Pipeline weld non-conformance

In July of 2012, it was discovered that 5 miles of underground pipe that had been installed did not meet specifications due to out of spec welds and improper radiographic inspection. The client agreed to not replacing the entire pipeline if we repaired the out of spec welds, and if we completed an engineering assesment that included random inspection of 10 other welds, which was successfully completed to their satisfaction. The welds were out of spec because the wrong weld rod was used and the welds were not inspected. The wrong weld rod was used because the welder was not clear on the specs and he thought the rod used would meet the specs because he used that same rod on a previous job. The welds were not inspected because the weld inspectors were not notified to be there because the project manager didn't think it was necessary. The improper radiographic inspection was caused by using the wrong film and overexposed x-rays. The wrong film was used because the technician had multiple films available for use and he was unclear on which to use. The x-rays were over exposed because the wrong developing procedure was used. Solutions include but are not limited to: 1) Pre-scheduling of weld inspections at the beginning of jobs, 2) Have weld inspectors sign off on the weld rod container prior to first use, 3) Conduct pre-job review between welders and inspectors prior to the start of work, 4) Require certified x-ray techinicans and verify certification prior to commencing work.

In July of 2012, we had a near miss where we almost had to replace 5 miles of pipe after it was discovered that the underground pipe did not meet specifications due to out of spec welds and improper radiographic inspection. The client agreed to not replacing the entire pipeline if we repaired the out of spec welds, and if we completed an engineering assesment that included random inspection of 10 other welds, which was successfully completed to their satisfaction The welds were out of spec because the wrong weld rod was used and the welds were not inspected. The wrong weld rod was used because the welder was not clear on the specs and he thought the rod used would meet the specs because he used that same rod on a previous job. The welds were not inspected because the weld inspectors were not notified to be there because the project manager didn't think it was necessary and he was trying to complete the job quickly. He was trying to complete the job quickly because they were nearing the end of the project and if they got done ahead of schedule, the team woudl receive a bonus. The improper radiographic inspection was caused by using the wrong film and overexposed x-rays. The wrong film was used because the technician had multiple films available for use and he was unclear on which to use. The technician was unclear on which film to use because he was new to the job and had not received much training. The lack of training was caused by technicians employer thinking he was qualified and because they didn't have the staff available to train or mentor him. The x-rays were over exposed because the wrong developing procedure was used because the technician was inexperienced in this area.

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