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Harmonised ETQ&C
at the same time very active in refining the rules and guidelines for the
development and implementation of the authorisation systems, mainly
quality control, and the harmonisation and training of assessors to
undertake audits of prospective applicants for approval as IIWANBs.
The question of including certification in the future activities
of IIW was first raised in 2002 during a presentation to the IIW Board
of Directors on the possible opportunities for the certification of
personnel as well as company certification. After considerable
discussion it was decided to set up a five-member Task Force
Certification
(TF-CERT) headed by Smallbone, now from
Australia, to investigate the future role of IIW in the different
fields of certification and report back to the IIW Board of
Directors on their findings.
20
A detailed written proposal
recommending that IIW should take up certification was submitted in 2003. After further
consideration by the Board it was agreed in principle, two years later at the IIW Annual
Assembly in Prague, Czech Republic in 2005, that IIWwould enter the field of certification.
The EWF systems for company and personnel certification were transferred to IIW for
implementation in 2007. This included company certification and welding coordination
personnel certification but did not include welding inspector certification since it was agreed
that would be dealt with at a later date.
Further discussions did take place at a Board of Directors level
in January 2008 when the IIW IAB Chair at that time, Mr Bertil Pekkari
(Sweden), reported that the IIW IAB had requested that the introduction
of a welding inspector certification scheme be discussed again. This was
in response to requests from qualified and certified welding
inspectors, plus IIW IAB members, for an IIW certification
system to cover welding inspection. The matter even then
was considered sensitive due to the potential negative
impact on the pre-existing welding certification business
of some IIW Member Societies.
The IIW Board of Directors agreed to such a proposal
and a Task Force was established with von Hofe as Chair.
21
The
Task Force, which included the IIW IAB Chair, Mr Germán
Hernandez (Spain), later reported that it had failed to agree
on the development of an IIW scheme and an alternative
compromise proposal had been put forward. This proposal
prohibited the use of the IIW logo and the word ‘international’
on certificates issued in the name of the IIWANB.
22
Germán Hernandez
Chris Smallbone