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The German Society of Non-Destructive Testing DGZfP - Technical Committee of Accredited Testing Centres for NDT: F-GZP Dr. rer. nat. Klaus Kolb/DGZfP: F-GZP, Dr.-Ing. Klaus Berner/DAP GmbH, Germany Contact

In 1968, ideas about quality standards, aims of professional honour and about the economic development, were guidelines for F. H. Gottfeld and W. Kolb in order to recommend the German Society of Non-Destructive Testing (DGZfP) to establish an Association of Professional Status for Testing Centres for NDT. Today, 30 years later, this idea has been put into practice in a modified way: Since 1^st January, 1999 there's been the German Society of Non-Destructive Testing DGZfP - Technical Committee of Accredited Testing Centres for NDT:
F-GZP.

The German Society of Non-Destructive Testing DGZfP - Technical Committee of Accredited Testing Centres for NDT (F-GZP) developed from the activities of the GZP (Gütegemeinschaft zerstörungsfreier Werkstoffprüfer) founded in 1979 and from the impulses given before.

1968	Recommendation of F.H. Gottgeld and W. Kolb to the DGZfP for the establishment of an Association of Professional Status for Testing Centres for NDT
1973	VdTÜV, BASF, Bayer and Hoechst propose the creation of a Community of Quality to be subordinated to TÜV surveillances
1978	Idea to found a Community of Quality (Bott, Glenewinkel and Kolb)
1979	Foundation of the Community of Quality NDT by the five Testing Centres BFI, B + V, F H G, Vetco and ZPKo
1981	First certificates of competence on the basis of quality and test provisions
1991	First accreditations on the basis of GZP confirmations of competence
1992	GZP becomes a DAP Partner Institution
1994	GZP becomes an Assessment Centre and DAP Partner Institution
1998	The Managing Board of DGZfP and GZP (Gütegemeinschaft zerstörungsfreier Werkstoffprüfer) decides on the transfer of GZP into a DGZfP-Technical Committee of Accredited Testing Centres for NDT: F-GZP
1999	Institutionalisation of F-GZP

In spite of the successes and the acceptance of GZP confirmation of competence and accreditation there were doubts again and again about the expenses / benefit proportion.

The GZP objective
NDT quality + ethics of the profession = customers' satisfaction + customers' liaison
required a contribution steadily to be increased in the hard competition. Starting from this point of view, the GZP members were aware of the necessity to adopt a new method. The decision was taken to continue and intensify the activities until then under DGZfP charge.

The justified scepsis about the benefit of an accreditation has not been eliminated yet with the institution DGZfP: F-GZP - the establishment of the Technical Committee nevertheless has to be seen with regard to two essential external factors:

• The European Union will force the application of accreditation trying to achieve its acceptance.
• The acceptance of accreditation at the customers of the accredited providers of services can be achieved more efficiently than ever through the parent organisation DGZfP and the European Association EFNDT.

The work done in the last 20 years within GZP, as well as the professional instruments constitute the basis for the future activities in the Technical Committee. The current contents of the GZP Constitution, the GZP of the mark statues, as well as the implementing regulations with the commitment certificate are integrated parts of the Rules of Procedure for the Technical Committee partially in future being unmodified elements of F-GZP rules of professional status and the fundament for a management of ethics to be introduced.
The purpose and the tasks of the Technical Committee F-GZP may be defined as follows:

• The purpose of F-GZP, in correspondence with the statuary DGZfP objectives, consists in
  • introducing and promoting technical-scientific activities in the area of quality assurance for non-destructive tests
  • uniting and promoting DGZfP members interested in these areas, as well as
  • establishing a straight co-operation between partners of economy interested in non-destructive tests

• Substantial activities serve F-GZP like:
• special promotion of the accreditation concept, particularly of its acceptance at the industry which uses NDT services
• collection, evaluation, appraisal and offer of experience
• promotion of the technical development in the accreditation of testing laboratories and inspection bodies
• co-operation with other technical-scientific societies, with training and research centres, as well as individual personalities within the country and abroad
• participation in advisory bodies with technical reference, as well as in organising the exchange of experience and the education system, especially in forums of Federal and Laender Governments of European relevance
• participation in international technical bodies
• establishment of an assessment centre of DAP German Accreditation System for Testing or continuation of GZA Assessment Centre for Accreditation activities as DAP Partner Institution for accreditation
• Especially the following serves the purpose:
• the establishment and cultivation of rules of professional status for the members of the F-GZP Technical Committee
• the elaboration of technical-scientific rules and working papers and their current adaptation to the state of technology
• the participation in the publication of technical-scientific literature
• the participation in carrying out technical activities
• the co-ordination of studies and projects
• the technical preparation of working papers for working groups and DGZfP committees of experts
• the technical co-operation in organising training modules e.g. for accreditation and certification

The membership in the German Society of Non-Destructive Testing DGZfP - Technical Committee F-GZP can be obtained by:

• each accredited enterprise which as a service performs non-destructive tests being corporate member and recognising the rules of the Technical Committee
• each enterprise to maintain in its organisation an accredited testing department for NDT being corporate member and recognising the rules of the Technical Committee
• each association to represent business circles or interested parties, if the F-GZP Technical Committee recognises that there's a justified interest in the membership
• each DGZfP corporate member as promotional member interested in the F-GZP objectives

Every accredited member of the F-GZP Technical Committee has to commit itself to the F-GZP rules obtaining the right to bear the mark of the Technical Committee.
The most important tasks of the Technical Committee comprise four main fields:

• To establish contacts with interested associations determining joint aims and interests.

The monitoring of quality in the sector of NDT within the requirements for accreditation, as well as an active argumentation were to contribute to the fact that the accreditation should be seen as the prerequisite for tenders and placing of orders in the sector of NDT services.

• Establishment of regulations in the Association of Professional Status where all members of F-GZP are committed to, forming the basis for an ethic management to be introduced.

  An important point in these regulations is to take into consideration that members of
  F-GZP not only are partners but also competitors in the fight for the market. The Technical Committee will be appealed not only to establish regulations but, where necessary, to settle the differences of their members smoothing the way for a valuable co-operation.

• To continue assuming the function as an assessment centre accreditation and DAP Partner Institution.
  This order of F-GZP as interface between the testing centres and inspection bodies on the one hand and DAP German Accreditation System for Testing on the other hand has proved to be an optimum success and there's also common will to continue these activities in the Technical Committee in the interest of the testing laboratories and inspection bodies.

• Co-operation in forums of standardisation e.g. NMP 828 "Qualification of Non-Destructive Testing"

The DGZfP Technical Committee F-GZP will continue to take care of and develop the ideas and rules and papers elaborated by the GZP. The idea and the instruments of GZP, at least in the sector of NDT turned out to be a substantial part of the national accreditation and, as EAL-Guide G 15 (Accreditation of NDT-Laboratories) the first paper of this kind in Europe.

The objectives and ideas of the GZP founder members

• quality on a high level
• acquisition and filling up of market niches
• acceptance and observance of rule of professional standards
• behaviour of partnership one among another
• co-operation on an elevated level and under economic aspects
• creation of confidence-building measures

also are guidelines of the DGZfP Technical Committee of Accredited Testing Centres
F-GZP. The Technical Committee F-GZP considers its tasks in continuing to develop the GZP ( Gütegemeinschaft zerstörungsfreier Werkstoffprüfer) work.

Summary

Ideas about quality standards, aims of professional honour and about the economic development, in 1968 were guidelines for F.H. Gottfeld and W. Kolb in order to recommend the German Society of Non-Destructive Testing (DGZfP) to establish an Association of Professional Status. Today, 30 years later, this idea has been put into practice in a modified way Since Since 1^st January, 1999 there's been the German Society of Non-Destructive Testing DGZfP - Technical Committee of Accredited Testing Centres for NDT: F-GZP.
The idea and the instruments of F-GZP, at least in the sector of NDT turned to be a substantial part of the national accreditation and, as EAL-Guide G 15, (Accreditation of NDT-Laboratories) the first paper of this kind in Europe.

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