CSA updates fusion welding certification

The CSA Group works diligently to stay current with the demands of the welding sector and is committed to delivering excellence to all its members. To that end, it recently announced the latest edition of CSA standard W47.1:19 in both English and French. The release date of the standard was Oct. 29, 2019, with a transition date for all CWB Group clients on June 1, 2020.

This new edition of CSA W47.1 provides improved options for industry related to welder qualification testing, which will both clarify and simplify the overall certification process.

Based on the type of work to be undertaken, a company may be certified for fusion welding of steel in one of three divisions. Companies that want to be certified under this standard are required to qualify their welding supervisors and welding engineers, submit for review and approval their company’s welding procedures, and qualify their welding personnel (welders and operators).

Those that are currently certified to the old standard will be seamlessly transitioned to the updated version without the need for recertification. All clients currently certified to the 2009 edition will be considered W47.1:19 clients. If you recently applied to become certified and are still in “applicant” status, a CWB representative will continue to work with you to help you achieve certification for your organization without any impact on your application. The most important thing to note is that there will be no changes to your fee structure with the CWB Group. You will continue to pay the same annual fees, and although there is no requirement to purchase a copy of the new edition, we encourage you to do so to remain well-informed on the various changes to the standard.

The CWB Group is working tirelessly to ensure that these new changes do not affect the way business is conducted in organizations, which is why there is no requirement to rewrite examinations or resubmit any welding procedure documentation (WPS and WPDS). It is important to note, however, that new welding procedure documentation submitted after June 1, 2020, and welding supervisors and engineers seeking qualification after this date should refer to the 2019 edition of the standard. The 2019 version has more flexibility regarding welder testing options, details on how to get probationary welders working faster, and clarified responsibilities for welding supervisors. To gain an in-depth understanding of the changes, please see the chart included here. The goal of every edition is to address new technologies and improvements.

Craig Martin is vice-president, certification, at CWB Group. He can be reached at craig.martin@cwbgroup.org, 800-844-6790.

To learn more about the 2019 update to W47.1, please visit www.cwbgroup.org/certification-and-qualification/csa-w471-fusion-welding-steel-company-certification.

A summary of the changes to CSAW 47.1.