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General Welding System Requirements

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Welding

I. SCOPE
PURPOSE
This CBA provides guidelines for safe welded fabrication. These guidelines are in compliance with legally
required, as well as local and nationally recognized construction codes and P&G practices. This CBA also
provides welding management guidelines.
A written site welding system must be implemented for control of welding quality consistent with this and other
P&G Welding CBAs. Specific System requirements can be found in WE02.
NOTE requirements in this document also apply to brazing activities.
Project managers, site engineers, welding inspectors, purchasing managers, and the site welding system
owner need to use this CBA. This will help to ensure that welding related activities are done properly and cost
effectively. This includes design, fabrication, erection, examination, testing and inspection. Utilizing this CBA
will also help increase site reliability.
Welding is a skill that requires extensive training and experience. Continual use of welding skills is needed to
maintain the expertise in metal joining. A minimum number of welders should be qualified consistent with the
quantity and type of welding processes and joints to be done. For a qualified welder to maintain code
certification and quality requirements, a considerable number of hours should be devoted to welding. Workers
who only occasionally weld have difficulty meeting qualification requirements of legal construction codes and
increase the maintenance or construction costs to the site due to rework and repair.
Welding examination, testing and inspection is necessary to help ensure proper execution. It is required by
the construction codes and standards.
II. RESOURCES
P&G Corporate Welding & Fabrication Engineering (CWFE) is the owner of this CBA. Contact CWFE for
guidance and clarifications. For Welding Engineering Support go to
http://vcs.pg.com/ext/GEX/Weld/default.aspx
III. APPROACH
1.

COVERAGE
This Welding CBA assists with implementation of the company global policies of:
a. P&G insists on safe operation, and
b. P&G operates within the law.
Sites must have a written system to implement this Welding CBA. This CBA covers the following
welding topics for fabricated equipment, systems and structures in company installations: design,
fabrication, on-site construction, site maintenance (rework/repair), failure analysis, inspection and
testing.
Sites must comply with the requirements of all National, Federal, State, and local construction codes
and standards having jurisdiction.
The following paragraphs contained in this Welding CBA and other Welding CBAs assure compliance
in most locations.
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2.

General Welding System Requirements

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Welding

Terms and Definitions

Responsibility
Welding Inspectors
Welding Procedure and Welder Performance Qualification
Procurement of Fabricated Equipment
Construction Welding Quality Practice
Assist with Audits of Site Technical Safety Programs and Surveys of Construction Welding
Programs

TERMS & DEFINITIONS

The following terms and titles used in this company practice have the following meaning:

2.1

Site Welding System : A written system to be implemented for control of welding quality consistent
with this Welding CBA. The system should address operating standards, practices, CBAs, systems
and resources. See WE02, Site Welding System Requirements for welding management guidelines
which are in compliance with legally required, as well as local and nationally recognized construction
codes and P&G practices. Guidelines are based upon different levels of welding risk. This will help to
ensure that welding related activities are done properly. This includes design, fabrication, erection,
examination, testing and inspection. Utilizing this will also help site reliability.

2.2

Welding Engineer: A P&G Corporate Welding Engineer from Corporate Functions, Project
Technologies & Systems Department (PT&S), Construction & Welding Engineering Section.

2.3

Qualified Welder/Welding Operator: A person who has demonstrated the ability to deposit sound weld
metal by passing the requirements of a specific performance qualification test as prescribed the
requirements of any National, State, and local construction codes having jurisdiction. In cases where
this is not covered by law; the welding performance qualifications must meet the requirements of US,
Japanese or European Common Market standards. Refer to CBA WE04 Performance Qualification of
Welders.

2.4

Certification: confirmation that some fact or statement is true through the use of documentary
evidence.

2.5

Welding Inspector: A person who is certified, and has the ability to qualify welders and determine
welding quality in accordance with predefined specifications. Refer to CBA WE03, Welding Inspectors,
for responsibilities and certification requirements.

2.6

Welding System Owner: A P&G employee who is responsible for a Site's Welding System. Welding
System Owner training and certification is outlined in the HS&E webpage:
http://intraprod1.internal.pg.com/technet/tech_dev/Engineer/HSE/KnowledgeSystems/KS_WELD/WEL
D_INDEX.htm .

2.7

Site: manufacturing plants, corporate buildings, technical centers, and similar facilities.

3.

RESPONSIBILITY

3.1

Sites are responsible for:

a. Ensuring safe, legal, and code compliant use of welded fabrications in P&G facilities.
b. Allocation of resources necessary to implement and execute the Welding System and related
CBAs at the site level.
c.

Owning the process of selection, training and qualification of the site Welding System Owner and
all site Welding Inspectors (P&G and contractor).

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d. Following legally required construction codes and standards in their country or region. Including a
Welding Section in the Construction Quality Management Plan to insure compliance with P&G
Welding CBAs.
e. Ensuring appropriate qualification of Project Welding Inspectors.
f.
3.2

Arranging for involvement of Welding Engineering for assistance in defining special welding
requirements on projects requiring their level of expertise.

Site and Technical Building Welding System Owner is responsible for:

a. Meeting the requirements of the HS&E Welding Systems Operation & Maintenance checklist.
b. Recognizes welding/brazing defects, corrosion, failure mechanisms, causes, and corrective
action.
c.

Trains people on site welding/brazing requirements, safe procedures, and hot work permits (as
required).

d. Ensures that welding/brazing on boilers and code vessels is done by code shops with appropriate
code stamps and certifications. This applies to some tanks and piping systems if required by local
codes.
e. States who the corporate welding resources are and when to contact them.
f.

Selects a qualified welding inspector when needed.

g. Monitors site welding system compliance with CBAs and code and legal requirements.
h. Works with Project Managers to select welding contractors and contract welding inspectors.
NOTES:
a. In some countries and/or regions, governmental agencies or a P&G regional resource may
have some of the responsibilities shown above.
b. The Welding System Owner may be a Welding Inspector (if qualified/certified as both).
3.3

Corporate Welding Engineering Global Responsibility:

a. Determine which countries require P&G Welding Engineering oversight for pressure vessels,
hazardous systems and/or building integrity versus utilizing Government provided
agencies/systems to insure code compliance.
b. For fabricated equipment requiring P&G Welding Engineering oversight*:
Specify training and qualification requirements for field welders and welding inspectors.
- Provide concurrence to the selection and approve the P&G certification of Welding Inspectors
(both P&G and contractor).
Development of P&G standard welding practices and concurrence to deviations by
businesses
* This equipment includes: tanks, PVs, piping and other components fabricated from materials
other than mild steel or 300 series stainless steel; equipment for hazardous service; field erected
tanks; sanitary fabrication; and equipment where reliability is unusually critical.
c.

Own the Corporate Welding CBAs

d. Define P&Gs Welding Procedure Specifications

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e. Understand construction code requirements in countries where we have the majority of our
welding fabrication work performed. This includes code design, fabrication, testing, examination
and inspection requirements.
f.

Provide high-level technical expertise to businesses concerning welding fabrication, equipment

repair, non-destructive examination, and failure analysis and code requirements.

g. Evaluate and approve Company pre-qualified fabrication shops, and manage this information via
a pre-qualified vendors list.
h. Ensure a satisfactory remedy is applied when the Welding Engineer discovers the design or
quality of fabricated equipment may have an actual or potentially harmful effect on human safety,
or does not meet legal requirements (construction codes, standards).
i.

Ensure a satisfactory remedy is put in place if systemic welding related issues in critical areas
become apparent. Critical areas include, but are not limited to: P&G defined Class I chemical
systems, building integrity and code/standard compliance.

j.

Periodically review business incident databases to determine if systemic issues are developing in
countries.

k.

Provide P&Gs interpretation of matters relating to compliance of welding construction codes and
standards.

l.

Work to find new and more efficient ways P&G can leverage welding to improve TDC and save
capital expenditures.

m. Provide concurrence to the selection and approve the P&G certification of Welding System
Owners.
n. Facilitate a welding network to efficiently transfer and/or share welding knowledge within P&G.
3.4

When requested by GBU Project Managers or site personnel, the Corporate Welding Engineers can
(based on priority):
a. Conduct surveys of Construction Welding Plans.
b. Conduct surveys of site welding quality control practices as requested to supplement Technical
Safety Program audits.
c.

Provide review and approval of vendor and contractor welding procedures.

d. Specify the level and amount of inspection required for purchases of welded fabrications.
e. On complex welding projects: Provide a welding section for the Construction Quality Management
Plan for construction projects. Develop project specific welding performance criteria for fixed bid
packages. Provide review and approval of welding designs for fabricated equipment.
3.5

When does Welding & Fabrication Engineering need to be involved in projects? See Appendix A

4.

WELDING INSPECTORS
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Welding

Verification of correct execution of welding activities must be performed by a properly qualified and
certified welding inspector on a frequency that assures construction code and company standards
compliance. Details of certification and responsibilities of the Welding Inspector are defined in CBA
WE03 Welding Inspectors.
5.

WELDING PROCEDURES
Practices for Welding Procedure Qualification and Use are located in CBA WE08.

6.

WELDER PERFORMANCE QUALIFICATIONS

Practices for qualification and re-qualification are located in CBA WE04 Performance Qualification of
Welders.

7.

PROCUREMENT OF FABRICATED EQUIPMENT

All fabrication inquiries and purchase orders must include weld quality acceptance criteria; normally
contained in nationally recognized construction codes and standards. WE05 Specification for
Purchase of Fabricated Equipment, Structures and Components, should be a part of the standards
provided.

8.

MAINTENANCE OF EQUIPMENT
When maintenance involving welding related processes is necessary to be performed on fabricated
equipment, it is defined as either rework or repair. Rework is defined as restoring the equipment to
the original condition and specification(s), while repair makes the equipment functional, but not to the
original condition and specification(s). Maintenance of equipment must follow the outline and guide(s)
shown in P&G Welding CBA WE07, Fabrication Guidelines for Maintenance of Equipment.

9.

SAFETY
There are hazards associated with welding, brazing and cutting. As a minimum, legally required, local
and nationally recognized safety standards/codes must be followed. Welding/Hot Work permits must
be used to make certain proper safety precautions are taken before and during welding operations.
One industrial standard used in the area of welding safety is the American Welding Society (AWS)
Standard, American National Standard ANSI/ASC Z49.1 "Safety in Welding and Cutting". This
standard covers aspects of safety and health in the welding environment, emphasizing oxygen gas
and arc welding processes. It contains information on protection of personnel and the general area,
ventilation, fire prevention and protection, and confined spaces. ANSI/ASC Z49.1 "Safety in Welding
and Cutting" is a voluntary consensus standard that has been developed in accordance with the rules
of the American National Standards Institute. Other welding safety standards may exist in regions
other than North America.

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Welding

APPENDIX A - When Does P&G Welding & Fabrication Engineering Need to be Involved in a Project?
"Involvement" starts with a discussion to determine what and how, if anything, needs to be done by
P&G Welding Engineering. The "Project" may be a capital project, a maintenance project, or a
combination of both. There is significant opportunity to save capital and/or improve project results by
using this process.

CRITERIA: If "YES" to one or more, then contact Welding Engineer.

1. New technology at the site?
2. Not sure that the site has the skills or experience for the review
3. Need construction welding inspector (CWI or equivalent)
4. Project with a 10 or more contractor welders and/or more than $100M worth of vendor fabrication
5. Proprietary or special welded fabrication
6. New fabricators, not on P&G "pre-qualified" list
7. For tanks, pressure vessels, piping, machinery, etc.:
- materials other than carbon/mild steel or austenitic stainless steel
- Hazardous service (OSHA 1910.119, pressure > 300 psi, etc.)
- FDA (USA) or sanitary fabrication
- reliability of welded equipment is unusually critical
8. Field erected tanks
NOTE: When the project is a reapplication or direct repeat of something recently completed, the
need for or scope of involvement will be reduced or in some cases eliminated. However, a short
discussion about the need for involvement is still appropriate.

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