‘RAILSAFE’

A Harmonised System for Education, Qualification and

Certification ofRailway Track Welders

Developed in aLeonardo da Vinci Project

Appendix 9

Background• Rail contractors want uniform education,

qualification and certification of railway track welders in Europe to improve mobility of welders

• New European Standards on rail welding

• Public call for improved maintenance of railway tracks to improve safety and to reduce delays

• EC policy to improve ‘interoperability’ between national railway systems

• EC policy to stimulate life-long learning to improve employability

• EC policy: free movement of people in the EU

RAILSAFE

A European Commission project under the Leonardo da Vinci Community Vocational Training Action ProgrammeDuration three years, started October 2004Focussing on Aluminothermic Welding (ATW) Nine partners from seven countries

RAILSAFE PartnersSLV Schweißtechnische Lehr- und

Versuchsanstalt Hannover, GermanyIIS Istituto Italiano della Saldatura, ItalyRI Ir. J.B. van den Brug Raadgevend Ingenieur,

the Netherlands (Co-ordinator)VR VolkerRail, the NetherlandsEWF European Welding Federation, PortugalISQ Instituto de Soldadura e Qualidade, PortugalSWC Svetskommissionen (Swedish Welding

Commission)PZ Prva Zvaracska a.s. (First Welding

Company), SlovakiaTWI TWI Ltd, UK (Promoter)

European harmonisation

• Education, training and qualification makes exchange of welders possible, nationally and throughout Europe

• Certification assures continuing vocational competence for life-long development

• Qualification and certification in accordance with harmonised European guidelines provides a single, widely recognised, visible verification of a welder’s competence

Benefits• Effective and uniform implementation of

new European Standards:– EN 14730-1 approval of aluminothermic

welding processes– EN 14730-2 qualification of aluminothermic

welders• Improvement of the ‘interoperability’

between national railway systems• More effective maintenance, reduction of

track possession time and improvement of workforce safety

• Free movement of welders in the EU• Implementation of RAILSAFE is entirely

voluntary

Project phases

1. Understanding industry requirements for ATW of rails

2. Guideline for the education, training, qualification and certification of ATW railway track welders

3. Plan for an organisation to operate the system

4. Database of qualified and certified welders

5. Pilot courses with examination and qualification

First phaseUnderstanding industry requirements for training and competence in ATW of rails50 experts from:– railway authorities– contractors – process suppliers – research and consultancy organisations– training establishments and welding institutes

took part in five workshops in UK, Germany, Sweden, Slovakia and Italy.

Report completed in 2006, at www.ewf.be/railsafe

Second phase - Guideline

• Minimum requirements for the education, training, examination, qualification and certification of railway track welding personnel

• European Aluminothermic Welder (EAW)

• Completed July 2007, at www.ewf.be/railsafe

Guideline - purpose

• A system to train, qualify and certify a European Aluminothermic Welder (EAW)

• To describe the knowledge and skills a welder requires to produce ATW joints on rails independently

• To describe the process of training and qualifying/certifying welders

• To support compliance with EN 14730-2• To achieve European harmonisation in the

competence of rail welders• Wide range of expert input

Guideline – structure and format

• Complies with the tried-and-tested formula of the European Welding Federation (EWF) and the International Institute of Welding (IIW)

• Instruction programme is defined topic-by-topic in terms of:– Objective– Scope– Expected results– Recommended teaching hours

Guideline – main contents• Overall structure• Access conditions - prior knowledge required• Instruction programme (for one ATW process)

– Theoretical– Practical

• Examinations and tests• Award of a generic Diploma• Award of a Certificate – Process variant specific• Renewal of a Certificate• Transition arrangements

Definitions

– ‘Qualification’ – a diploma confirming successful completion of a training/examination programme. Valid for life

– ‘Certification’ – confirmation of specific competence to do a job. Limited period of validity – proof of continuing competence needed for renewal.

Guideline – key organisations and people

• RANB - RAILSAFE Authorised National Body

• ATB - Approved Training Body• AE - Authorised Examiner• European ATW Instructor

All above have to satisfy strict criteria

Guideline – outline structure

Certificate (process variant specific), 2 years validity(Issued by RAILSAFE Authorised National Body)

Renewed by re-assessment of competence(By Authorised Examiner)

One year's experiencefollowed by

assessment of competence(By Authorised Examiner)

Diploma(Issued by RAILSAFE Authorised National Body)

Theoretical examinationPractical test

(By Authorised Examiner)

Theoretical education (40 hours)Practical training (80 hours)

(By Approved Training Body)

Part 1 - Theoretical Education curriculum (40 hours)

• 1.1 Health, safety, environment and track

fabrication (7)

• 1.2 Track fabrication (1)• 1.3 Materials and their behaviour during

welding (8)– 1.3.1 Basics of metallurgy– 1.3.2 Welding metallurgy and structure of

welded joints– 1.3.3 Rails

Part 1 - Theoretical Education curriculum (40 hours)

• 1.4 Application of ATW to rails (23)– 1.4.1 Principles of ATW– 1.4.2 Cutting processes for rails – 1.4.3 ATW application– 1.4.4 Grinding of completed welds– 1.4.5 Welding imperfections and defects– 1.4.6 and 1.4.7 Arc welding, and joining processes

other than ATW

• Theoretical examination (1)

Total time for theoretical education/examination

– 40 hours

Part 2 – Practical Training – one ATW process supplier (80 hours) • 2.1 Pre-welding activities

– setting up, creating weld gap, rail alignment

• 2.2 ATW– preparing, welding, dismantling

• 2.3 Post-welding activities– removing risers/moulds, shearing, grinding, inspecting

• 2.4 Welding process variants– dissimilar profiles, wide gap, 3 part mould, alternative

preheating

• Practical test - in one ATW process variant (3)

• Total time for practical training/tests - 80 hours

Examinations and tests• Theoretical examination

– multiple choice questions approved by RANB– pass mark 60%– sample questions in Guideline

• Practical test– in accordance with Practical Test Specification (one

process) and with EN 14730-2 (or equivalent)– suggested assessment regime in Guideline

• Success in above results in issue of Diploma - European Aluminothermic Welder (EAW)– states applicable process supplier/process variants – valid for life of holder

Certification - European Aluminothermic Welder (EAW)

• Requires diploma holder to have 1 year’s satisfactory experience (50 welds)– normally in same process variant as Diploma– alternative process variants acceptable if evidence of

training– welding work records assessed by Authorised Examiner– in-track test required in case of doubt– sample certificate and id card in Guideline

• Can be used as permit to weld (EN 14730-2)• Valid for 2 years - renewal requires:

– continuous satisfactory experience (50 welds per year, no more than 6 months interruption)

– in-track test required in case of doubt

Transition arrangements

• For existing, practising AT welders • Diplomas and Certificates may be awarded

by RANBs– without the AT welder going through the full

course and examination/test– providing the AT welder has passed

theoretical and practical tests in accordance with the Guideline or under equivalent technical conditions.

Third phase

• Plan for an organisation to operate the system– Includes rules for organisations wishing

to implement the system resulting in the issue of RAILSAFE diplomas and certificates

• Completed July 2007• Available at www.ewf.be/railsafe

Plan for the organisation of the system

Authorised Examiner (AE)

StudentsCandidates

Approved Training Body (ATB)

RAILSAFE Authorised National Body (RANB)Assesses and approves ATBs

European Rail Organisationtemporary European Welding Federation

Assesses and authorises RANBs

Rail welding specialists:Rail authorities

Process suppliersContractors, etc

Fourth phase

• Database of qualified and certified welders– Web-based database

– Data supplied by ATBs and inserted by RANBs

– Data is based on one Diploma and one or more Certificates issued to the welder

– Consent of welder/employer required

• The database will contain:

– name– date of birth/ or other identification number– issue date– expiration date (Certificate) – Diploma and Certificate numbers– Process supplier/ process variant(s)– reference to Guideline (Diploma)– reference to ‘Practical Test Specification’ (Diploma)– company/employer (Certificate)– prolongations, issue and expiry dates (Certificate)– pdf files of supporting documents

Fifth phase• Pilot Courses

– Test the implementation of the RAILSAFE Guideline

– Covers training, examination and qualification

– Pilot Courses have been run in United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Portugal and the Netherlands

– Evaluation of results of Pilot Courses in order to improve the Guideline

– Issue Diplomas and enter welders on database

Dissemination• Meetings with IoRW (UK) and Scandinavian

welding group AG60 • Meetings with process suppliers: Elektrothermit,

Railtech, Plötz, KLK• Partners’ meetings with railway authorities • Meetings with CEN/TC 256/SC1 Chairman and WG4

Convenor• Contact with European Rail Infrastucture Managers

(EIM)• Contact with European Federation of Railway

Trackworks Contractors (EFRTC)• Various presentations and articles in partner

countries• RAILSAFE European Seminar – January 2007• RAILSAFE Website: www.ewf.be/railsafe

RAILSAFE system implemented

• European Welding Federation acts as temporary umbrella organisation in Europe

• European welding institutes, members of EWF, are ready to act on behalf of the railway authority, as RANB in each country

• Operation of RAILSAFE system by the Netherlands railway authority, ProRail, through NIL

• RAILSAFE Guideline available• RAILSAFE Rules available• RAILSAFE Database available

Future step

• Proposal to extend the work to arc welding