The contract documents make no mention of who is responsable. I am treating the UT inspector/ asst the same, its all one person.
Think of it this way, how many times as third party inspectors do you inspect parts days or weeks after they are welded? If its rusty cause it sat outside in the rain for a week, its not my fault it rusted, you should have been here sooner. The UT tech would clean it himself then right? sure he would. Same w/ Dye pen, if its too rough and you get false indications, not our fault.
I think part of the problem is everyone tries to keep the inspectors happy, and in doing so we give in to extra demands/ requests thinking it will pay for itself later by cooperating with them. Sometimes it will sometimes it won't.
A truelly fair and professional inspector woulnd't need to have stuff done for him, he would inspect it to the code and its good or bad, that's it.
Now, remember I am an inspector by trade, and I know what its like to have people tell me to get lost I'm not doing that, Ive been there, don't like it but it happens. I don't have the jurisdiction to tell our shop personnel to clean the welds, they don't report to me, the owner said to his foreman don't do it. I'm stuck in the middle.
If it were me, since we already did some to be nice and to keep things moving, I'd say work with me and you do some and we'll do some, but to expect us to automatically go and grind every connection (approx 40 x 7) because you can't do your job I say is expecting too much of the fabricator. You know how clean you want it, not some of these guys.
As far any any damage he may do while cleaning the material, it will be his responsability, becasue he has to buy off the entire weldment at the end of the day.
My opinion
If your not living on the edge, your takin up too much room