Seminars held by SGS on personnel certification in Southeast Asia
07/05/2010
The need for well-trained and qualified non-destructive testing (NDT) personnel is recognised around the world. But how can we determine whether somebody is suitably qualified to perform the job in question? Personnel certification ensures people are qualified but, as many different certification schemes are used throughout the world, it is essential to understand the differences. Participants at the SGS seminar on personnel certification in the field of NDT had the chance to discuss issues and receive answers to their questions regarding this topic. SGS recently organised two seminars regarding personnel certification in the field of non-destructive testing (NDT). Held in the City of Manila, Philippines, on 16 March 2010 and in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on 18 March 2010, the seminars were designed to introduce the different certification systems.
Certification sounds like a relatively simple subject, however, it is quite complex and confusing. Many certificates are misinterpreted which leads to people inspecting welds and other products without being suitably qualified. Seminar attendees were given the chance to take an in-depth look into the world of certification of personnel working in the NDT business. The participants were encouraged to take an active part in the discussions about the advantages and disadvantages of both in-house certification and centrally managed certification schemes such as the well known PCN certification scheme. Questions, covering topics including the specific information which should be included on a certificate and what it means to be qualified, were answered.
The need for high quality, pre-examination training has been emphasised. Statistics have proven that, when taking examinations directly without attending the pre-examination accredited training, the percentage pass rate is dramatically reduced and many candidates are likely to be unsuccessful. Finally, to end the seminar, individual questions were clarified. Attendees can, from now on, be more critical about the certificates they review and better at specifying the required personnel.
The seminar was given by Jason Scott, who gained a wealth of experience in NDT and NDT training as Director of the SGS Training and Certification School in China.
