Specification of CQA and Welding Certifications

Timothy D. Stark

October 4, 2024

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Suggestions for Specification of CQA and Welding Certifications

- Add certifications to FGI Material Specifications
- FGI Members add to your specifications
- For example, make it similar to electrical certifications for construction
- How do we get regulators involved in the certification process?
- OEPA Landfill Rules – IAGI CWT was considered but couldn’t require IAGI over another provider – so specified a minimum level of experience = 1 M sq ft of liner experience for Junior Seamer &over 5 M sq ft for Master Seamer
- Fracking industry has limited requirements and many problems
- Most military and government specs require a minimum square footage of liner experience
- In PA they require training by DemTech or the installer = orientation classes not a certification class and exam
- Iowa DNR – including another entity's rule into Iowa’s Rule is difficult because it could change = hard to stay current so leave it to consultants to specify the certification
- Certification could result in liability
- FGI Create Drop-In Specifications for Consultants to download from FGI website and include list appropriate lab and field ASTM Test Methods
- Detail specification is at engineering level not regulatory level so target engineering firms
- How do we contact all state regulators? Instead contact ASTWMO, SWANA, AWWA, etc. and inquire about including specification
- CQA Course and Certification is do able but inspection is more difficult & probably requires regulatory involvement – certification does increase cost but inspection increases cost much more, especially for full-time inspection – have regulators consider requiring or recommending certification and/or inspection, especially full-time inspection
- OEPA – has required 3rdparty CQA for a long time – right now CQA firm is hired by the landfill; future may have CQA paid by landfill but CQA firm reports to OEPA directly; another option is having CQA firm report to the contractor not the landfill owner
- Another option is landfill provides a pool of 3rd party CQA firms and OEPA selects the firm or firm is randomly selected so same company cannot keep doing the CQA for the same landfill
- It may need a national requirement – USEPA – White Paper on Subtitle D updating and clarifications recommends adding CQA requirement to Subtitle D; Ed Silva will contact GMA about the status of presenting the White Paper to the USEPA