NAS-410 Certification Recommendations and Requirements
This document is published by the Aerospace Industries Association of America, Inc. and must be followed in order to conduct Inspection Work related to Aviation, Aircraft, NADCAP Audit, etc. If you are doing ANY of the above mentioned work for clients, your Written Practice MUST align with this document.
Please be aware that if your company does a combination of work related to NAS-410, ASME, and ASNT, your company may be required to operate under multiple Written Practice Documents. The NAS-410 Standard has too many differences from the other Codes to include all of the varieties of information in one document.
We have several clients who have technicians certified to multiple Certification Programs to work across a variety of industries.
This is a complex issues which must be discussed with your Level III prior to taking on the work.
Again, please remember that this document only includes a broad overview of the recommendations and requirements of the NAS-410 document. The specifics of applying the NAS-410 requirements will be included in your company’s written practice.
Similar Requirements
Although there are many differences in this document than the other Certification Programs, there are some similarities between the documents.
There are basically 4 categories or Levels of NDT Technician certification. Each has specific requirements for Formal Training, Test Scores and OJT Hours outlined in the document. Companies following this document are basically working to industry Codes related to aircraft, Aerospace, Aviation Repair, Maintenance, etc.
The requirements of this document are a bit more stringent than those of ASNT or ASME.
4 Certification Levels or Categories
The Certification Levels are basically the same as the other Standards
1) Trainee – Prior to becoming Level I, II or III certified, technicians are considered trainees. They will be working under direct supervision of existing Level II and III technicians and will not be signing off on final reports or evaluating flaws for acceptance or rejection.
2) Level I – These technicians have basic skills, able to follow written instructions, do basic calibrations on equipment, and still working under the direct supervision of certified Level II and Level III Technicians. Level I technicians are not signing off on any code related work or evaluating accept/reject for components.
3) Level II – These technicians are able to work without direct supervision. They are able to calibrate, inspect, interpret, and evaluate findings for determining accept or reject of the components being inspected.
4) Level III – These technicians are able do all of the above, plus write, review, prepare work procedures and oversee the entire NDT operation for the methods they are certified for. In general, in order to become a Level III in any method, you must have been a Level II for 1-4 years, depending on your education level, in order to take the Level III tests for certification.
The NAS-410 Document also adds Level I Limited Certifications and definitions for NDT Certification Auditors, Examiners and Instructors. The details of those added references are included in your company’s Written Practice, but not covered here.
What does this mean for you?
Basically, your technicians will need to be Level II before you can send them out on their own to bill hours and sign off on inspection work.
Trainees and Level I technicians will generally work as helpers, under direct supervision, accumulating hours and experience.
Initial Education, Training and Experience Requirements for Certification
NAS-410 includes Charts and Tables that specify minimum hours for Formal Training and OJT. These hours vary from the ASNT and AME requirements in some cases.
For instance, where ASNT requires a minimum of 12 hours Formal Training and 210 hours of OJT to achieve Level II status for PT, the NAS-410 document calls for 32 hours of Formal Training and 400 hours of OJT to achieve Level II status for PT Certification.
Always adhere to the appropriate minimum requirements based on the document the Code calls for.
If your Written Practice is aligned with NAS-410 requirements, documentation of:
1) Formal Training Hours
2) Test Scores for General, Specific, and Practical Tests
3) OJT Hours
are required.
Formal Training Hours can be verified with class completion certificates that include information about the number of hours credited for the class. The Tables indicating minimum hours for each method are included in your company’s written practice.
Test Scores –
The 3 Tests required for each method – General, Specific, and Practical. The candidate must score a minimum 70% on each test, but the Composite score must be a minimum 80% to reach the minimum requirement for certification.
General Test is a basic knowledge test related to the method that the technician is being certified for. The content of the General Test is outlined in your company’s Written Practice.
The Specific Test will test the candidate’s ability to read and interpret a work procedure. The content of the test is outlined in your company’s Written Practice.
Practical Test is a hands-on test to verify the candidate’s ability to conduct the test according to the written procedure, identify flaws, evaluate flaws, and document their findings. The specifics of conducting the test is outlined in your company’s Written Practice.
IMPORTANT NOTE – While previous tests may be considered for initial certification into your company, it is recommended that your company retest the candidate prior to hiring. The NAS-410 Document is more restrictive in its requirements in relation to the Specific and Practical Tests that are administered.
While the General Test may be waived for individuals who hold Central Certifications like ASNT or ISO 9712, that is NOT THE CASE with the Specific and Practical Tests.
The Specific and Practical Tests administered to Certification candidates should cover similar or actual work procedures used by the company.
The Practical test is to be conducted using parts that are similar or exact to the work they will be doing for the employer. The candidate must find ALL the Discontinuities designated by the Level III or Examiner. (This is a more strict requirement than the other Certification Standards.)
Your Level III is responsible for verifying that the tests conducted are adequate to meet the requirements of the Standard and the Company.
OJT Records – This is sometimes the most difficult documentation to obtain. In some cases, the technician’s previous employer may not want to give up the OJT records to the new employer. The documents belong to them, just like the documents belong to your company once the technician is employed.
OJT Records must be documented BY METHOD. If someone performs some PT, MT, and UT during the course of a 10 hour work day, you cannot claim PT = 10 hrs., MT = 10 hrs, UT = 10 Hrs. Each method must be accounted for separately.
The chart for minimum number of OJT hours for each method is included in your company’s Written Practice.
The most important thing to remember is that your company is legally responsible for the actions of your inspectors. DO NOT CUT CORNERS on verifying and monitoring the records of your technicians or potential technicians. Document everything accurately and “cleanly”. That way, when an auditor shows up, everything will be ready for them to review. The better organized the records are, the easier and faster the audit will be concluded with positive results. You Continue to Earn Money!
Vision Acuity Test
The Vision Acuity test is required annually. It may be conducted by an eye doctor or your Level III or a company representative that has been trained in administering the test.
The Vision Acuity Requirement is Jaeger 1 or equivalent.
Recertification
Level I Limited NAS-410 Certifications are renewed Annually.
Level I & II Technicians are recertified at least every 5 years.
However, your company has the right to retest or revoke certifications at any point in time if you feel that the technician is no longer working up to standards.
Recertification MUST BE accomplished by successful completion of a Specific and Practical Test using the same criteria as the original tests used for initial certification.
SPECIAL NOTE – Although Certifications can be issued on a 5 year expiration, the NAS-410 Certification REQUIRES ANNUAL SKILLS VERIFICATION TESTS. (See Annual Maintenance Requirements in NAS-410) This means that all personnel certified under your company’s Written Practice will be submitted to an ANNUAL HANDS-ON Proficiency Test and documented for Auditor Review.
The Annual Proficiency test will be similar to the original Practical Test, using the company work procedure and test samples that are suitable for the work being done for the company.
NAS-410 Certification Summary
As you can see, Certification is serious business. Records must be kept, processes must be followed, audits happen.
Your company and the Level III are partners in the process. The Level III serves as a sort of Gatekeeper for your Company. Their review of documents helps to ensure that candidates are properly qualified to do the work. Their training and testing services help to verify the knowledge and skills of those who you trust with the integrity and quality of your company.
Again, remember, this information is a broad overview of the process. There are more things required, but this information will get you started.
The above information is specific to a Written Practice aligned with NAS-410 Rev. 5. The requirements of ASNT, ASME and ISO 9712 are different. If you are doing ANY work related to the other Codes and Standards or if you would like to see their requirements, please refer to those documents for the appropriate information.
ASNT Certification Requirements ASME Certification Requirements
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