NDT Personnel Certification

Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) personnel certification is a systematic competence process in which the knowledge, skills and experience of operators applying methods such as ultrasonic, radiographic, penetrant, magnetic particle, eddy current and visual testing are verified by examination through an impartial third party. The reliability of NDT methods depends largely on the competence of the person applying them; even with the same equipment and procedure, an untrained operator may miss a critical discontinuity or wrongly reject an acceptable indication. For this reason the TS EN ISO 9712 standard defines a certification framework that requires the candidate's vision acuity, theoretical knowledge, practical application skill and documented industrial experience to be demonstrated together.

Certification is carried out at three separate competence levels for each method. Level 1 personnel perform the examination in accordance with predetermined instructions and record the results, but do not make accept/reject decisions. Level 2 personnel apply and interpret procedures, set up and calibrate the equipment, evaluate the results against the applicable acceptance criteria and report them. Level 3 personnel write and approve inspection procedures, select the method and technique, train personnel and direct their examinations, and assume technical responsibility. The examination content and the minimum industrial experience required for each level are defined separately in the standard.

The methods covered by TS EN ISO 9712 include ultrasonic testing (UT), radiographic testing (RT), liquid penetrant testing (PT), magnetic particle testing (MT), eddy current testing (ET), visual testing (VT), leak testing (LT) and acoustic emission (AT). Certification is always linked to a product or industrial sector — for example welded fabrication, castings, forgings, pipes and tubes, or wrought products. This sectoral matching ensures that the candidate is familiar not only with the general principles of the method, but also with the typical discontinuities encountered in that product group.

The certification process begins with a valid near-vision and colour differentiation examination, the minimum training hours completed at an accredited organisation, and verification of supervised industrial experience. The candidate then sits a three-part examination: the general examination (the basic physical principles of the method), the specific examination (sector-specific technique, equipment and acceptance criteria) and the practical examination (inspection, evaluation and reporting on real specimens). The standard requires a passing grade to be achieved in each part separately; failure in any part requires that part to be repeated.

The certificate issued is typically valid for five years. At the end of this period the certificate may be renewed provided that work has been continuous and vision acuity has been maintained; at the end of ten years, recertification applies, in which the candidate demonstrates current competence through a new examination. The impartiality of the certificate holder is protected by the principle that the certification body remains independent of training and employment activities, thereby ensuring the reliability and mutual recognition of the results.

An accredited personnel certificate ensures that inspection results are accepted at national and international level and that competence requirements are met in manufacturer audits and in public and private tenders. TÜV AUSTRIA SILA KALİTE carries out NDT personnel certification within the scope of its TS EN ISO/IEC 17024 accreditation, as an independent personnel certification body committed to the principles of impartiality, confidentiality and competence.