Inspectors
For over 25 years the CWB Group has been developing and qualifying Welding Inspectors, creating the majority of the welding inspectors currently employed in Canada. The CWB Group supports two separate sets of inspectors: Certified weld inspectors (uses the unaided eye to assess the quality of welds) and Non-destructive inspection technicians (uses one or more inspection methods to determine the quality of a part, pipe, etc.)
Certified Welding Inspectors play a vital role in the fabrication industry. Their responsibilities have a direct bearing on final product quality and thus public safety. By adhering to specifications and following an inspection plan they help industry avoid repairs and costly project delays. The requirements for certification as visual welding inspection in Canada is defined under CSA W178.2, which is administered by the CWB Group. This standard provides three progressive levels of certification: Level 1, 2, and 3. In addition, the CWB Group provides additional training and certification to other inspection standards – these “code endorsements” allow a certified welding inspector to easily expand the range of industries and inspection applications they are qualified to work in. The CWB Group also maintains reciprocal agreements with other international inspector programs, allowing CWB Certified inspectors to qualify for international designations.
Non-destructive Inspection Technicians are employed across a wide range of industries including manufacturing, fabrication, oil and gas as well as transportation. Their role is to use a range of aids and inspection techniques to pro-actively identify faults that could lead to product failure and or public or environmental safety. Work includes the inspection of materials such as airplane parts, pipelines, and commercial products used in construction, manufacturing and consumer goods. In Canada, the requirements for certification are defined in standards administered by NRCan and CGSB, in some cases Canadian and international standards are aligned, leading to possibilities for international work. The CWB Group, as an accredited training organization provides both training course and testing to meet NRCan and CGSB standards.