The customer asks what open book was used and in some instances the contract stipulates what open book examinations are acceptable.

I had a call last week from a company looking for a CWI and they asked specifically for the D1.5, but would settle for the D1.1 open book examination. The QC manager is a CWI and he's qualified to ASNT requirements, so, he knows what he wants and what his customer requires. The QC manager said any applicant would have to produce a copy of the test scores from AWS as evidence of what open book was used.

It is a changing world and the customers are more knowledgeable about the CWI program. Why shouldn't they hire someone with the "demonstrated" ability to use the appropriate code for the work being inspected? It makes sense to me.

One reoccurring complaint I've heard from fabricators are the problems they've had with third party inspectors that were not familiar with the D1.1. Their questions are usually along the lines of "How can AWS send out a CWI to inspect structural steel when the inspector has no familiarity with D1.1?"

My reply is that AWS doesn't send out the inspector. Nor does AWS say the inspector is qualified to inspect anything in particular. It's the employer's responsibility to ensure the inspector has received the necessary training and experience to inspect the materials to be checked. The CWI certification is simply ensuring the individual has a basic understanding of the principles of visual inspection, quality control, and how to use a code, but not necessarily the code that is applicable to their work.

Don't misunderstand me; I'm not saying the inspector has to pass the "correct" open book examination in order to do the job. What I am saying is that a new CWI without the appropriate experience in a particular industrial sector is at a disadvantage and most likely will not perform as well as a CWI that has:
1)  appropriate  experience,
2)  appropriate training, and
3)  familiarity with the applicable code or standard.

In a competitive environment, the employer and the customer are taking steps to ensure the individual assigned to inspect various fabrications are qualified to do the work. One of the steps being taken by employers and owners is to "ask" which open book examination was passed. That is the objective evidence they are using to assess whether the "new" CWI has some level of demonstrated competence using a particular code. 

Whether we like it or not, the world is a competitive market place. We either meet the needs of our customer or they will look elsewhere. Who is the customer? Who hires the CWIs? Why do they hire CWIs?

I was having a conversation with a group of CWIs a while back on the subject of endorsements. One of the comments made was that AWS should pay closer attention to their customer's needs, the customer being him, the CWI.

I disagreed with him on who the customer was. I said the customer was the entity that hired the CWI. A company hires the CWI to meet a need, whether it is an internal need or a customer imposed need.  The CWI will not be hired if someone else meets that need better or does it more economically.

End of rant!

Best regards - Al

Thank You Ross so much for your help