Hi all Just looking for some clarification . in the new year we will require a NTD contractor to come and gamma ray and ultra sonic testing. I have been provided site specific RAMS from the NDT contractor with all associated techniques all looks good. However I do not have the relevant competence for this work but I need to clarify that we to have company procedures in place ? My question is : I have prepared a procedure document for NDT testing which must be in place before we start testing which should include our PTW am i correct ? Thanks in advance j

OH for an edit like what many forums have:-) End of para 1 should read "test house has to be fully responsible" Bob

Actually, Chiefinspector, the equipment or material being tested isn't relevant to his question. I suggest that this goes back to the funamentals of allowing persons on your site to carry out high risk activities - in this case radiography. In fact going one step further it's more about how you control contractors. With that in mind I suggest that you will definirtely need a PTW but as boblewis says work with their specialists - in particular their RPA. Check that their guys have the rekevant qualification. In the UK that is usually (but not always) a BS EN 473 based qualification such as PCN which is adminsitered in Northampton by the Ritish Institute of Non-Destructive Testing. They even have a check-up service that will allow you to confirm that their proposed NDT operators have both current and relevant qualifications. SOmetimes organisations use teh American SNt-TC-1a system which is sometimes a bit complicated if you don't understand its workings. Again the NDT institute can advise. Bear in mind that if you have rarely or never had radiograohy on your site before the supplier will need to notify HSE who are extremely likley to turn up on the day. (FYI I am also FInstNDT so am happy to advise more if you want.)

Of course its relevant. My background is in NDT Inspection and when it comes to Radiography, it is dependant on the strength and number of sources, the machine being used to carry out the inspection and how the source is contained. In a previous employment we had the HPA make annual visits to carry out a leak test on the source (Cesium 137 @ 55.5GBq) and to check the integrity of the lead housing. Due it being a static machine, an exclusion zone was never required, only monthly source accountancy checks. Personnel also had to submit film badges to the HPA every 3 months to measure exposure to radiation. I know the situation in the OP will be different, but set-up and type of equipment being tested do make a difference looking at the bigger picture.