Welding quality assurance, welding skills and the introduction of new technologies are the three focus areas behind a series of recommendations set out for the nuclear construction industry in support of the 2012 Nuclear Construction Lessons Learned study report. A working group from the
Engineering the Future alliance, with lead authors Sayee Raghunathan and Paul Jones from TWI, published The Royal Academy of Engineering guidance earlier this year.
In summary, the Guidance on best practice: welding document includes a recommended approach to quality assurance, referencing ASME and RCC/ETC codes/standards with detailed discussion of the relevance of the ISO 3834 framework - welding-specific quality assurance. In terms of skill requirements, guidance to the nuclear construction industry is to encourage, influence and define - alongside relevant skills and certification bodies - detailed skills requirements and competencies. This drive for improved industry co-ordination of new or adapted welding technologies and associated skills, in the light of an increasing number of new build nuclear construction projects, will enable realisation of the benefits in weld quality.
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