Potential occupational standard
Occupational standard in development
Approved occupational standard
Occupational standard without apprenticeship
Custom occupational card
Apprenticeship
T Level
Technical Qualification
Higher Technical Qualification
Foundation Apprenticeship
Career starter apprenticeship
Royal apprenticeship
Occupational progression
Technical education progression
Mid green occupation
Dark green occupation
Favourite occupation
View glossary of terms
home Engineering and manufacturing
Nuclear welding inspection technician

Nuclear welding inspection technician

Engineering and manufacturing

Level 4 - Higher Technical Occupation

Carrying out quality control and welding inspections for the nuclear industry, to ensure the safety and robustness of nuclear sites.

Print to PDF View occupation in map

Reference: OCC0292

Status: assignment_turned_inApproved occupation

Average (median) salary: £29,630 per year

SOC 2020 code: 3115 Quality assurance technicians

SOC 2020 sub unit groups:

  • 3115/00 Quality assurance technicians
  • 3113/99 Engineering technicians n.e.c.
  • 3581/08 Nuclear safety inspectors
  • 8133/99 Energy plant operatives n.e.c.
  • 8143/00 Routine inspectors and testers

Technical Education Products

ST0292:

Nuclear welding inspection technician

(Level 4)

Approved for delivery

Employers involved in creating the standard:

Altrad Babcock Ltd, Bendalls Engineering, Bureau Veritas UK, Cavendish Nuclear Ltd, Costain Limited, EDF Energy, Hargreaves Ductwork Ltd, Jacobs, Morgan Sindall, National Nuclear Laboratory, Nuclear Restoration Services, Nuclear Waste Services, Nuvia Ltd, Sellafield Ltd, Stork Technical Services, TSP, West Cumberland Engineering Ltd, Westinghouse Springfields Fuels Ltd

Summary

This occupation is found in the nuclear sector. A nuclear welding inspection technician performs a quality control and welding inspection role for the nuclear industry and facilities. A nuclear welding inspection technician meets the exacting quality requirements specified in nuclear industry regulations, specifications, standards and detailed engineering documents. These are unique to the sector, hence the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to deploy this role are specific for the nuclear industry.

The broad purpose of this occupation is to perform inspection work for nuclear related fabrications, checking the safety and integrity of the construction on nuclear licensed sites undertaking waste management, decommissioning, construction and operational nuclear plants. They also perform inspection work in manufacturing facilities which supply the nuclear industry. Nuclear welding activities can generate various types of waste. A nuclear welding inspection technician manages and handles nuclear welding inspection consumables by following appropriate disposal procedures, ensuring their safe containment, and minimising any potential harm to the environment.

In their daily work, a nuclear welding inspection technician works individually or interacts with an inspection team. They operate in a challenging environment where quality standards are paramount and safety is the overriding priority. This work will involve carrying out detailed observations, making detailed records, giving technical feedback and providing challenge throughout the manufacturing process. Working conditions may involve wearing specialist safety equipment, shift working and working on sites and facilities running 365-day operations. 

A nuclear welding inspection technician is responsible for the quality and accuracy of the work they undertake. They need to be able to work with minimum supervision and in a professional manner, for example, complying with environmental regulations to ensure that all welding inspection activities minimise any potential environmental impact. 

 


Employers involved in creating the standard:

Altrad Babcock Ltd, Bendalls Engineering, Bureau Veritas UK, Cavendish Nuclear Ltd, Costain Limited, EDF Energy, Hargreaves Ductwork Ltd, Jacobs, Morgan Sindall, National Nuclear Laboratory, Nuclear Restoration Services, Nuclear Waste Services, Nuvia Ltd, Sellafield Ltd, Stork Technical Services, TSP, West Cumberland Engineering Ltd, Westinghouse Springfields Fuels Ltd

spa

Dark Green occupation

Green themes

Energy and Networks

Typical job titles include:

Nuclear safety inspectorseco
Nuclear welding inspection technicianeco
Quality assurance technicianseco

Keywords:

Eddy Current Testing
Magnetic Testing
Nuclear Industry
Nwit
Penetrant Testing
Radiographic Testing
Ultrasonic Testing
Visual Testing
Welding

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)

K1: Regulatory and legislative guidance: Nuclear Installations Act (NIA); Ionising Radiation Regulations (IRR); Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations (REPPIR).
K2: Health and safety: nuclear environment safety culture, safe working practices, risk assessments, control measures for associated radiation sources and hazards. Confined spaces, Health and safety at work act. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH). Manual handling. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Respiratory Protection Equipment (RPE). Slips, trips and falls. Safety equipment: guards, signage, fire extinguishers. Working at height.
K3: Environment and sustainability regulations and guidance. Types of pollution and control measures in the nuclear sector, including spills and waste. Waste reduction and waste streams. Recycling and reuse. Sustainable use of equipment and materials.
K4: Human performance and human factors and their effect on nuclear safety culture.
K5: British standards for engineering representations, drawings, and fabrication and dimensional requirements.
K6: Engineering standards and regulations for the nuclear industry, relevant to the occupation and technician's responsibilities. British Standards (BS). International Organisation for Standardisation standards (ISO). European Norm (EN).
K7: Material science: properties, characteristics, composition, failure mechanisms, and behaviours of metal types for selection of welding processes for nuclear applications.
K8: Destructive testing methods (DTM): fundamental techniques, point of failure analysis of materials.
K9: Weldability and joining methods: weldability of material, welding consumable selection, joining dissimilar materials, heat treatment and effects on metallurgical structure.
K10: Welding practices: welding information, representation and terminology, standards and abbreviations. Welding procedures. Welder approval process, documentation and records.
K11: Tools and equipment used in welding and welding inspection, processes and parameters for their use.
K12: Approved nuclear industry quality control requirements before, during and after welding, and categorisation of weld defects: material and welding equipment storage, condition and certification. Welding process, consumables and approved procedures.
K13: Non-destructive testing techniques: liquid penetrant testing and inspection (LPI), magnetic particle inspection (MPI), radiographic testing (RT) and ultrasonic testing (UT). Suitable selection of test method. Advantages and limitations of their use.
K14: Documentation and recording information: methods of inspection reporting, and verification of certification data.
K15: Business operational considerations: business efficiency, customer satisfaction, technical support, competitiveness, minimising risks to operation, finance, business ethics and licenses.
K16: Principles of team working.
K17: Principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace and the impact on their work.
K18: Verbal and written communication techniques.
K19: Digital systems and information technology: management information systems, spreadsheets, presentation, document production, email and messaging systems, virtual communication and learning platforms. General data protection regulation. Cyber security.
K20: Workplace training and development activities: continual professional development (CPD).

S1: Comply with nuclear regulatory and legislative guidance.
S2: Comply with health and safety and industry regulations, procedures, and guidance.
S3: Comply with environmental and sustainability regulations and procedures. For example, identify and segregate resources for reuse, waste reduction, recycling, and disposal.
S4: Apply human performance and human factors nuclear culture.
S5: Receive, read and interpret engineering data and information for welding processes, procedures and inspections. For example, interrogate engineering drawings, fabrication and dimensional requirements.
S6: Comply with nuclear engineering standards and regulations. For example, British Standards (BS), International Organisation for Standardisation standards (ISO) and European Norm (EN).
S7: Read, interpret, and record welding information and technologies. For example, welding abbreviations and terminology and relevant weld procedures, welder approval processes.
S8: Confirm and validate tools and welding equipment used in the welding process.
S9: Select and use welding inspection tools.
S10: Apply nuclear industry quality control requirements.
S11: Validate materials, equipment and consumables storage, condition and certification and the welding process is in accordance with an approved procedure. Verify qualified status of welder and check weld fit up and weld faces.
S12: Carry out process and parameter monitoring and verification. For example, check current, voltage, heat and travel speed are in accordance with the welding procedure and inspect the weld root and verify inter run.
S13: Carry out visual inspection, non-destructive testing techniques, for example, liquid penetrant testing (LPI), magnetic particle inspection (MPI), for weld appearance and identification checks.
S14: Check subsequent repairs are completed and recorded and test post-weld heat treatment.
S15: Produce welding inspection reports, and verification of certification data, recording information and the results on paper or electronically.
S16: Apply business improvement techniques. For example, identify areas for improvement, resolve business problems, business efficiencies.
S17: Record or enter information - paper based or electronic. For example, job sheets, handover documents and manufacturers' documentation, work sheets, checklists, waste environmental records.
S18: Apply team working principles.
S19: Apply and promote policies and practices to support equity, diversity and inclusion.
S20: Communicate verbally with colleagues and stakeholders.
S21: Communicate in writing with colleagues and stakeholders.
S22: Use information technology. For example, for document creation, communication, and information management in line with breakdown, repair and maintenance activities. Comply with GDPR and other regulations relating to personal and commercial data.
S23: Carry out and record formal and informal workplace training and development activities, continual professional development (CPD).

B1: Commit to and promote safety in the nuclear industry for all stakeholders.
B2: Collaborate within teams, across disciplines and external stakeholders.
B3: Promote professional conduct, ethics, integrity, honesty and resilience.
B4: Support a diverse and inclusive culture.
B5: Consider human performance and human factors principles in the workplace.
B6: Seek learning and development opportunities, continual professional development (CPD).

Duties

Duty D1

Comply with nuclear legislation and regulations, policy, standards and procedures.

Duty D2

Comply with health and safety, and environmental and sustainability regulations and guidance in accordance with the nuclear environment.

Duty D3

Receive, read, and interpret engineering data and documentation.

Duty D4

Carry out inspection and surveillance of welded products to verify compliance with the appropriate specifications, procedures, drawings, and inspection and test plans.

Duty D5

Follow the process of managing non-conformances on items that do not meet the specified quality requirements.

Duty D6

Verify that the correct, defined and calibrated measurement and test equipment is used.

Duty D7

Produce accurate and timely inspection reports.

Duty D8

Act as a mentor to other nuclear welding inspection apprentices.

Duty D9

Resolve problems that occur within the activity using a structured and controlled approach. For example, unexpected technical or process issues, team related issues, escalating as required.

Duty D10

Participate in continuous improvement activities including continued professional development.

Occupational Progression

This occupational progression map shows technical occupations that have transferable knowledge and skills.

In this map, the focused occupation is highlighted in yellow. The arrows indicate where transferable knowledge and skills exist between two occupations. This map shows some of the strongest progression links between the focused occupation and other occupations.

It is anticipated that individuals would be required to undertake further learning or training to progress to and from occupations. To find out more about an occupation featured in the progression map, including the learning options available, click the occupation.

Progression decisions have been reached by comparing the knowledge and skills statements between occupational standards, combined with individualised learner movement data.

Technical Occupations

Levels 2-3

Higher Technical Occupations

Levels 4-5

Professional Occupations

Levels 6-7

Progression link into focused occupation.
assignment_turned_in

Level 2

Progression link into focused occupation.
assignment_turned_in

Level 3

Progression link into focused occupation.
assignment_turned_in

Level 3

This is the focused occupation.
assignment_turned_in

Level 4

spa

Engineering and manufacturing