New publication of prEN 4179 and NAS 410

19/03/2015

Jon Biddulph, Chief of Non-Destructive Evaluation at Rolls-Royce plc and Chair of the UK NANDTB and ANDTBF, reports…

The International (EU/US) Harmonisation Team, operating under the Memorandum of Understanding between ASD-STAN and AIA, has concluded its work of the last two years, resulting in the simultaneous publication of prEN 4179:2014 and NAS 410 rev 4 on 19 December 2014. The significant changes from the previous revisions are as follows:

Defines requirements for non-film radiography
Provides minimum training and experience hours for personnel transitioning from film to non-film radiography, or vice versa
Introduces an annual maintenance requirement to verify personnel technical proficiency during the certification cycle
More clearly defines the role, operation and responsibilities of a NANDTB
Adds the requirement to define additional training, experience and examination when an employer adds new techniques for current certified personnel
The requirement to define the amount of time to be spent in each subject area within training outlines has been deleted
Reduces experience hours for ET, UT and RT
Where a NANDTB is used and the scope of the specific and practical examinations are wider than the employers requirements, it requires the employer to be responsible for administering supplemental examinations representative of the employer’s processes
Permits three specific near-vision test options; equivalency determined by the Responsible Level 3 has been removed
For trainees gaining experience, it requires documentation to be available for review to indicate, per individual, date, task, hours and the certified person providing direct observation
Revised Annex A requirements for Level 3 recertification
Makes achieving Level 2 certification a prerequisite for Level 3 certification
Defines the expiration of annual maintenance and vision tests as the end of the corresponding month in which the event began.

These are the significant changes. The revised standards, which are identical in content, must be reviewed in detail to capture all the changes made.

NAS 410 permits six months from publication to make the new revision effective. In regions where EN 4179 applies, effectivity will be subject to either National Aviation Authority ruling, NANDTB policy or OEM flow down. The UK NANDTB meets on 10 March 2015 and will, in all probability, declare prEN 4179:2014 as the standard applicable to UK aerospace NDT personnel with effectivity to coincide with NAS 410 requirements.

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