UK Plant Inspection and the ASME Training Course

Nowadays, the business world has become very competitive, with various businesses and organisations competing to become the premier in their sectors. This level of competition and the desire to increase performance usually leads to the stretching of resources, especially in plants, and when operators are faced with unforeseen problems, the results can be precarious. To avoid such a situation, plant operators required to have advanced assessment knowledge in order to conduct optimal plant inspection and assessment, which helps to promote safety in plants and maintain the integrity of the all the equipment. Such knowledge is attained by undertaking the necessary courses, such as the UK Plant Inspection and ASME Training Course. 

About the course

The UK Plant Inspector and ASME Training Course is offered to plant operators and inspectors, and is designed to equip them with the necessary skills that are required when carrying out plant inspection responsibilities. The course, which is under the Plant Inspector Certificate Programe (PCIP), covers several areas of plant inspection, which includes:

1. The relevant legislations involved in plant inspection

2. Responsibilities of plant inspectors

3. Techniques and procedures of plant inspections

4. Methods of reporting plant inspections

The ASME course offered by Edif Group covers plant inspection codes of several countries, thus offering comprehensive training to the professionals who take it, where they learn about various international plant inspection practices. This equips them with relevant skills and knowledge that allow them to work in different countries.

Who is the course designed for?

The ASME Course for plant inspection is designed for plant operators, plant engineers, material engineers, and plant inspectors who are tasked with ensuring the integrity and safety of process equipment such as pipelines, storage tanks, machinery, boilers and others. The course is suitable for various professionals such as:

1. Plant inspectors involved in manufacturing processes

2. Professionals working for inspection organisations

3. Plant safety regulators

4. Plant operators

5. Insurance companies’ employees

6. Equipment owners

The course can also be undertaken by people wishing to start a career that involves plant inspection, or other professionals wishing to move into plant inspection from another discipline of plant operations.

Objectives of the course

The UK Plant Inspection Training Course is designed to meet the following objectives:

1. Equip professionals with the necessary plant inspection skills, thus ensuring that they are able to assess the integrity and safety of plants and equipment being used

2. To recognise plant inspectors and certify that they are competent to carry out plant inspection responsibilities

3. To provide professional development to people wishing to start a career in plant inspection or provide further training for plant operators and inspectors.

Course Levels

The ASME Plant Inspector Training Course comes in three levels, which are:

1. Plant Inspector Level 1, which is designed for plant operators and junior plant inspectors

2. Plant Inspector Level 2 for senior plant inspectors

3. Plant Inspector Level 3 for professionals responsible for ensuring that plants and equipment used are in compliance with the set industry, national, and international standards.

Below is a look at each course level and what it covers:

1. Plant Inspector Level 1

The ASME Plant Inspector Level 1 is an entry level course that provides basic skills in the operation and inspection of plants. The course is also used as a stepping stone for professionals wishing to change careers into the line of plant inspection, as well as the current plant inspectors wishing to undertake further studies. See more on Facebook.

This level 1 of the course comes in two parts: The Regulations and Duties of a Plant Inspector, and Inspection Methods. By the end of the level, those taking the course are expected to:

– Be able to perform simple inspection of equipment in a plant without supervision

– Choose an appropriate inspection method, carry out a successful inspection, and create clear inspection reports that include recommendations

– Analyse inspection results and make necessary conclusions

After successfully completing and passing the level, those taking the course can then proceed to the Level 2.

2. Plant Inspector Level 2

The ASME Level 2 Plant Inspector Course is a more advanced course that is offered under the PCIP programe by Edif Group, a leading company in the field of technical inspection services, seen here, that are designed to optimise performance and reduce the risk in plant operations. The level is offered to candidates with prior plant inspector qualifications (you must first pass Level 1), and is designed to equip them with knowledge and skills required to operate at a senior technical plant inspection level.

Just like with the Level 1 course, Level 2 comes several parts, which include:

a) Damage Mechanism Assessment

b) Risk Based Inspection

c) Fitness-For-Service Assessment

d) Weld Repairing of Pressure Equipment and Piping

e) Pressure Vessel Inspection Requirements

f) Inspection of Piping

g) Inspection of Aboveground Tanks

By the end of the level, candidates are required to be able to:

– Perform all the duties of a Level 1 Plant Inspector, but with a deeper level of understanding and interpretation of the technical information

– Posses a deeper level of knowledge about plant equipment and their test procedures

– Make a more detailed analysis of inspection results, determine the severity of defects found during inspection, and come up with a suitable risk-based inspection system where required.

Due to the deeper level of technical knowledge and skills in this level, plant inspectors are able to perform higher level of plant inspection duties in demanding sectors such as the oil industry.

3. Plant Inspector Level 3

The ASME Plant Inspector Level 3 is designed for professionals wishing to work in technical authority positions of plant inspection. Candidates taking the course must be holders of Level 2 Plant inspection certificates and Welding Inspector Level 2 Certificate. The course aims to equip the candidates with the necessary skills to be able to perform additional plant inspection responsibilities such as:

– Establishing techniques and procedures to be followed during plant inspection

– Interpreting plant inspection codes, procedures, and standards

– Recommending the best techniques and procedures to be used during a plant inspection

– Interpreting and evaluating inspection results based on the existing codes and standards

– Establishing plant inspection criteria where none are available

Assessment of the course

The assessment of the course is carried out at the end of each level through a 3-part exam: a multiple choice exam, a narrative exam, and a plant inspection exercise (including preparation and submission of a report). At the end of each level, candidates who pass are issued with the relevant ASME certificate. Candidates wishing to take the exam can first undergo the ASME exam preparation course, where the course content can be offered to them in classrooms, through e-learning, or in training workshops.