Adopting ISO 9712:2005 and ISO/IEC 17024:2003 as Philippine national standard for NDT for global competitiveness

This paper describes and promotes the adoption of ISO 9712: 2005 edition and the ISO/IEC 17024: 2003 edition by the Philippines to be globally competitive. ISO 9712 is a standard for qualifications and certification of nondestructive testing (NDT) personnel while ISO/IEC 17024 is conformity assessment-general requirements for bodies operating certification of persons. ISO 9712 defies that the effectiveness of an application of nondestructive testing depends on the capabilities and qualifications of personnel performing the NDT test. The Philippines through the national certifying body (NCB) implements the certification of proficiency of NDT personnel in accordance with the Philippine National Standards (PNS-146: 1998) This standard (formerly PNS-146: 1987) was originally based from the draft ISO/TC-135/SC7N35.3 and was later revised to conform to the latest ISO FDIS 9712: 1997 and rename PNS-146: 1998. Now with the issuance of the latest ISO 9712:2005 edition and to keep abreast with the current trends of NDT technology, present time and conditions dictates for us to revise our NDT personnel certification to the latest edition of ISO 9712. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) supports the establishment of a common NDT standard. The IAEA is promoting af financially supporting the establishment in developing countries of only one NDT standard. The IAEA through the Regional Cooperative Agreement (RCA) has initiated the harmonization of the NDT qualification and certification of personnel in the RCA member states. In October 2001, the IAEA sponsored the Dhaka meeting where the International Committee for Nondestructive Testing (ICNDT), Asia-Pacific Committee (APCNDT) and RCA member states representatives drafted a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) for the Asia-Pacific NDT (APCNDT) personnel certification schemes acording to ISO 9712. Last August 2005, IAEA/RCA sponsored the Colombo meeting for the harmonization of regional NDT applying ISO 9712 and ISO/IEC 17024; also, the MRA was revived and revised into its final draft. The adoption of the new ISO 9712 by major satakeholders in the world would create a truly global NDT standard. This would in effect harmonize the requirements on NDT personnel certification, because practitioners expressed frustrations when he has to pay for certification/qualification for various examination schemes under several simlar but different NDT standards. The convergence into one-single standard for qualification and certification of NDT personnel will surely promote and facilitate world trade and would create more global competitiveness. Since the Philippines with its highly skilled and trained professional NDT practitioners is at par with other major NDT stakeholders in the world will be benefited for our adoption to this new standard. This ISO 9712 standard will create and enhance our opportunity to be globally competitive. (Authors). Full text