Welder qualification

Why a Welder Qualification (WPQR)?

Are you planning to weld constructions, piping sections, or pressure vessels? Then first check whether a qualification is required. According to various national and international requirements, a Welders Performance Qualification Record (WPQR) is mandatory. With a qualification, you demonstrate that you possess a certain level of professional competence and that your welding meets quality standards.

You can apply for obtaining, renewing and managing your WPQR at ECH-Groep. ECH-Groep is accredited by the Dutch Accreditation Council (RvA C688) based on the EN ISO/IEC 17024 standard.

You can read here why WPQRs are being issued under EN ISO/IEC 17024 accreditation since April 17, 2023.

Obtaining a Welder Qualification

Obtaining the WPQR is part of a personal certification. The purpose is to determine the welder’s professional competence in order to chieve the issuance of a personal qualification.

ECH-Groep certifies according to the standards EN ISO 9606-1, -2, -3, -4 and/or -5, EN ISO 14732, and design code ASME Section IX. Other standards or codes are on request.

The process will proceed as follows:
After completing the application form ECH-Groep will review and coordinate it with you. You will be guided through the complex laws and regulations to ensure a correct application that qualifies the desired welding range. Think of material types, thicknesses, welding positions etc.
Once the application is confirmed, ECH-Groep will ensure that the necessary arrangements and documents are transferred to a designated examiner. The candidate and examiner follow the rules outlined in the welding qualification procedure and the examination regulations.
Prior to the qualification, a certification agreement must be signed, after which the competency test follows.
If the assessment is successfully completed, the personal qualification will be issued.

 

Revalidation a Welder Qualification

A WPQR has a limited validity period. WPQRs are provided with a (digital) prolongation sheet. On this prolongation sheet, you as a welder, keep track of your ability to meet the qualification standards.  After a certain period, the qualification must be revalidated by an accredited organization.
ECH-Groep has developed an interactive web application for this purpose. To apply for revalideation or recertification please use the application form.

Read more about the welding procedure qualification

 

Managing a Welder Qualification

Want to revalidate your qualifications on time? We have the solution. Through a secure web application, verbindingen.ech-groep.nl, you can easily manage all your certificates. As soon as a certificate is about to expire, you will receive a notification. This saves you a lot of administrative work and time.

The benefits of our web application include:

  • Secure storage
  • Immediate proof of WPQR validity at the workplace
  • Upload of NDT/DT reports for online revalidation of the qualification
  • Emailing qualifications to third parties

Contact us