• It is expensive to purchase all these Standards, including AS/NZS 1554, AS/NZS 2980 and now ISO 9606.1;
• ISO Standards typically refer to a number of other related ISO Standards, which also should/must be purchased. In the case of ISO 9606.1, you need to purchase the relevant test Standards if you plan to test in-house. This also applies to qualification to AS/NZS 1554.1.
• There is confusion as to just what welder qualification route is most appropriate to follow
• AS/NZS 1554.2 has only three essential variables to manage in terms of welder qualification (process, position and pipe diameter) compared with 7 under ISO 9606-1.
• The definitions in ISO 9606-1, including welding processes, consumables, types of arc welding, welding positions are completely different to AS/NZS 1554.1. How will smaller fabricators come to grips with all these changes?

• There is genuine confusion in the marketplace;
• There is doubt that the changes add value;
• Increasing complexity does add cost, and not necessarily commensurate benefit.

• Do not know how to engage properly with Standards process
• Seems like public comment period is too late to effect change or influence direction
• Not realistic or fair to expect us to have to purchase international (ISO) Standards just to make public comment

• We agree the Standards process is not as good as it could be
• We agree the system is set up to fail if Standards expect industry to purchase ISO Standards just to make comment on proposed revisions to our Standards
• The fabrication community does need to accept some responsibility to proactively inform themselves and be part of the process, not a bystander.
• We continue to work with Standards to try to develop better approaches to more widespread engagement and awareness of proposed changes in a timely manner

• Testing is around $400 per test (up front cost), with some advice that this may be more like $1500 per test once all costs such as labour, supervision, planning and materials are bought to account.
• No recognition of the significant time and cost incurred in coming to grips with a range of overseas Standards that are significantly different to AS/NZS 1554.
• Now require additional qualification test for fillet welds, whereas previously fillets could be qualified by butt weld. Hence more testing.
• Total additional costs to get all welders tested to AS/NZS 2980:2018:
• Fabricator A: $130,000
• Fabricator B: $10,000
• Fabricator C: $34,000
• We believe this is unnecessary cost burden and provides no tangible benefit over the outcomes from qualifying under AS/NZS 1554, as has been happening for years. We have not seen significant adverse structural safety effects under AS/NZS 1554.

• There are several paths to requalification, as noted in Bruce Cannon (BC) presentation
• Fabricators must understand their options, and it is not clear
• There are three options for period of validity, each requiring confirmation every 6 months. Refer BC presentation for details
• The ‘indefinite’ option for requalification is seemingly appealing (no requalification required), but this option requires the welder to be working under a fabricator who has an ISO 3834 system in place that has been ‘verified’. It is unclear what ‘verified’ means and there may be a common misconception that it means ‘certified’, which it does not.
• It is worth noting that any new or revision of a Standard directly referenced under the NCC should include a ‘Preliminary Impact Assessment’ (PIA) as part of the project proposal process. However, this is not the case for the majority of secondary or lower referenced Standards, such as AS/NZS 1554.1. The PIA has a significant focus on not unnecessarily adding cost as one of several perspectives. However, often at project proposal stage it is difficult to judge what the true costs are or will be, particularly for new procedures that have not been widely tested in the market.

• It is commercially unrealistic to expect fabricators to pay for welder qualification and then have them walk out the door to a competitor, who gains the benefit of the qualification without paying for it.

• The welder population is, in general, quite transient and move from job to job and between fabricators regularly. It is difficult to imagine under these circumstances securing any real value from the claimed portability benefit.

• This concern expressed by some fabricators during fact finding prior to the forum, and was also expressed at the Forum.

ASI Comment

• This is a common sentiment expressed to us regularly and generally in connection with the Australian Government internationalisation direction.
• From the perspective of the majority of local fabricators, who are not doing international work, it is difficult to argue against the sentiment.
• Internationalisation efforts must include proper and rigorous attention to ensuring the community expectation on safety and quality is maintained.

• The 2018 revision of AS 2980 has significantly impacted qualification of welders for CC3 work. Was this considered by the Standards welding committee?

• Change to referenced Standards can have significant flow-on effects and must be properly understood and communicated to the relevant affected Standard's committee for review.