Profession welding inspector

Welding inspectors examine the connections and bonds between metals. They utilise visual tools and electrical instruments to inspect and ensure the quality and safety of connections. Welding inspectors ensure that all related welding activities, plans and materials follow the appropriate guidelines, in accordance with safety regulations. In addition to working in the field completing their examinations of welding projects, inspectors spend time in an office setting compiling their reports.

Personality Type

• Realistic / Investigative
• Realistic / Conventional

Knowledge

• Quality standards

  The national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.

• Quality assurance methodologies

  Quality assurance principles, standard requirements, and the set of processes and activities used for measuring, controlling and ensuring the quality of products and processes.

• Database quality standards

  Techniques and methods of estimation and evaluation of system quality and overall database quality, as well as the set quality standards and regulations.

• Types of metal manufacturing processes

  Metal processes linked to the different types of metal, such as casting processes, heat treatment processes, repair processes and other metal manufacturing processes.

• Types of metal

  Qualities, specifications, applications and reactions to different fabricating processes of various types of metal, such as steel, aluminium, brass, copper and others.

• Metal joining technologies

  The various technologies used for the joining and assembling of fabricated metal workpieces.

• Welding techniques

  The different methods of welding together pieces of metal using various equipment, such as oxygen-acetylene welding, gas metal arc welding and tungsten inert gas welding.

Skills

• Follow company standards

  Lead and manage according to the organisation's code of conduct.

• Perform sample testing

  Examine and perform tests on prepared samples; avoid any possibility of accidental or deliberate contamination during the testing phase. Operate sampling equipment in line with design parameters.

• Liaise with quality assurance

  Work closely with the relevant quality assurance or grading party involved.

• Use a computer

  Utilise computer equipment or digital devices to facilitate quality control, data management, and communication. Follow instructions given by a computer programme, create computer files or documents.

• Write records for repairs

  Write records of the repairs and maintenance interventions undertaken, of parts and materials used, and other repair facts.

• Inspect quality of products

  Use various techniques to ensure the product quality is respecting the quality standards and specifications. Oversee defects, packaging and sendbacks of products to different production departments.

• Perform welding inspection

  Inspect and assure the quality of welded metals using diverse testing techniques.

• Analyse test data

  Interpret and analyse data collected during testing in order to formulate conclusions, new insights or solutions.

• Ensure quality of final product

  Ensure that finished products meet or exceed company specifications.

• Set quality assurance objectives

  Define quality assurance targets and procedures and see to their maintenance and continued improvement by reviewing targets, protocols, supplies, processes, equipment and technologies for quality standards.

• Record production data for quality control

  Keep records of the machine's faults, interventions and irregularities for quality control.

• Ensure fulfilment of legal requirements

  Ensure that all legal requirements are met.

• Spot metal imperfections

  Observe and identify various kinds of imperfections in metal workpieces or finished products. Recognise the best fitted manner of fixing the problem, which could be caused by corrosion, rust, fractures, leaks, and other signs of wear.

• Prepare samples for testing

  Take and prepare samples for testing, verify their representability; avoid bias and any possibility of accidental or deliberate contamination. Provide clear numbering, labelling and recording of the sample details, in order to make sure that the results can be accurately matched to the original material.

• Record survey measurements

  Gather and process descriptive data by using documents such as sketches, drawings and notes.

• Recognise signs of corrosion

  Recognise the symptoms of metal showing oxidation reactions with the environment resulting in rusting, copper pitting, stress cracking, and others, and estimate the rate of corrosion.

• Identify hazards in the workplace

  Perform safety audits and inspections on workplaces and workplace equipment. Ensure that they meet safety regulations and identify hazards and risks.

• Evaluate employees work

  Evaluate the need for labour for the work ahead. Evaluate the performance of the team of workers and inform superiors. Encourage and support the employees in learning, teach them techniques and check the application to ensure product quality and labour productivity.

• Adhere to organisational guidelines

  Adhere to organisational or department specific standards and guidelines. Understand the motives of the organisation and the common agreements and act accordingly.

• Report defective manufacturing materials

  Maintain required company records and forms in order to report any defective materials or questionable conditions of manufacturing machinery and equipment.

• Write work-related reports

  Compose work-related reports that support effective relationship management and a high standard of documentation and record keeping. Write and present results and conclusions in a clear and intelligible way so they are comprehensible to a non-expert audience.

• Operate welding equipment

  Use welding equipment to melt and join together pieces of metal or steel; wear protective eyewear during the working process.

• Record test data

  Record data which has been identified specifically during preceding tests in order to verify that outputs of the test produce specific results or to review the reaction of the subject under exceptional or unusual input.

• Revise quality control systems documentation

  Revise quality control documents. Read through the documents, editing them, and revise items in the documentation like the numbering scheme, process to create new documents, revision and follow up process, closure of non-conformities, methods for tracking documents, etc.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB