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The European Certification Process (ECP) A Joint paper by Ulrich Kaps (DGZfP), Roger Roche (COFREND) and John Thompson (BINDT) Contact

BACKGROUND

At an international conference on certification and standardisation held in England during 1996 it was proposed to establish a European wide certification scheme. Subsequently, informal discussions resulted in a meeting between representatives of the British Institute of NDT, COFREND and DGZfP to discuss the practicalities of the proposal. As a result, it was agreed that the three societies would jointly develop, for the then European Council for NDT, subsequently to become the EFNDT (European Federation for NDT), A European Central Certification Process (ECP).

The main objectives at that time were twofold:

• technical harmonisation of certification in Europe
• Enhanced negotiating power for recognition by organisations such as ASME and the FAA.

A working group was formed from representatives of each of the founding NDT Societies (the authors of this paper). This group was constituted at a June 1997 meeting of the ECNDT Qualification & Certification Working Group as a Working Group of ECNDT with a remit to develop the European Certification Process on the basis of an initial proposal by the founding NDT societies.

The Working Group drafted base documents (Annex A), which were circulated for internal comment and subsequently modified by consensus to reflect a level of requirement which satisfies EN473 (2000) and which would be acceptable to all participants.

The work also included the development a European question bank available in the three languages of CEN, each of the participants contributing sufficient questions to construct three examination papers for each examination module encompassed by the ECP.

It is intended that, once the European Certification Programme is fully documented and successful trials have been carried out by the founders, the EFNDT ECP specifications will become available for implementation by other National Certifying Bodies, in whole or in part, to augment or supersede their existing requirements. Participating National Certifying Bodies will continue to maintain their separate independent status and national accreditation.

Included herein is information on the ECP quality and technical requirements, the management and administration arrangements, details of costs for participants, and conditions for participation by National Certifying Bodies (NCB).

This paper represents the personal views of the authors and includes references to proposed policy subject to approval by EFNDT.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of the European Federation for NDT (EFNDT) in mandating the development of the European Certification Process (ECP) is to ensure a high degree of technical harmonization of the application of EN473 (Qualification and certification of NDT personnel - General Principles - 2nd edition) by the National Certifying Bodies (NCB) of the EFNDT members, and to give therefore a greater confidence in the resulting certification which will facilitate mutual recognition and world-wide acceptance of the national certificates issued in Europe.

For the time being the methods covered by ECP are ET, MT, PT, RT, UT and VT for the 'pre and in-service inspection sector'. Other industry and product sectors will be covered in due course.

MANAGEMENT

The ECP is to be managed by a Certification Executive Committee (CEC) constituted by the founding members (BINDT, COFREND, DGZfP) and three further members selected from participating EFNDT member societies' NCBs authorised by the EFNDT to use the ECP logo. During the initial period of operation, until there are sufficient participating authorised NCBs from which to select CEC members, the EFNDT Board of Directors will appoint three members from amongst those member societies which have given an undertaking to participate in the ECP.

The CEC Secretariat is provided by COFREND, 1 rue Gaston Boissier, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France. Tel. +33 (1) 44 19 76 18, Fax. +33 (1) 44 19 75 04, email: cofrend@worldnet.fr

ECP documents and the databank of examination questions are managed and controlled by BINDT Certification Services Division, 1 Spencer Parade, Northampton NN1 5AA, United Kingdom.
Tel. +44 (01604) 259056, FAX. +44 (01604) 231489, email. PCN@bindt.org

Promotion, marketing and international recognition aspects are managed by DGZfP, Max-Planck-Str. 6, 12489 Berlin, Germany. Tel. +49 30 678 07 140, email. ka@dgzfp.de

National Certifying Bodies wishing to display the ECP logo on certificates of competence issued to NDT personnel will be authorised to do so by the EFNDT Certification Executive Committee (CEC). Authorised use of the ECP logo is conditional upon meeting the published criteria in accordance with policy agreed by the EFNDT.

The CEC is to be responsible to the EFNDT for setting, maintaining and reviewing criteria for applicant and authorised National Certifying Bodies and will advise the EFNDT on the justification for allowing any particular NCB to use the ECP logo.

National Certifying Bodies will be able seek authorisation to use the ECP logo on specific certificates of competence, e.g., on MT/PT/VT certificates issued for the Pre & In Service Inspection Multi-sector only. In this case the logo may not be used on any other certificates.

The CEC will require assurance at all times that authorised NCBs are applying the EFNDT rules correctly and consistently, and will publish documents setting out the conditions of initial and continued authorisation of National Certifying Bodies to participate in ECP.

BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATION

The EFNDT presently operates a multilateral Recognition Agreement with more than 27 signatories and is represented on the Working Group for European Co-operation for Accreditation (EA). By these means it is able to enhance recognition and acceptance of certification and to influence the accreditation criteria and procedures to the benefit of ECP participants.

The ECP will offer the following additional benefits to the participating National Certifying Bodies:

• access to a bank of validated general and specific questions written in English, French or German - depending upon the choice of the applicant national certifying body - which may be translated by participating national certifying bodies into their national language (translations being subject to verification by EFNDT CEC at their option);
• technical specifications complementary to EN473 which detail ECP requirements concerning:
  • test specimens (EFNDT Specification No. 1).
  • practical qualification examination content (EFNDT Specification No. 2).

CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION

To be authorised by the EFNDT to apply ECP the applicant National Certifying Body should be accredited for compliance with the quality and technical criteria detailed in European standards EN45013 and EN473. The rules regarding participation of non-accredited NCBs will be implemented once the ECP is well established.

In detail, the ECP criteria cover the following areas.

Examination questions
EFNDT provides a central bank of validated multi-choice examination questions. Examination papers are constructed by the authorised National Certifying Body from the ECP question bank. For the specific written examination, in order to take into account the differences in national codes and specifications, up to 25% of national specific questions can be used.

ECP examination questions, which may be used only in examinations for which the National Certifying Body is authorised, require handling with a high degree of security and confidentiality. EFNDT data held at examination centres must be subject to strict measures to prevent loss or compromise.

The participating NCB's operating procedures must only permit the use of ECP questions for those examinations covered by the authorisation issued by the CEC.

Only personnel authorised in writing by the Authorised National Certifying Body may have access to ECP examination questions, which must be stored in an area to which candidates do not have unsupervised access.

NCBs are required to implement a procedure by which candidate's replies to questions are periodically reviewed in order to detect those examination questions which consistently elicit incorrect answers. This procedure will require the CEC Secretariat to be notified of any such examination questions.

Examination Specimens
The minimum number and type of practical specimens required at each NCB's examination centre is specified in EFNDT/S/02.

No specimens which have been used for training purposes during the preceding twelve months may be utilised within ECP examinations.

Test Equipment
NCB examination centres shall hold sufficient relevant test equipment to enable the proper conduct of EFNDT authorised ECP examinations for a stated number of candidates at any one practical examination sitting. The examination centre shall, as far as practicable, maintain all such equipment in a serviceable condition and provide for its maintenance, calibration and overhaul as necessary.

Quality Management System
EFNDT Authorised National Certifying Bodies are required to develop, maintain and implement, as a minimum, the quality management systems and procedures required by European standards EN45013 and EN473.

Conduct Of Examinations
The NCB approved examination centre(s) shall have in place an operating procedure which ensures that candidates are, at all times during examination, closely supervised by a suitably qualified and authorised examiner or invigilator who will ensure that no candidate is permitted an unfair advantage or to collude with other candidates.

All personnel involved with examinations shall ensure that no ECP examination material is removed by any candidate.

PROCEDURE FOR APPLICATION AND AUTHORISATION

Flow chart:

The procedure which will be applied is represented in the following flow chart, with a distinction drawn between accredited and non-accredited NCBs, and the accreditor which is signatory of the EA MRA and the accreditor which is not signatory of this agreement.

INITIAL EFNDT AUTHORISATION

In order to gain EFNDT authorisation to display the ECP logo on certificates of competence, the applicant NCB shall ordinarily be accredited to EN45013 and EN473 and nominated by a society in membership of the EFNDT, and shall undertake to apply the ECP specifications.

A NCB fulfilling these requirements and which is accredited by an accreditor which is signatory to the EA Mutual Recognition Agreement should complete and submit to the EFNDT CEC Secretariat a completed application, together with a copy of the certificate of accreditation and the related schedule showing the scope of that accreditation.

For those certification bodies accredited by an accreditor which is not signatory to the EA Mutual Recognition Agreement, an initial technical audit against EN473 and ECP criteria will be carried out by two experts nominated by the EFNDT Certification Executive Committee. The cost of the audit will be covered by an agreed standard fee, plus direct cost.

Where the above requirements cannot be fulfilled because there is no EA accreditor willing or able to carry out an accreditation audit, the EFNDT CEC will commission a full quality system and technical audit against EN45013, EN473 and the relevant ECP criteria. The cost of the audit will be covered by an agreed standard fee, plus direct cost.

Where EFNDT carries out a quality system and /or technical audit, the date of expiry of any resulting EFNDT authorisation shall be three years from the date of completion of the audit.

OBLIGATIONS OF THE NATIONAL CERTIFYING BODIES ADOPTING ECP

The EFNDT authorised National Certifying Body shall:
• Use only the ECP questions for those qualification examinations leading to the award of certificates bearing the ECP logo, and shall not use ECP questions in any non-ECP examinations;
• Conduct qualification examinations in conformity with the current edition of EN 473;
• Apply the ECP specifications for qualification examinations and practical examination specimens, applying to their accreditor to have these specifications referred to in the scope of accreditation;
• Pay all relevant published EFNDT ECP fees and charges;

Subject to the provision of evidence of continued compliance with the requirements, the EFNDT authorised NCB may display the ECP logo on relevant certificates for which authorisation is awarded.

NCBs which are accepted by the CEC, will be authorised to use the ECP logo on their certificate for a period of 3 years.

RENEWAL OF EFNDT AUTHORISATION

After three years or upon expiry of the certificate of accreditation (whichever is the sooner), in order to renew EFNDT authorisation, the following conditions will apply:
• For those National Certifying Bodies accredited by an EA accreditor, provided that accreditation is maintained, the EFNDT authorisation will be renewed upon receipt of evidence of renewal of accreditation which includes in the related schedule of accredited scope a statement of conformity with the ECP specifications.
• For those National Certifying Bodies accredited by a non-EA accreditor, provided that accreditation is maintained, the EFNDT authorisation will be renewed upon receipt of evidence of renewal of accreditation, which includes in the related schedule of accredited scope a statement of conformity with the ECP specifications, and the results of internal and external audits are made available to the EFNDT CEC.

Where the conditions regarding accreditation are not fulfilled, a quality system and technical audit will be required every three years to maintain EFNDT authorisation.

ANNEX A - ECP DOCUMENTATION

STRUCTURE
Documents fall within one of five groups:

ECP CONTROLLED DOCUMENTS

1. INFORMATIVE DOCUMENTS
   

   EFNDT/I/01A	ECP documents: catalogue and issue status
   EFNDT/I/01B	EFNDT Authorised ECP National Certifying Bodies (to be published)
   EFNDT/I/02	Guidance for accreditors (draft)
   EFNDT/I/03	Leaflet - General Information on the European Certification Process

2. CONSTITUTIONAL DOCUMENTS
   

   EFNDT/C/00	Memorandum of Understanding between Founders of EFNDT Certification Process
   EFNDT/C/01	ECP CEC: constitution, terms of reference and method of working

3. PROCEDURAL DOCUMENTS
   

   EFNDT/P/01	Procedure for the audit of NCBs seeking authorisation to use the ECP Logo
   EFNDT/P/02	Management and administration of the ECP
   EFNDT/P/03	Complaints and appeals
   EFNDT/P/04	EFNDT Auditor selection criteria

4. SPECIFICATIONS
   

   EFNDT/S/01	Specification for ECP practical examination content
   Appendix A	Aerospace - multi-sector (not yet published)
   Appendix B	Castings - single product sector (not yet published)
   Appendix C	Welds and Welded Fabrications - single product sector (not yet published)
   Appendix D	Wrought Products - single product sector (not yet published)
   Appendix E	Pre & in-service inspection - multi sector
   Appendix F	Railway - multi-sector (not yet published)
   Appendix G	Tubes and Pipes - single product sector (not yet published)
   Appendix H	Metal Manufacturing - multi-sector (not yet published)
   EFNDT/S/02	Specification for practical examination specimens
   EFNDT/S/03	Correct use of the ECP logo

   The current status of all draft and published ECP documents is detailed in reference EFNDT/I/01A

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