Attributes of a Welding Inspector

There are many types of welding inspectors, depending upon technical requirements for the particular fabrication process or processes. These include destructive testing specialists, nondestructive examination specialists, code inspectors, military inspectors, and owner’s representative inspectors. All of these may consider themselves welding inspectors simply because they do inspect welds. The fact that welding inspectors work in many different industries performing so many quality-related tasks makes it difficult to clearly and concisely describe what a welding inspector is and how that job function is specifically performed. One fundamental complication is that an individual may perform many functions or only a single function. For example, it is common to perform numerous aspects of welding quality control (e.g., welding procedure qualification, welder qualification, in-process and final visual examination, destructive testing, and final nondestructive examination). However, it is also common for an individual involved in welding inspection to perform only one of those tasks (e.g., a non-destructive examination specialist).To Perform duties effectively, the welding inspector must be in good physical condition. Since the primary job involves visual inspection, it is obvious that the welding inspector should have good vision, whether natural or corrected. For instance, if colour or contrast is important to the inspection process being employed (liquid penetrant, magnetic particle, or colour coded parts) then an individual should be tested for the ability to detect those colours. The AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) program requires a minimum 20/40 visual acuity and the ability to perceive certain colours as determined through actual testing. Physical conditioning also involves the size of some welded structures. Since welds could be located anywhere on a very large structure, the inspector must be capable of going to the weld at any location to make an evaluation. The inspector must comply with safety regulations when performing these duties. The ability of the welding inspector to get to the work may be reduced if the inspection is not performed immediately after welding. For example, such aids for the welder as ladders and scaffolding may be removed, making access impossible or dangerous. Within safety guidelines, the welding inspector should not be prevented from performing a proper inspection because of a physical condition. Technical ability is also necessary for the welding inspector to express ideas or inspection findings effectively. Also, once an inspection has been performed, the inspector must be capable of describing the methods used and subsequent results with sufficient accuracy to adequately communicate to others familiar with the work being performed.