Jason,
The only time I am aware of that a WPS expire's is because of D1.5 Bridge code. I know this because we inadvertantly got an CAR on our AISC audit last year because we wasn't aware bridge fabricators had to renew their WPS's every three years. We were bridge certified, but had never done one, and although I had the bridge code, I never had much reason to get into it so I didn't know that. hence I learned the hard way. D1,1 WPs's don't expire.
D1.1 does require you to keep some type of continuity record on file.
I have approx. 75 individual welders(people not machines) I have to keep their certs active. The system we have set up is just a simple excel spreadsheet with name, process, position, date of certification, and re-qualification date (which is six months from their date of certification).
At the beginning of each month I go through it and highlight which guys are coming up this month, print it out, and check it periodically to see who's due day to day. Then that day, watch them weld with that process, document it and put it in the file. I have had that audited and checked on occasion.
Chris
eekpod
That is what I was wanting to know, thanks you. I don't have nearly 75 employees to keep track of, only 21, but if that system works for you, I should be able to apply in my situation.
Jason
I think NY in the bridge industry requires new PQRs every 7 years.
MDK
NY requires "verification testing" every 3 years.
Hg
I Knew it was something like that, don't they have their own steel construction manual too?
Indeed they do. It's the basis for D1.5. I always think it's funny how they basically wrote D1.5 but they won't adopt it. We've already argued about that in another thread so I'm not going to get into the details.
Hg
5 years ago I worked for a bridge bearing company and I would set up inspections and compile WPS Paint Procedures certs ECT for NY and I can remember how the prints and contract #s from our engineers would always lack the information we needed to contact the proper authority for shop inspection, as I remember the was NY DOT NY port authority and then I think it was NY thruway, and each group had their own procedures.
MDK
FYI if my memory serves me correct the D1.5-02 requires a PQR to expire every 5 years unless the PQR is to section 12, Fracture Critical, then its 3 years. As a side note a weldor is required by section 12 to test with both RT and Bends every year and under the rest of this code its only one, RT or Bends. I don't have a current copy to check for changes.
Just for clarification I use Old School spelling, i.e. - a weldor is a person and a welder is a machine. Your spell check will not like it but it gets the point accross.