Policies and regulations

Complaints

Complaints can be made by:

applicants for certification;
holders of certificates;
Other stakeholders.

Claims are made in writing and sent to CNCIR-CERT headquarters by post or courier.

The complaint transmitted by mail or courier receives a registration number in the “Input/output register” code: R 01, located at the CNCIR SA secretariat.

To be considered valid, the complaint must contain at least the following information:

the applicant’s identification data, including telephone, fax, email; (if the applicant is a natural person, the complaint is accompanied by a copy of the identity card; if the applicant is an organization, the complaint is stamped and carries the header of the organization with its data regarding the unique registration code and order number at the Trade Register, as well as the name of the person representing the organization)
the object of the complaint does not refer to the examination or certification decision, against which appeals can be made, according to the procedure “Appeals to the certification decision” code: PGS-CERT-9.8;
description of the problem, date of occurrence of problem, attaching, as appropriate, the relevant evidence/documents in Romanian, supporting the complaint;
the date of filing the complaint and the applicant’s signature.

If the complaint is considered valid, DP records the complaint in the “Record of complaints“; code: RG-PGS-CERT-9.9-01 and, starting with this date, which is also communicated to the applicant, the term of response to the complaint is monitored.

The complaint handling commission determines whether the information is sufficient to identify the problem and analyze its causes. If the information is not sufficient, the communication with the applicant is resumed. In case the investigation of the complaint is not completed regarding the observance of the deadline, the Commission formulates a first answer regarding the stage in respect of the handling of the complaint, approved by the DP and sends it to the applicant. In agreement with the complainant, a new response period is established.

The response to the complainant must contain the measures taken to deal with the complaint considered relevant to the complainant.

If the complainant rejects the proposed measures, the complaint remains open and the complainant has the right to appeal within 7 working days.

Policy on dealing with appeals and complaints

This policy sets out how to handle appeals and complaints.

CNCIR-CERT management pays special attention to complaints and appeals submitted by certification applicants, certificate holders and other interested parties, considering them as one of the main means of realizing the feed-back with them.

The complaints are solved at the level of the executive management. CNCIR-CERT is responsible for collecting and verifying all information necessary to validate the complaint.

Appeals made regarding a decision of the Certification Committee or the conclusions of the Examination Committees are analyzed and resolved at the top level of CNCIR-CERT by the Appeal Committee.

When handling complaints and appeals, the following aspects are taken into account:

a) Candidates for certification or persons certified by CNCIR-CERT shall not be prevented in any way from using these remedies and will not be influenced in the sense of waiving them;

b) Complaints and appeals are received and recorded promptly;

c) Their analysis and resolution is done in a reasonable time, of maximum 60 days;

d) The persons nominated to solve the complaints and appeals are competent and totally independent from the court case;

e) The decisions taken as a result of the analysis of the complaints and appeals are notified to the client in the shortest possible time, in clear and unequivocal terms, with the aim of resolving the conflict situation at the CNCIR-CERT level.

The results of the complaints and appeals are periodically analyzed by the CNCIR-CERT management and will be used as a basis for improving the CNCIR-CERT activity.

Policy on suspension, restriction or withdrawal of certification

This policy sets the guidelines for suspending, restricting or withdrawing certification and applies to any certified natural/legal person.

Due to the temporary impossibility of carrying out the activities under the conditions in which it was certified, a certified person/legal representative of the certified legal person may request, for a period of 6 months, the total or partial suspension of the certification, considered a voluntary suspension.

CNCIR-CERT may suspend a part or the entire certification field granted.

A certified person can be sanctioned, for a period of 6 months, by suspending the certification in the following situations:

a) as a measure proposed following a complaint;

b) incorrect reference to the certificate status;

c) made unjustified statements or immoral acts that would discredit CNCIR-OCP certification.

d) if a significant interruption occurs in the END method for which the person is certified;

e) if it does not communicate within maximum 2 weeks, from the date of their occurrence, the changes produced.

A certified product/process can be sanctioned, for a period of 6 months, by suspending the certification in the following situations:

a) as a measure proposed following a complaint;

b) incorrect reference to the state of certificate held;

c) the certified legal person misuses the CPF certificate of conformity, the number of records as a notified body of CNCIR CERT, the CE marking and has made unjustified statements or immoral acts that would discredit the certification granted by CNCIR CERT;

d) if the certified legal person does not communicate within maximum 2 weeks, from the date of their occurrence, the changes of the CPF system.

e) failure to resolve within 3 months the non-conformities found during the supervisory/supplementary audit.

The decision to suspend the certification is taken by the Certification Committee and enters into force immediately after its communication to the certified person. The suspended natural/legal person can appeal the decision of suspension, according to the procedure PGS-CERT-9.8 of CNCIR-CERT.

Since CNCIR-CERT communicated the suspension, the certified natural/legal person can no longer perform activities as a natural/legal certified CNCIRCERT person.

The suspended natural/legal person is maintained in the List published on the WEB of the natural/legal persons certified by CNCIR-CERT, but with the mention that it is temporarily suspended.

When the certification is given in the regulated field, CNCIR-CERT communicates to the respective regulatory and supervisory authority, the decision to suspend/withdraw the suspension of the certification of the natural/legal person.

A certified natural/legal person may request the total or partial withdrawal of the certification (restriction). When the certified natural/legal person requests the withdrawal or restriction of the certification, he/she must specify, in writing:

a) the certification area for which the certification withdrawal/restriction is requested, the locations, respectively the production locations and the products/family of products;

b) the changes, the unavailability that cause the certification requirements not to be met;

c) the date from which the situation in this case enters into force.

CNCIR-CERT may withdraw a pat or the entire certification field of a certified natural/legal person.

A certified person may be sanctioned with the withdrawal of certification in the following situations:

a) in any industrial sector not covered by the certificate (unless the holder successfully completes an additional examination for the industrial sector);

b) upon the decision of the Certification Committee after reviewing the evidence of unethical behavior (the Code of ethics for CNCIR-CERT certificate holders, code: PC-GEN-01);

c) if the certified person becomes physically incapable of performing the activities for which he/she was certified, due to the rejection of examining the visual acuity performed annually through the responsibility of the employer, or of the health evidence;

d) if a significant interruption occurs (see definitions) in the method for which the person is certified;

e) if the certified person fails the recertification, until the certified person meets the requirements for recertification or initial certification.

A certified legal entity can be sanctioned with the withdrawal of the certification in the following situations:

a) for any location and/or product/family of products that no longer meet the initial conditions for granting the certificate;

b) upon the decision of the Certification Committee and after reviewing the evidence of misuse of the certification documents issued on the market under notified regime;

c) if the certified legal person becomes incapable of carrying out the activities for which it was certified;

d) if the certified legal entity fails the recertification, until it fulfills the essential requirements for recertification or initial certification.

The natural/legal person whose certification has been withdrawn can appeal the decision to withdraw the certification, according to the procedure PGS-CERT-9.8 of CNCIR-CERT.

Since CNCIR-CERT communicated the withdrawal of the certification, the certified natural/legal person can no longer perform certified activities as a natural/legal certified CNCIR-CERT person and should no longer refer to the status of certified natural/legal person.

The length of time after which a natural/legal person, to whom the sanction of withdrawal of certifications has been applied, may request the renewal of certification, is determined by the Steering Committee, at the first ordinary meeting or in the extraordinary meeting after the decision to withdraw the certification is taken and is between 2 and 4 months. In this case the future application is considered as an initial certification.

The policy on impartiality and independence

The purpose of this policy is to obtain the confidence of the stakeholders that the certification of the personnel/products, processes and services is granted on the basis of impartiality and full independence of all CNCIR-CERT structures.

Ensuring impartiality and independence of both the personnel examination process, respectively the evaluation and verification of the constant performance of the products, as well as the decision-making process and the non-discriminatory treatment of the certification requests.

The organization and functioning regulations of CNCIR-CERT ensure the involvement of all stakeholders in the development of CNCIR-CERT policies. Interested parties have non-discriminatory access to the management structure, the Steering Committee.

Stakeholders are represented in a balanced manner, without one of them dominating, in the Board and Certification Committee of CNCIR-CERT. This counteracts any tendency of one of the interested parties to exert any kind of pressure that could affect the impartiality of CNCIR-CERT decisions.

The Steering Committee establishes and supervises the application of policies to prevent the occurrence of any forms of discrimination, declared or masked, in all phases of the personnel examination process, respectively the process of evaluation and verification of the constant performance of the products, and certification, in order to maintain the impartiality and independence of CN CERT.

Both in the phase of establishing the rules for personnel examination/evaluation and verification of the consistency of the product performances, as well as in the phase of their application, the CNCIR-CERT executive aims to treat non-discriminatory applicants as follows:

a) makes publicly available, free of charge, the informative documents regarding the certification rules;

b) accepts all the certification requests that fall within the declared activity and limits of competence, without regard to the applicant natural/legal person, as a member of an association or group, the number of certifications already granted;

c) establishes examination/evaluation and verification fees, and certification identical for all applicants;

d) applies unique certification rates for each certification scheme;

e) processes the applications in the order of their registration.

When appointing the personnel involved in the examination/evaluation and verification and certification, all existing and/or potential conflicts of interest are identified and analyzed and the necessary measures are taken to avoid them.

The executive management sanctions any proven case, in which a natural/legal person has been favored/financially disadvantaged, of the term of completion, of the competency requirements of the requesting personnel/of the established requirements regarding the characteristics and performances of the product, of the conditioning related to the appeal to the services of a person or training company in the field.

The remuneration of the personnel involved in the examination and the decision-making is not based on:

a) the number of examinations/evaluations and verifications carried out;

b) the results of examinations/evaluations and verifications;

c) the decisions taken.

The certification committees that make the certification decision are made up of the members who are not involved in the process of personnel examination/evaluation and verification of the constant performance of the products.

The personnel involved in the certification decision analyzes the potential conflicts of interest and takes the necessary measures to ensure the impartiality of the decision.

Appeals to the certification decision

The procedure establishes the way of handling the appeals to the unfavorable decisions taken by the Certification Committee regarding the certification of the personnel and the conclusions of the examination for certification, as well as the responsibilities and attributions pertaining to the functions involved, so that the resolution of the appeal does not exceed the term of 30 days after registration in the Appeals Register.

The situations in which an appeal may arise are:

a) appeal for not granting certification;

b) appeal regarding the suspension and/or withdrawal of certification;

c) appeal on the way of carrying out and the conclusions of the pre-certification examination.

d) reconsidering a solution given by CNCIR-CERT to a complaint.

Appeal – Request of the applicant, candidate or certified person for reconsideration of any decision taken by the certification body regarding his/her desired certification status. Also, is considered appeal the appeal submitted for reconsideration of a solution given by CNCIR-CRT to a complaint.

Appeals are made in writing and sent to CNCIR-CERT headquarters by mail or courier.

In order to be considered, the appeal is submitted in writing and registered with the CNCIR-CERT secretariat within 10 working days from the receipt of the letter by the applicant, letter towards which the appeal is made.

The appeals are received by the assistant manager of the CNCIR-CERT director.

The appeal must contain, at least, the following information:

a) the appellant’s identification data, including telephone, fax, email. (if the appellant is a natural person, the complaint is accompanied by a copy of the identity card; if the appellant is an organization, the appeal is stamped and carries the header of the organization with its data regarding the unique registration code and order number at the Trade Register as well as the name of the person representing the organization);

b) the object of the appeal (in a synthetic description)

c) the detailed presentation of the arguments in support of the appeal;

d) the statement that the appeal has not been addressed to another entity and that the appellant is not in dispute with CNCIR-CERT. If the dispute has a final and irrevocable solution, the court’s solution will be communicated. CNCIR-CERT reserves the right not to analyze and decide on a situation on which courts or other competent institutions have ruled;

e) the date of the appeal’s submission;

f) signature of the appellant or legal representative.

The appeal is registered in the “Appeals Register” code: RG-PGS-CERT-9.8-01 and starting with this date, which is also communicated to the appellant, the term of the answer to the appeal is monitored.

The assistant manager of the CNCIR-CERT director invites the petitioner to the analysis session of the appeal to support his/her point of view. The appellant may send within 3 working days his/her observations regarding the possible conflicts of interests or incompatibilities. The comments are addressed to the CD, which analyzes and decides to maintain or modify the composition of the committee and ensures the convening of the CA members and the preparation of the minutes of the CA meetings.

The CA may request, as appropriate, further investigations and/or consultation of experts in the field. The findings and conclusions of the CA together with the response letter to the appellant are signed by the CA members and transmitted to the CD. The letter of response to the appeal is signed by the CD President. The assistant manager sends the answer letter to the appellant.

Regulations

TPED specific regulation

The Regulation applies for the evaluation of the conformity for transportable pressure equipment (ESPT), including their valves and other accessories used in transport in accordance with the provisions of Directive 2010/35/EU.

The evaluation and inspection operation takes place on the basis of a request (model) which will contain the following elements:

name and address of the applicant;

in the case of periodic inspection, intermediate inspection, exceptional inspection when the applicant is not the owner, the name and address of the owner, the chosen verification/inspection station;

a written statement that the request is not registered with any other inspection body;

a statement that allows the access of the inspection body of CNCIR CERT for the purpose of carrying out the inspection, in the production, inspection and storage areas and which undertakes to provide him/her with all the necessary information.

The applicant shall make available, as appropriate:

for pressure vessels, the technical documents provided in ADR / RID;
for tanks:
the tank file;
one or more of the documents mentioned in 1.8.7.7.1 to 1.8.7.7.3 in the annexes to Directive 2008/68/EC, respectively ADR / RID.

The type approval is performed by CNCIR CERT in the following stages:

approval of the manufacturer’s quality system;
Following the audit of the manufacturer’s quality system, the result of the audit is communicated to the manufacturer.
type-approval:
verification of the technical documentation
performs the inspections and tests provided in the ADR / RID

Following the checks carried out, the inspector completes the inspection report and proposes to issue the type approval certificate.

Production supervision is carried out by CNCIR CERT in accordance with the Annexes to Directive 2008/68/EC.

The manufacturer must take all necessary measures to ensure that the production process complies with the applicable provisions of the ADR / RID and the type-approval certificate and its annexes.

The initial inspection and tests are carried out by CNCIR CERT in accordance with the ADR / RID and includes the following activities:

verification of technical documentation and features;
inspections and tests provided in the ADR/RID

Following the checks carried out with appropriate results, the inspector prepares the documents provided in the ADR/RID. The application of the following methodologies must take into account the provisions of chap.1.6.5 “Transitional provisions” of ADR/RID.

Regular inspection of containers is carried out according to ADR/RID and consists of the following tests:

verification of the technical documents accompanying the containers;
inspections and tests provided in the ADR/RID

Following the checks carried out with appropriate results, the inspector completes the periodic inspection certificate and applies the inspection stamp with the CNCIR CERT identification mark on the stamp plate of the container or on its cap.

Periodic inspection of the tanks is carried out according to the provisions of ADR/RID and consists of the following checks:

checking the tank file;
inspections and tests provided in the ADR/RID
The periodic inspection is carried out maximum once every 6 years.
The intermediate inspection of the tanks is carried out according to the provisions of ADR/RID and consists of the following tests:
checking the tank file;
inspections and tests provided in the ADR/RID;

The intermediate inspection shall be carried out no later than 3 years after the initial inspection and tests and after each periodic inspection. This can be done before or after the specified date with a maximum of 90 days.

The exceptional inspection of the tanks is carried out in accordance with the provisions of ADR/RID and occurs when the safety of the tank has been compromised in the following situations:

tank repair and service equipment;
modification of tank and service equipment;
accident;

The documentation of the repair/modification of the tank and the fulfillment of the ADR/RID requirements are checked and the inspections and tests provided in the ADR/RID are performed. Following the checks carried out with appropriate results, the inspector completes the periodic/intermediate/exceptional inspection certificate and applies the inspection stamp with the CNCIR CERT mark on the stamp plate and verifies, participates, signs and stamps the complementary technical documents.

The reevaluation of conformity of transportable pressure equipment (ESPT) is carried out in accordance with the procedure set out in Annex III of Directive 2010/35/EU and according to the provisions of ADR/RID and consists of the following checks:

verification of the fulfillment by the ESPT of the provisions from the point.3 of Annex III to the Directive;
the inspections and tests provided in the ADR/RID.

Following the verifications carried out with appropriate results, the inspector completes the reevaluation certificate provided in point.6 of Annex III to the Directive, applies the “π” marking and applies the inspection stamp with the CNCIR CERT mark on the stamp plate. Thereafter, the checks for the periodic inspection provided for in point.4 and 5 are continued. The inspections and reevaluations of the conformity are carried out in the verification/inspection stations displayed on the CNCIR CERT website.

Welders’ certification

The certification regulation describes the general certification process by which CNCIR-CERT determines that a person meets the qualification and certification requirements, including:

application;
assessment;
decision on certification;
recertification;
use of certificates and logos/marks.

The competence of the persons as well as other mandatory requirements related to the occupational or skill categories, specific to the persons, are included in the specific certification schemes.

Specific certification schemes are covered in the following fields:

qualification and certification of welders for welding by fusion of steels;
qualification and certification of welders for welding plastics.

The certification covers competence in one or more welding procedures of the following:

111 – manual metal arc welding (electric arc welding with coated electrode);

114 – self-shielded tubular cored arc welding;

121- submerged arc welding with solid wire electrode;

125 – submerged arc welding with tubular cored electrode;

131 – MIG welding with solid wire electrode;

136 – MAG welding with flux cored electrode;

138 – MAG welding with metal cored electrode;

141- arc welding in inert gas environment with tungsten electrode – WIG / TIG welding;

142 – autogenous WIG / TIG arc welding (without filler material);

143 – WIG / TIG welding with tubular cored filler material – wire / rod;

145 – WIG / TIG welding using reducing gas and solid filler material – wire / rod;

15 – plasma arc welding;

311 – oxyacetylene welding.

SD-butt welding with straight heating element;

SRM-electrofusion welding of the overlapping joints with sleeve;

SRS-electrofusion welding of seam joints (derivation).

CNCIR-CERT initiates, promotes, maintains and manages the schemes in the PSUD personnel certification program in accordance with the requirements of SR EN ISO 17024:2012.

CNCIR-CERT ensures that the PSUD schemes for the qualification and certification of personnel are controlled and administered in such a way as to ensure impartiality and that decisions taken at all levels, including the management of the body and the committees, are protected from commercial or other pressures that could impede the objective provision of certification services.

Application

For each certification scheme, the applicant submits a request for certification at the CNCIR-CERT registered office. The formal requests must be made on the application form F-RS-CERT-02.1-05 available directly from the CNCIR-CERT offices or on the CNCIR-CERT website.

The application for certification must be signed by the certification applicant or the employer.

No examination schedule can be considered confirmed until a correctly completed application form has been received. The applicant or employer must first pay the certification fee.

The application forms will be accompanied by the following documents:

Identity document;
documents relating to the education, training and experience of the candidate;
proof of health status;
proof of payment of the certification fee.

Assessment

The certification request and the related set of documents are analyzed with a view to completing the request and meeting the admissibility requirements for each certification scheme. The candidate must meet the minimum health and training requirements before the qualification exam and must meet the minimum requirements on industrial experience before certification.

Training requirements

The candidate must provide documented evidence, acceptable to CNCIR-OCP, that he/she has successfully completed a training course covering the relevant parts of the analytical programs presented in the applicable standards (SR EN ISO 9606-1, SR EN 13067) in the welding process for which he/she applied for certification.

CNCIR-CERT recognizes acts attesting to the fulfillment of the following requirements:

graduation from a form of secondary education with a technical profile;

graduation from an organized course that meets the requirements of the National Qualification Authority.

Requirements regarding industrial experience

The minimum duration of experience to be gained in the welding process in which the candidate requests certification must be at least 3 months. When applying for certification in more than one welding process, the total length of experience must be the sum of the required durations for a welding process. Documented proof of experience must be confirmed by the employer and presented to CNCIR-CERT.

Health requirements

Candidates for CNCIR-OCP examination must, on the day of the examination, submit a proof of the health result obtained no later than 12 months before. If the certification request together with the set of documents satisfies the admissibility conditions, the unique number from the CNCIR-CERT register is assigned and the applicant is scheduled for examination.

Examination for certification

The examination for certification consists of a written examination and a practical examination covering the welding process chosen for the welding certification test.

Before starting the written examination, the applicant must prove the payment of the examination fee and sign the declaration of acceptance of the “Code of ethics for CNCIR-CERT certificate holders”, published as PC-GEN-01.

The written examination includes randomly selected questions from the certification body’s collection of questions covering the welding process chosen for the welding certification test.

The practical examination consists of welding, in the presence of the examiner, a sample appropriate to the chosen welding process, after which the sample will be subjected to non-destructive and destructive testings.

The overall result of the qualification and certification examination is considered satisfactory if the results of the technical knowledge test and the results of all the examinations of the test piece performed during the examination are satisfactory.

Reexamination

If the results of the practical examination or the theoretical examination do not comply with the requirements of the present Regulations, the welder shall be given the opportunity to repeat the qualification and certification test, no earlier than 14 days and no later than six months after the failed test.

A candidate who failed the reexamination must apply for and pass the examination again according to the procedure established for new candidates. A candidate rejected due to behavior that is unethical must wait at least 12 months before reexamination.

Decision on certification

The certification decision is taken by the Certification Committee based on the results of theoretical and practical examinations.

The file submitted to the Certification Committee for the welding staff – PSUD scheme will contain, according to the examination carried out and the required level of certification, the following:

Request for welders’ examination, code F-RS-CERT-02.1-05;

Detailed and final result of the qualification and certification examinations held by each applicant, with the obtained qualifications, transmitted by the Authorized Examination Center

CexA:

theoretical examination;
practical examination;
results of non-destructive and destructive examinations of welding samples;
Documents regarding the education, training and experience of the applicant;
Proof of health status;
Declaration of acceptance of the “Code of ethics for CNCIRCERT certificate holders” published as PC-GEN-01;
Copy of the Identity Card;
One color photo 2.5 x 3.5 cm, for each required certification area;
Proof of payment of certification fee and examination cost.

The certification decision can be:

granting/not granting or partially granting the certification, in the initial phase, renewal, recertification;
granting the certification after completing the experience gained under qualified supervision (the completion must be performed within a period of max. 2 years after the passing of the qualification exam).

If the decision is to grant the certification, the welding certificate is issued. The certificate is valid two years from the date of the qualification test.

The certificate contains data on:

the surname and given name of the certified person;
the date of holding the qualification test;
the date on which the validity of the certification expires;
a reference to the international certification standard
the name of the certification body;
welding process(s);
transfer mode;
type of basic material, (sheet – P or pipe – T);
joint type, (BW or FW);
the base material group;
filler material group;
filler materials;
auxiliary materials;
the type and polarity of the welding current;
sample size (t and/or D);
welding positions;
welding details;
field of qualification, limitations of certification and/or special applications;
identification/method of identification of the person;
one color photo 2.5 x 3.5 mm;
a device for preventing the falsification of the certificate, for example impressed stamp, laminating, etc.

The handing over of the certificate is made, on the basis of signature, after the proof of payment of the certificate issuing fee is made.

Renewal and recertification

The renewal (extension of the validity of the welding certificate) and the recertification will be carried out by CNCIR CERT.

For PEHD the renewal of the welding certificate can be carried out every two years without practical examination if, besides the health proof, satisfactory during the last 12 months, the following conditions are met:

all records and evidence used for renewal must have traceability for the welder and identify the WPS(s) used in production.

the evidence provided to support the renewal must be the tensile test or the peel test, performed on at least two welds, during the last six months of the welding activity. Proof of renewal must be kept for at least two years.

welds must satisfy the levels of acceptance of the imperfections specified in the specific Certification Regulation.

the results of the examinations and tests mentioned in letter b) must demonstrate that the weld has reproduced in the activity the conditions of the initial certification test, except for the thickness and the outer diameter, which must be within the scope of validity of the certificate.

For STEEL, the ability of welders will be checked periodically by one of the following variants:

Every 3 (three) years: recertification of the welder will be required. The welder will take a certification exam completed with the issuance of a new certificate.

Every 2 (two) years: the validity of the welding certification will be requested. Two welded joints made during the last six months of the validity period will be examined with ultrasound or penetrating radiations or will be subjected to destructive tests, the results being recorded. The acceptance criteria will be in accordance with the provisions of the specific Certification Regulation. The welds under examination will reproduce the conditions of the initial certification test, except for the thickness and outer diameter, which must be within the scope of validity of the certificate. Based on these examinations, the validity of the welding certification will be extended for another two years.

Every 6 (six) months: the validity of the welding certification will be requested.

The welding certification is valid if it is confirmed according to the provisions of the specific Certification Regulation and if the following conditions are met:

the welder works for the same manufacturer for which he/she was certified and who is responsible for the manufacture of the product;

the manufacturer’s quality program has been checked in accordance with the requirements of SR EN ISO 3834-2 or SR EN ISO 3834-3;

the employer presents evidence that the welder has performed welds of acceptable quality based on application standards, and the examined welds confirm at least the following: welding position, joint type (FW, BW), root support (mb, nb).

To ensure continuity, it is recommended to submit the applications for renewal at least 14 calendar days before the validity of the certificate expires. If the renewal is requested after more than 12 months from the expiration of the validity of the welding certificate, the recertification by examination will be required.

In order to revalidate the certification after a significant interruption, the person must pass a recertification exam completed with the issuance of a new certificate. The certification is revalidated for a new period, according to the version chosen at the initial certification.

Use of certificates and logos/marks

Certificate holders should use the certificates only for the purpose and scope for which they were issued. Certificate holders or employers are not allowed to suggest that they are certified for a wider area of validity based on the certificate.

Certificate holders or their employers must not use or refer to the welders’ certificates, nor to the certificate’s logo, nor should they knowingly allow them to be used or referred to by a third party in a manner that can be considered fraudulent.

The sanction for misuse of welding certification in all cases is the invalidation of the certificate. The loss or theft of certificates must be published in the official monitor and reported to CNIR-CERT.

The use of the CNCIR-CERT mark is regulated by the rules established by CNCIR-CERT in the document “General Regulations for the use of the CNCIR-CERT mark” and displayed on the Web: www.cncir.eu, section CNCIR-CERT.

Regulation on the qualification and certification of personnel for non-destructive testing (NDT)

The certification regulation describes the general certification process by which CNCIR-CERT determines that a person meets the qualification and certification requirements, including:

application
evaluation
decision on certification
recertification
use of certificates and logos/marks.
Certification covers competence in one or more methods, respectively:
magnetoscopic examination (with magnetic powders and magnetic flux leakage);
examination with penetrating liquids;
radiographic examination;
ultrasound examination;
visual examination (direct eye examinations and those performed during the application of another NTD method are excluded).

CNCIR-CERT initiates, promotes, maintains and administers the personnel certification schemes in accordance with the requirements of the standard SR EN ISO 17024:2012.

CNCIR-CERT ensures that personnel certification schemes are controlled and administered in such a way as to ensure impartiality and that decisions taken at all levels, including body management and committees, are protected from commercial or other pressures that might impede the objective provision of certification services.

Application

For each certification scheme, the applicant submits a request for certification at the CNCIR-CERT registered office. The formal requests must be made on the application form F-PSL-END-01, available directly from the CNCIR-CERT offices or on the CNCIR-CERT website www.cncir.eu.

The application for certification must be signed by the certification applicant or the employer.

No examination schedule can be considered confirmed until a correctly completed application form has been received. The applicant or employer must first pay the certification fee.

The application forms will be accompanied by the following documents:

Identity document
documents relating to the education, training and experience of the candidate;
vision requirements;
proof of payment of the certification fee.

Evaluation

Training requirements

The candidate must provide documented evidence, acceptable by CNCIR-CERT, that he/she has satisfactorily completed a training course covering the relevant parts of the analytical programs presented in the applicable standards (ISO/TR 25107) in the method and for the level for which applied for certification.

For all levels, the candidate must satisfactorily attend a theoretical and practical training course recognized by CNCIR-CERT. The minimum training period followed by the certification candidate must be that defined in table 1 for the applicable NDT method.

Table 1

NDT Method	Level 1 (h)	Level 2 (h)	Level 3 (h)
MT	16	24	32
PT	16	24	24
RT	40	80	40
UT	40	80	40
VT	16	24	24

NOTE – For RT, training hours do not include radiation protection training.

Direct access to level 2 requires the sum of the hours indicated in table 1 for levels 1 and 2.

Direct access to level 3 requires the sum of the hours indicated in table 1 for levels 1, 2 and 3.

For level 3, compared to the minimum training given in table 1, depending on the candidate’s scientific and technical potential, the preparation for the qualification can be realized in different ways, including attending other training courses, conferences or seminars, studying books, periodicals or other specialized works, printed or in electronic format.

Possible reductions in training time:

for all levels;
for candidates applying for certification in more than one method (e.g. MT, PT) or for those who are already certified and applying for certification in another method, when the analytical training program repeats certain aspects (e.g. product technology), the total number hours of training for these methods (e.g. PT, MT, VT) can be reduced according to the analytical schedule;
for candidates who have graduated with diploma in a relevant field from a technical college or university or who have attended at least two years of engineering or scientific studies at a college or university, the total number of training hours can be reduced up to 50%.
for levels 1 and 2, when the certification sought is limited:
as application
as technique
training time can be reduced up to 50%.
for the direct access to level 2 RT, when the certification is limited to the interpretation of the radiographs and to a single product sector, a minimum training requirement of 56 hours is applied.

The total reduction should not exceed 50% of the training duration. Any reduction requires the CNCIR-CERT agreement.

CNCIR-CERT recognizes the certificates issued, based on the standard EN 9712, by other accredited certification bodies. It also recognizes certificates issued by other neutral bodies (e.g. ISCIR; TUV; Bureau Veritas, etc), in which case an evaluation of the experience in the field is made by CNCIR-CERT.

Requirements regarding industrial experience

The minimum duration of experience to be gained in the sector in which the candidate is applying for certification must be that defined in Table 2.

Table 2 – Minimum industrial experience

NDT Method	Experience months *
	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3
RT, UT	3	9	18
MT, PT, VT	1	3	12
* The work experience is based on a nominal work week of 40 hours/week or legal work week. When an operator works more than 40 hours/week, he can be credited with an experience based on the total number of hours, but he must be required to provide proof of this experience.

When the candidate requests certification in more than one method, the total duration of the experience must be the sum of the required duration of experience for each method.

For level 2 certification, work experience is acquired as a level 1 certified person. If a person is directly qualified on level 2, the experience must consist of the sum of the required times for level 1 and level 2. No reduction in experience should be granted.

Industrial experience in a specific sector must be acquired each prior to the successful completion of a qualification examination. When it is expected that part of the experience will be acquired after passing the exam, the results of the exam are valid for two years or the total duration of experience required for the methods involved, which of these values is higher.

For Level 3, Table 2 details the minimum experience for candidates who have successfully attended a technical college or at least two years of engineering or scientific studies in an accredited college or university. If this is not the case, the duration should be multiplied by 2.

For level 3 certification, it is considered that the work experience is acquired as a level 2 certified person. If a person is directly qualified from level 1 to level 3, the experience must consist of the sum of the required times for level 2 and level 3. No reduction in experience should be granted.

Documented proof of experience must be confirmed by the employer and presented to CNCIR-CERT.

Possible reductions in duration of experience

The following shall be taken into account:

The quality of the experience can be variable, and the good practices can be assimilated more quickly in an environment where the experience is concentrated and has a close relationship with the certification sought.

When experience is accumulated simultaneously in two or more surface NDT methods, for example MT, PT and VT, the experience gained in applying A NDT method may be complementary to the experience gained in one or more other surface methods.

Experience in one sector for a NDT method for which certification is already in place may be complementary to experience with this method in another sector.

The level and quality of education the candidate has should also be taken into account. This is especially the case for level 3, but it can be applied to other levels as well.

The work experience credit can be earned simultaneously in two or more NDT methods covered by the international standard, with a reduction of the total experience required as follows:

two methods of examination: 25% reduction of the required length of stay;

three methods of examination: 33% reduction of the total required time;

four or more methods of examination: 50% reduction of the total required time.

For each of the examination methods for which certification is requested, the experience will be at least 50% of the time required in Table 2. For each combination of NDT method and sector for which certification is required, the experience will be at least half of the required experience, and this should never be less than one month.

Vision requirements

Candidates for CNCIR-OCP examination must be compulsory, on the day of the examination, to present a proof of the test result regarding the vision obtained no later than 12 months before.

The close view must allow at least the reading of the number 1 on the Jaeger scale or the letter N in Times New Roman 4.5 or equivalent characters (having a height of 1.6 mm), at a distance of at least 30 cm, with one or with both eyes, with or without correction;

The perception of colors must be satisfactory, so as to allow the candidate to distinguish and differentiate the contrast between the colors or shades of gray used in the involved NDT method, as specified by the employer.

If the certification application together with the set of documents satisfies the admissibility conditions, the unique number from the CNCIR-CERT register is assigned and the applicant is scheduled for examination.

Examination for certification

The certification examination consists of a general and specific written part, and a practical specific examination covering the application of the NDT method on representative samples of products in one or more industrial sectors. Before starting the written examination, the applicant must prove the payment of the examination cost and sign the declaration of acceptance of the “Code of ethics for CNCIR-CERT certificate holders” published as PC-GEN-01.

The written exam includes randomly selected questions from the certification body’s collection of questions covering the method and for the level for which it applied for certification.

The practical examination includes performing the examination on the tests for exam prescribed, recording (and in the case of the candidates for level 2, and interpreting) the information results to the required extent and reporting the results in the required format.

The candidate for level 2 must draw up at least one NDT instruction appropriate to the level 1 staff for a sample chosen by the examiner. The overall result of the qualification and certification examination is considered satisfactory if the results of the technical knowledge test and the results of all the practical examinations carried out during the examination are satisfactory.

Reexamination

The candidate who did not obtain the required mark for the promotion in any part of the exam, can be re-examined at the part(s) he failed, provided that the reexamination takes place no earlier than one month, only if he has completed satisfactorily a further training program, acceptable to the certification body, but not later than 2 years after the initial examination.

Decision on certification

The certification decision is taken by the Certification Committee based on the results of theoretical and practical examinations.

The file submitted to the Certification Committee will contain, depending on the examination carried out and the required certification level, the following:

Request for examination;

The detailed and final result of the qualification and certification examinations held by each applicant, with the grades obtained:

general written exam (level 1, 2);
specific written exam (level 1, 2);
practical exam (level 1, 2);
basic exam, parts A, B, C, D, E (level 3);
examination on the main method (level 3);
Documents regarding the education, training and experience of the applicant fro certification;
Proof of satisfaction of visual acuity;
Declaration of acceptance of the “Code of ethics for CNCIRCERT certificate holders”, published as PC-GEN-01;
Copy of Identity Card.
Proof of payment of certification fee and examination cost.

The certification decision can be:

granting/not granting or partially granting the certification, in the initial phase, renewal, recertification;
granting the certification after completing the experience gained under qualified supervision (the completion must be performed within a period of max. 2 years after the passing of the qualification exam).

If the decision is to grant the certification, the certificate is edited. The certificate is valid five years from the date of certification and the expiration date is indicated on the certificate.

The certificate contains data on:

the surname and given name of the certified person;
the date of the certification;
the date on which the validity of the certification expires;
a reference to the international certification standard (ISO 9712:2013);
the level of certification;
the name of the certification body;
NDT method(s)
applicable sector(s);
where applicable, the scope of the limitations of certification and/or special applications;
a personal number;
signature of the certified person;
a device to prevent the falsification of the card, for example impressed, laminating, etc;
signature of the designated representative of the certification body.

The handing over of the certificate is made, on the basis of signature, after the proof of payment of the certificate issuing fee is made.

Renewal and recertification

The renewal (extension of the validity of the welding certificate) and the recertification will be carried out by CNCIR CERT.

For PEHD, the renewal of the welding certificate can be carried out every two years without practical examination if, besides the health proof, satisfactory during the last 12 months, the following conditions are met:

all records and evidence used for renewal must have traceability for the welder and identify the WPS(s) used in production.

the evidence provided to support the renewal must be the tensile test or the peal test, performed on at least two welds, during the last six months of the welding activity. Proof of renewal must be kept for at least two years.

welds must satisfy the levels of acceptance of the imperfections specified in the specific Certification Regulation.

the results of the examinations and tests mentioned in letter b) must demonstrate that the welder has reproduced in the activity the conditions of the initial certification test, except for the thickness and the outer diameter, which must be within the scope of validity of the certificate.

For steel, the ability of welders will be checked periodically by one of the following variants:

Every 3 (three) years: recertification of the welder will be required. The welder will take a certification exam completed with the issuance of a new certificate.

Every 2 (two) years: the validity of the welding certification will be requested. Two welded joints made during the last six months of the validity period will be examined with ultrasound or penetrating radiation or will be subjected to destructive tests, the results being recorded. The acceptance criteria will be in accordance with the provisions of the specific Certification Regulation. The welds under examination will reproduce the conditions of the initial certification test, except for the thickness and outer diameter, which must be within the scope of validity of the certificate. Based on these examinations, the validity of the welding certification will be extended for another two years.

Every 6 (six) months: the validity of the welding certification will be requested.

The welding certification is valid if it is confirmed according to the provisions of the specific Certification Regulation and if the following conditions are met:

the welder works for the same manufacturer for which he was certified and who is responsible for the manufacture of the product;

the manufacturer’s quality program has been checked in accordance with the requirements of SR EN ISO 3834-2 or SR EN ISO 3834-3;

Use of certificates and logos/marks

Certificate holders should use the certificates only for the purpose and scope for which they were issued. Certificate holders or employers are not allowed to suggest that they are certified with a higher level of competence than specified in the certificate received.

Certificate holders or their employers should not use or refer to PEND certificates or the CNCIR-CERT certification mark, nor should they knowingly allow them to be used or referred to by a third party, in a manner that may be considered fraudulent.

The sanction for misuse of certification, in all cases, is invalidation of the certificate. The loss or theft of certificates must be published in the Official Gazette and reported to CNIR-CERT.