Under ASME B31.3 (Process Piping), the roels and requirements for an Examiner are distinctly different from those for an [Owner’s] Inspector. While the Inspector represents the owner and audits the work, the Examiner represents the manufacturer, fabricator, or erector and is the person actually performing the quality control examinations—including visual inspection. Because ASME B31.3 classifies Visual Examination (VT) as a formal Nondestructive Examination (NDE) method, the Examiner must meet strict qualification and certification criteria outlined in Paragraph 342.1. Here are the specific requirements for an Examiner performing visual inspections:
The Employer’s Written Practice
An Examiner cannot simply walk onto a job site and rely on past experience or a standalone certificate. They must be formally qualified and certified in accordance with their employer’s written practice (an internal NDE personnel qualification and certification program). The employer is responsible for certifying the records of the examiners employed.
Recognized Base Standards
Recent editions of B31.3 mandate that the employer’s written practice must be structurally based on the training, examination, and experience requirements of one of the following recognized documents:
- ASME BPVC Section V, Article 1
- ASNT SNT-TC-1A (Personnel Qualification and Certification in Nondestructive Testing)
- QUALITY INSPECTION FORMS
- ASNT CP-189 (ASNT Standard for Qualification and Certification of Nondestructive Testing Personnel)
- QUALITY INSPECTION FORMS
- ISO 9712
- Or another equivalent national or international centralized certification program.
Specific Qualification Components
To be certified as a VT Examiner under the employer’s written practice, the individual must typically complete and document:
- Training: Specific hours of classroom instruction in the fundamentals of visual testing and code compliance.
- Experience: On-the-job training commensurate with the needs of the specified examination.
- Examinations: Written and practical performance tests to prove competency in identifying B31.3 welding discontinuities.
- Visual Acuity: An annual near-vision test (typically reading a Jaeger Type 1 standard chart) and a color differentiation evaluation.
The CWI Distinction
QUALITY INSPECTION FORMS
In the piping industry, there is often confusion between the role of an Examiner and an AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI). For the Owner’s Inspector: B31.3 explicitly lists an AWS CWI (with 5 years of relevant industrial piping experience) as a valid, direct qualification to act as the Owner’s Inspector (Para 340.4).
For the Examiner: B31.3 does not explicitly list a CWI as an automatic qualification to be an Examiner. If a fabricator wants an employee with a CWI to act as the B31.3 VT Examiner, the fabricator’s written practice must specifically outline how the AWS CWI credentials satisfy the VT training and testing requirements of their SNT-TC-1A (or equivalent) program. The individual is examining the weld based on their qualification to the employer’s NDE program, not strictly because they hold a CWI card.