Frequently Asked Questions
A responsible Welding Coordinator (rWC) is an individual or individuals appointed by a manufacturer to oversee an organisation’s welding coordination. These responsibilities are allocated to specific job roles by a manufacturing organisation and an rWC must be competent in order to cover their allocated responsibilities. This competence is assessed across a range of knowledge, skills and experience – but how can you tell if your rWC is competent?
By incorporating ISO 14731: Welding Coordination – Tasks and Responsibilities into your quality management system you are able to ensure that an rWC is competent. This standard includes specific guidelines on the general and more specialised technical knowledge required as well as the specific knowledge (including comprehensive, specific and basic) that is required to meet the requirements of standards such as ISO 3834, EN 1090 or EN 15085.
A named rWC does not require any specific certification or qualification, but instead must demonstrate competence in carrying out their responsibilities. The level of competence is determined during an assessment, but there are a number of different qualifications, certifications, and work experience that can be viewed collectively to show compliance.
Organisations without a member of staff able to meet the competence requirements can subcontract an rWC, but the responsibility for welding coordination remains with the hiring organisation and the subcontracted rWC still needs to be assessed as competent. This is regardless of whether the rWC is working for another organisation too and they should also have the appropriate authority to undertake their responsibilities in line with the relevant standard.
Because the role of an rWC is not portable, an rWC will need to be reassessed should they move to a new company. This ensures competence is maintained for each organisation in accordance with the organisation’s scope and any relevant standards.
You can find out more on the TWI Certification Ltd (TWI CL) website.