Welding quality management systems (WQMS)
It is becoming increasingly common for client companies, insurers and specification writers to require fabricators to comply with or be certified to standards such as ISO3834. Additionally, some EN standards, an example of which is EN1090, require the fabricator to be compliant with ISO3834.
ISO3834 is concerned with quality management of welding operations and consists of 6 parts. It is possible to be certified to (or be compliant with) Parts 2, 3 and 4, which are Comprehensive, Specific and Basic respectively.
Many large fabricators will already address control of welding in quite some detail in their ISO9000 Quality Manual, but for many smaller companies their Quality Manual may not be sufficiently detailed, or they not have any QA system installed at all.
For these companies, a WQMS can detail how welding is controlled by management, from Invitation to Tender stage through production planning to final despatch of a welded product. The level of complexity required for the WQMS depends on the size of the company, materials welded, product range and industry sector. For smaller companies with a limited product range it is often sufficient for them to comply with ISO3834 without the need to gain certification to ISO9000 and the WQMS can be a ‘stand alone’ document that focuses on control of welding and related operations. For companies that already have ISO9000 certification but who require additional focus on control of welding the WQMS can either be incorporated into the existing ISO9000 QA manual, or it can be written as an Annex to this, although in this case care must be taken to ensure that duplication or even contradiction between the ISO9000 manual and the ISO3834 Annex is avoided.
GWE can produce a bespoke WQMS designed to address the requirements of any part of ISO 3834 and can guide the company through the process of gaining certification from an Accredited Body such as TWI Certification Ltd. Dave Godfrey has been a UKAS Accredited Lead Auditor for certification to ISO3834 since 2007, and has carried out many audits across a range of industries, and has also guided companies through the certification process. Dave continues to carry out ISO3834 audits on behalf of TWI Certification Ltd on a subcontract basis.
Finally, a few Questions and Answers on compliance with, or Certification to, ISO 3834:
Q. What is the difference between compliance and Certification, and which should I go for?
A. Compliance means that your WQMS has been written and implemented in accordance with ISO3834 but has not been independently audited by an Accredited Body. As the manufacturer you simply state that you comply with the requirements. Certification means that you have been audited by an independent body, who then certify that your WQMS system complies with ISO3834. Whether compliance is sufficient or whether you need certification depends on your clients requirements, industry sector, standards worked to etc. If you do need independent certification then you also need to determine whether it needs to be done by an Accredited Body. This is usually an organisation that has itself been accredited by the National accreditation body, which in the UK is UKAS. Certification from a non accredited organisation may be acceptable in some situations but if your certificate is endorsed by UKAS it should (in theory) be acceptable virtually worldwide.
Q. Do I need a Responsible Welding Coordinator (RWC) and do they need to be qualified?
A. Yes and No. ISO3834 specifies the need for an RWC for Parts 2 and 3, and calls up ISO14731, which addresses requirements for training and qualification of RWCs. Annex A gives a recommendation that the qualification of European Welding Engineer, Technologist and Specialist ‘may be considered to satisfy the requirements’ (for Comprehensive, Specific and Basic levels respectively), but this is not a mandatory requirement. Document EA-6/02 gives guidelines on auditing for ISO3834 and Para 3.2.2.(c) allows assessment of competency of a candidate RWC by means of a professional interview, in which the candidates technical knowledge is assessed against the requirements of the standard and the level of complexity of product that the company manufactures. So it is possible to be a Comprehensive level RWC without the exemplar qualifications, but you need to demonstrate that your technical knowledge is equivalent to someone with the EWE Diploma, at least in your area of operation. The interview route should not be regarded as an easy option, but can be a cost effective route to getting an RWC where the product range is relatively simple or, if working to EN1090, it is only a requirement to meet Exc 2.
Q. How can I become an RWC?
A. The conventional and least contentious route is to complete the European Welding Engineer/Technologist Diploma, but this is expensive, takes a long time and may be unnecessarily complex, depending on your product range.
There are several organisations offering non accredited courses of varying lengths and complexity which aim to provide a level of competence. These are generally aimed at meeting the requirements of EN1090 Exc 2. You should carefully assess what is on offer before committing to a course to ensure it meets your companys needs. Some client organisations are also reluctant to accept someone as RWC solely on the basis of a short course with no other supporting qualification.
ISO3834 is concerned with quality management of welding operations and consists of 6 parts. It is possible to be certified to (or be compliant with) Parts 2, 3 and 4, which are Comprehensive, Specific and Basic respectively.
Many large fabricators will already address control of welding in quite some detail in their ISO9000 Quality Manual, but for many smaller companies their Quality Manual may not be sufficiently detailed, or they not have any QA system installed at all.
For these companies, a WQMS can detail how welding is controlled by management, from Invitation to Tender stage through production planning to final despatch of a welded product. The level of complexity required for the WQMS depends on the size of the company, materials welded, product range and industry sector. For smaller companies with a limited product range it is often sufficient for them to comply with ISO3834 without the need to gain certification to ISO9000 and the WQMS can be a ‘stand alone’ document that focuses on control of welding and related operations. For companies that already have ISO9000 certification but who require additional focus on control of welding the WQMS can either be incorporated into the existing ISO9000 QA manual, or it can be written as an Annex to this, although in this case care must be taken to ensure that duplication or even contradiction between the ISO9000 manual and the ISO3834 Annex is avoided.
GWE can produce a bespoke WQMS designed to address the requirements of any part of ISO 3834 and can guide the company through the process of gaining certification from an Accredited Body such as TWI Certification Ltd. Dave Godfrey has been a UKAS Accredited Lead Auditor for certification to ISO3834 since 2007, and has carried out many audits across a range of industries, and has also guided companies through the certification process. Dave continues to carry out ISO3834 audits on behalf of TWI Certification Ltd on a subcontract basis.
Finally, a few Questions and Answers on compliance with, or Certification to, ISO 3834:
Q. What is the difference between compliance and Certification, and which should I go for?
A. Compliance means that your WQMS has been written and implemented in accordance with ISO3834 but has not been independently audited by an Accredited Body. As the manufacturer you simply state that you comply with the requirements. Certification means that you have been audited by an independent body, who then certify that your WQMS system complies with ISO3834. Whether compliance is sufficient or whether you need certification depends on your clients requirements, industry sector, standards worked to etc. If you do need independent certification then you also need to determine whether it needs to be done by an Accredited Body. This is usually an organisation that has itself been accredited by the National accreditation body, which in the UK is UKAS. Certification from a non accredited organisation may be acceptable in some situations but if your certificate is endorsed by UKAS it should (in theory) be acceptable virtually worldwide.
Q. Do I need a Responsible Welding Coordinator (RWC) and do they need to be qualified?
A. Yes and No. ISO3834 specifies the need for an RWC for Parts 2 and 3, and calls up ISO14731, which addresses requirements for training and qualification of RWCs. Annex A gives a recommendation that the qualification of European Welding Engineer, Technologist and Specialist ‘may be considered to satisfy the requirements’ (for Comprehensive, Specific and Basic levels respectively), but this is not a mandatory requirement. Document EA-6/02 gives guidelines on auditing for ISO3834 and Para 3.2.2.(c) allows assessment of competency of a candidate RWC by means of a professional interview, in which the candidates technical knowledge is assessed against the requirements of the standard and the level of complexity of product that the company manufactures. So it is possible to be a Comprehensive level RWC without the exemplar qualifications, but you need to demonstrate that your technical knowledge is equivalent to someone with the EWE Diploma, at least in your area of operation. The interview route should not be regarded as an easy option, but can be a cost effective route to getting an RWC where the product range is relatively simple or, if working to EN1090, it is only a requirement to meet Exc 2.
Q. How can I become an RWC?
A. The conventional and least contentious route is to complete the European Welding Engineer/Technologist Diploma, but this is expensive, takes a long time and may be unnecessarily complex, depending on your product range.
There are several organisations offering non accredited courses of varying lengths and complexity which aim to provide a level of competence. These are generally aimed at meeting the requirements of EN1090 Exc 2. You should carefully assess what is on offer before committing to a course to ensure it meets your companys needs. Some client organisations are also reluctant to accept someone as RWC solely on the basis of a short course with no other supporting qualification.
