By yojimbo
Date 02-12-2013 18:26
Edited 02-12-2013 18:30
Al-
Your reply clarifies the issue, doesn't confuse it. I am a contractor and yes understand the obligation of that responsibility. Oddly, or maybe not, it often seems I take it more seriously than the owners, for example, when exploring this ASME welder qualification for a specific job I spoke with a city engineer in the relevant plumbing inspection division and asked what welder quals would cover the work. He said he "supposed WABO welder certs would be ok". I thanked him and ended the call. The standard he referenced is a local juristiction "code" that I have a long standing disrespect for. They are a private agency in the NW whose essential function is to collect money for their own personal gain. They do not establish standards, all the welder qualifications are based on AWS pre-qualified WPSs, and to add insult to injury not a few of the projects I do in public works will require welders be WABO certified and actually have rejected my AWS welder qualification and accompaning pre-qualified WPS requiring a re-certification to local jusristiction using the same pre-qualified WPS. The point is, the engineer answering my call could not even distinguish between a structural and non-structural application or welder qualification. Good to know he has a steady job, he'd be lost if he had to make a living in the real world. All that said, as a contractor, my ultimate obligation is meet specification. If that specification is wrongly or even ambiguously written that's outside my responsibility to some degree. At the least, a poorly written specification permits a larger degree of contractual negotiation. That sounds cynical I know, but the fact is I am not writing the specifications and the people who are very often don't want the headaches that come with really understanding their venue and responsibilities. I don't know how this phenomena effects other trades but in the welding trade I've found a vast lack of understanding of code requirements that relate to our work. I can only spend so much time/resources directing the attention of my contractual superiors/owners toward the sources they need to understand. With all that said, the work I do would not be considered heavy industry or truly critical fabrication. Low psi commerical heating gas lines that I have done are never going to be a warranty concern for anyone and I never lose a minutes sleep in concern. Too many years behind the hood with an inspector over my shoulder and the unemployment wagon idling keeping the x-ray techs warm waiting to make the shot doing "real" work to let the picayune stuff I do get out of control. Really, my major intention is to increase my business's legitimacy, protect the General Contracotrs I sub to, and open new markets. Your input, as always, is insightful clear and helpfull. Thanks. I will investigate the construction code further for pplicable welder qualification requirements. BTW, I did run across some articles by Mr. Sperko during this investigation and they were clearly written and helpfull guideslines.