Welding certification advice needed.

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I need some advice, and I have a lot of respect for the experts on this forum, so where better to ask the following questions.I manage a fabrication facility producing scenery and automated effects for a professional theatre organization. The construction is a mix of wood and steel, about 70% wood and 30% steel. Given all the news lately surrounding stage collapses and other accidents in my field, the company admin has been asking if there is anything more we can be doing at the shop to help prevent safety issues and accidents. Besides our pretty intensive safety program and workplace practices, the question came up regarding our welders, and should they be certified.My basic construction with steel involves mostly mechanical tubing in gauges 11-16 ga, in sizes running from 3/4" square to 1x3 rect. We also use a fair amount of plate, but 90% is 1/4" thick or thinner. Only on some larger effects will we get into I beams, channel, or plate in 3/8 - 1/2" thick. We use MIG with .035 and C25 gas mostly, no SMAW or FCAW.Investigating the different certs and what we do, it seems the most appropriate would be AWS 3G in mig. But that test uses 3/8 plate, which we hardly ever use. In ya'lls opinion, is it worth having the company get my guys AWS certified, or should we instead institute an internal company certification program that I administer? If we go the internal route, what certifications or creds should I maintain as the admin of the internal program?
Reply:Great question.  I do not think that just having your welders qualify is enough.  Humans by nature will always find the easiest way of doing something.  So to educate, qualify and then leave them to their own devices, nothing will change.  You need a quality control system that keeps everyone honest.  Either you need to educate yourself or a company representive to become that QC manager or hire someone that is experienced.   The education needs to start at the management level and work it's way down.  A WPS or Weld Procedure Specification should be on hand for the different types of welding that you do (a recipe for a successful weld), welders are then qualified to that WPS,  and then supervised and enforced so that quality is consistent.A lot of companies will use AWS D1.1 structural code to as a benchmark of what is acceptable and not acceptable.  A lot of it may not apply to what you are welding but the visual acceptance criteria can help your establish a base-line to work from.  I do not know what oversight you current have over the welds and welders at your facility, but I can tell you this:  Any changes you make regarding additional quality verification, control over welding parameters,  changing welder's techniques, established practices, and habits, is generally not well received.  It will take buy-in on the highest to lowest level of your organization.  I have personally been on both side of the coin. Good luck and I commend you for your desire to increase quality and reduce liability!Last edited by jbyrd; 08-04-2012 at 05:56 PM.Jay DavisAWS-CWIC-60 Specialty Welding ContractorLoving husband, and father of two boys (
Reply:Originally Posted by Stage HandIn ya'lls opinion, is it worth having the company get my guys AWS certified, or should we instead institute an internal company certification program that I administer? If we go the internal route, what certifications or creds should I maintain as the admin of the internal program?
Reply:Since the tubing used is of gauge thickness, you could buy an AWS weld procedure standard for sheet metal 10 through 18 gauge AWS B2.1-1-004;2002, and qualify your weldors to the standard and AWS D17.1.The standard from AWS is $186 if you are a member.Like said earlier enforcement is key.Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:jbyrd,Thanks for the input. the process is GMAW short arc transfer as you guess. Sometimes it is just ornamental work, but often it is weight bearing overhead conditions (trusses and platforms that make up multiple playing levels). Mostly static loads, but some pieces are moved into and out of playing position during the production, either by human power or AC motors or pneumatic actuators. The actual life of the pieces is often only 8 weeks before it goes to the scrap yard for recycling.I have no current concerns with most of my older guys (some with 25+ years in the industry) but times change and our industry is getting more regulated. My company tends to be one of the leaders in the area when it comes to safety practices and quality control in our industry, and maybe certification is another way to set the example for other theaters in the area.I'll try and find some pictures so you can get an idea of what we do.