is not prohibited, but when this Standard is used, allrequirements are mandatory, including Mandatory Appendices, except where specific alternatives are provided in this Standard.

Taken from the ANDE Standard:

Over the last 30 years, extensive quantitative studies have shown that the reliability and performance of nondestructive examination must be improved to advance public safety and quality industry-wide. Some factors that have contributed to the need for NDE Personnel Certification are:

• Decline in qualified workforce due to attrition• Increasing demand for qualified workforce due to aging plant issues and

competing industries• Variations in owner qualification and certification programs – Employer Based.

• Weak Central Certification Programs – oversight issues• Human performance issues

• No ongoing training as part of certification.• No continuing performance demonstrations.• Testing not related to work environment

experience.

• Existing personnel qualification and certificationprocesses that do not align with Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) guidelines, and best practices used for other nuclear & fossil fueled power plant workers.

• Lack of a consistent way to evaluate qualifications of NDE personnel

- The end result of these studies / factors along with a lack of documented ongoing process improvement can be seen in the flaws that are initially missed (in some methods 50% of the time) resulting in component failure while in operation, typically in operating plants.

- All of these issues need to be addressed if the NDT industry is going to be able to provide a manufacturer / plant operations safe and reliable NDT services in the future.

ANDE Personnel Certification Program Is A Way You Can Get There!

• First and most important – ASME PC ANDE Certification Program focuses on and standardizes continual performance demonstration practices and continuing training formation as opposed to inconsistent and inefficient time based practices.

• It implements the most effective currently known elements into its Certification Scheme such as:

1. Systematic Approach to Training (SAT)A methodology that ensures people through training and certification are prepared for their work by having the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes to successfully perform their job.

SAT Process – Five Phases• Analysis• Design• Development• Implementation• Evaluation

Through this process, performance-based requirements are focused on training and true performance demonstration of the skills needed for personnel to perform specific job functions throughout initial Qualification and Certification and then during Certification periods.

2. Detailed Job Task Analysis (JTA)A nationally and globally recognized process for determining valid job content and employment requirements. It is used to: Construct accurate and valid Job Descriptions. Define valid and defensible position duties and responsibilities.

3. Defining Experience Requirements (ASME PC Qualification Cards)Ensures individuals are properly trained and qualified to conduct NDE services and indicates an individual’s level of competency inareas applicable to power plant fabrication (Nuclear & Fossil),construction, and in-service inspection, providing appropriate documentation of their

training and qualifications

ANDE Qualification Card

While knowledge based learning is essential, the skill-based application of NDE is of particular importance, requiringsufficient and appropriate experience confirmed by a proficiency demonstration – This is at the core of the ANDE Scheme.

(ASME PC Qualification Cards)Individuals are assigned a Qualification Card and areresponsible for developing the skills and knowledgenecessary for a specific method and/or technique.Candidates for certification are responsible for obtainingappropriate signatures for on-the-job training and taskperformance evaluation as each task is successfullycompleted. – Signatures are by certified ANDE LVL III(s) inThe appropriate method(s)

ANDE Qualification Card

ASME PC is the Certification Body for the ANDE Program. ASME is globally recognized as providing the Gold Standard in certification programs and leverages over a hundred years of providing safety and high quality within its certification and accreditation schemes.

QRO - Municipal Solid Waste Combustion Facilities Operator (ASME QRO-1 Standard)GDTP – Dimensioning and Tolerancing Professional (ASME Y14.5 Standard)ANDE – ASME Nondestructive Examination & Quality Control (ASME ANDE-1 Standard)

Traditional NDE certification programs - are prescriptive on-the-job (OTJ) training / experience and do not provide performance measurement to meaningful learning opportunities and these time based only methodologies do not recognize training effectiveness and learning abilities. Also, effective feedback when detecting and evaluating actual flaws is seldom provided.

ASME PC’s ANDE Certification program - Qualification cards are used specifically to identify the essential elements of each task (both Knowledge and Practical). The Qualification Card provides a process to demonstrate required skills and proficiency at a specified performance level. Accuracy and Ability are key, not time.

• ASME PC Scheme – Working closely with Specific Industry Sectors (SIS), it focuses on increasing the quality, efficiency and predictability of NDE and QC inspection.

• Provides improved training by industry subject matter experts (SMEs).• Provides independent and consistent examinations, increasing the NDE and

QC workforce, while bringing uniformity to the certification process.• Portable, broadly recognized personnel certification credentials.

These benefits within the ASME PC Certification Scheme strive to improve safety, reliability, and quality of components and in-service inspections.

Finally, The use of ANDE Personnel Certification can be used as an option within the various ASME BPV Codes & Standards:

Section I - Power Boilers – (PW-50.1)Section V – Nondestructive Examination (T-120 (h))Section VIII (DIV 1 & 2) – (Div 1 - UW-54) (Div 2 – Part 7, 7.3)

Nuclear Codes & StandardsSection III – Code Case - To allow use of ANDE within Section IIISection XI – Code Case N-788-2 – Will allow use of ANDE within Section XI

Certification is comprised of two parts:• Part 1 – Written Examination Part 2 – Practical DemonstrationApplicants can obtain certification for LVL II and LVL III , based on their level of experience and role.

Part 1Written Examination – Closed book exam with the exception of reference materials as identified by ASME PC. The exam questions are developed and maintained by ASME PC. The questions are formulated from SIS approved Job Task Analysis (JTAs).The questions cover the following topics:

- Physical principles and theory- Codes, standards, specifications, procedures, instructions, and interpretations- Practical applications and problems

Exams are given at local Prometric Testing Centers (www.Prometric.com)

Part 2 – Practical Demonstration

Practical Demonstration - The practical demonstration evaluates an individual’s hands-on skills and knowledge in a particular NDE method, as specified in the JTA.

- Test samples (Specimens) for NDE Level II and Level III practical demonstrations include a secure test sample bank containing at least five attributes for evaluation.

- Defects in the test sample bank may be actual or simulated defects.

- ANDE also includes a standard performance based practical examination with realistic flawed samples, simulating fabrication and in-service field conditions based on JTA.

The practical demonstration will be available in select locations.

Spain & Italy are in the process of being selected locations

ANDE Certification

Certifications for all NDE certificants expire every 5 years.

To maintain your certification:

- Required to remain active in specified method each year of your Certification. This uninterrupted service documented through the ANDE Continuity Card and maintained as part of the individual’s record.

- For interrupted service, not performing NDE duties associated with their certification level during any 12-month (365-day) period, than their service is considered interrupted and it is required that the individual successfully complete a reduced scope practical demonstration to ensure continued proficiency prior to a further assignment to perform NDE.

ANDE Application Requirements

- All applicants shall have a High School, general education diploma or equivalent education.

- Candidates must document training – training courses shall address the contents contained in the applicable Bok from the approved JTA and shall be approved by a LVL III

- Experience shall be documented on the Qualification / continuity Card for each method.

- Current annual eye exam:

- Near Vison Acuity – Jaeger 1 or equivalent at a distance not les than 12 in (30 cm)

- Far Vison Acuity – Natural or corrected of at least 20/30 (Snellen)

- Color contrast – Ability to distinguish colors applicable to test methods

- Vision Correction – When vision correction is necessary , the vision correction devices must be utilized during all testing / inspections.

To populate the ANDE community a special provision was made within the ANDE Standard called – Case I “Transitional Provisions”

November 1, 2017 – ASME PC began accepting applications for the Transition Level IIIRequirements for Transitional Level IIIs

- Education- Experience – 5 years of Level III experience- Current eye exam- Current Certification (ASNT, ISO 9712, EN473, or EPRI)

Visit ASMEPCLLC.org for updates on program status

Questions?Matthew Vazquez

VazquezM@asme.org+1 212 591 8522

Paul Langlangp@asme.org+1 212 591 8373

Visit - www.asmepcllc.org